

Two Quants and a Financial Planner
Excess Returns
Two Quants and a Financial Planner bridges the worlds of investing and financial planning to help investors achieve their long-term goals. Join Matt Zeigler, Jack Forehand and Justin Carbonneau as they cover a wide range of investing and financial planning topics that impact all of us and discuss how we can apply them in the real world to achieve the best outcomes in our financial lives.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 22, 2024 • 54min
The Double-Edged Sword of Trend Following
In this episode of Two Quants and a Financial Planner, we dive deep into the world of trend following investment strategies. We explain what trend following is, discuss the potential benefits such as downside protection during bear markets, and explore some of the challenges involved, including false signals, whipsaw risk, and the difficulty of sticking with the strategy during underperforming periods. We also talk about how trend following can be incorporated as one component of a diversified investment portfolio and why the sizing and blending of strategies is so important.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://excessreturnspod.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SUNPOINTE INVESTMENTS
https://sunpointeinvestments.com/
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau
FOLLOW MATT
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cultishcreative
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-zeigler-a58a0a60/

Apr 15, 2024 • 58min
The Importance of Managing Drawdowns in Retirement
In this episode of Two Quants and a Financial Planner, we dive into the important topic of withdrawal rates and retirement planning. We discuss how Monte Carlo simulations can help us understand the potential outcomes and risks associated with different withdrawal strategies. We also explore the concept of sequence of returns risk and how it can impact a portfolio's longevity. Additionally, we examine how utilizing different asset classes and employing factor investing can potentially enhance retirement outcomes.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://excessreturnspod.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SUNPOINTE INVESTMENTS
https://sunpointeinvestments.com/
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau
FOLLOW MATT
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cultishcreative
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-zeigler-a58a0a60/

Apr 8, 2024 • 57min
An In Depth Look at Low Volatility Investing
In investing, there is supposed to be a clear tradeoff between return and risk. Strategies that reduce risk are also supposed to come with a corresponding reduction in return But one factor defies that tradeoff. In this episode, we look at the low volatility factor. We discuss how it is measured, why it works and how it can be used in portfolios. We also examine some popular low volatility ETFs and look at the key criteria investors should look at when evaluating them.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://excessreturnspod.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SUNPOINTE INVESTMENTS
https://sunpointeinvestments.com/
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau
FOLLOW MATT
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cultishcreative
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-zeigler-a58a0a60/

Apr 1, 2024 • 54min
Lessons from Danny Kahneman | Investing in Practice Rather Than Theory
When we start in the investing world, many of us think building the perfect investment strategy is about data and numbers and theory. We think the strategy that works best on paper will also work best in the real world. But it doesn't work that way. And the main reason is that all of us are not what economic theory would call "rational actors". All three of us owe a huge debt to Danny Kahneman for his groundbreaking research that taught us that. Danny recently passed away and as a tribute to him and his work, we wanted to do an episode where we discuss the lessons we learned from him. We discuss system one and system two thinking, prospect theory, anchoring, the availability heuristic, the dangers of overconfidence and how we put all of it to use in the real-world building investment strategies and managing client portfolios.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://excessreturnspod.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SUNPOINTE INVESTMENTS
https://sunpointeinvestments.com/
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau
FOLLOW MATT
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cultishcreative
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-zeigler-a58a0a60/

Mar 25, 2024 • 1h 8min
Understanding the Measurement of Inflation
With the rise of inflation in the past few years, many investors have been paying attention to metrics that they largely ignored for decades. Measures like the CPI and PCE have now become front page news when they are released each month. But despite quoting them all the time, many investors don't understand what goes into them and how they are calculated. In this episode, we try to correct that. We take a deep dive into the metrics that are used to measure inflation and the details behind them. We cover the CPI, PCE and the behind-the-scenes metrics like owner's equivalent rent that go into their calculation. We also look at more real time metrics like Truflation and look at what it all means from both an investing and financial planning perspective.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://excessreturnspod.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SUNPOINTE INVESTMENTS
https://sunpointeinvestments.com/
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau
FOLLOW MATT
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cultishcreative
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-zeigler-a58a0a60/

Mar 18, 2024 • 55min
10 Lessons From Warren Buffett's Annual Letter
Warren Buffett recently released his 2024 annual letter. And this one was a particularly notable one since it was the first since the passing of Charlie Munger. Buffett wrote a beautiful tribute to Munger in the letter and as is always the case also shared many timeless investing lessons. In this episode, we share our biggest takeaways from the letter and the lessons we think investors can learn from it.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://excessreturnspod.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SUNPOINTE INVESTMENTS
https://sunpointeinvestments.com/
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau
FOLLOW MATT
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cultishcreative
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-zeigler-a58a0a60/

Mar 11, 2024 • 1h 3min
Ten Simple Lessons from Fama and French
Academic research can seem inaccessible for many investors. But behind all the complicated concepts and formulas are usually some simple core lessons that all investors can benefit from. In this episode, we are joined by Alpha Architect's Jess Bost to help us pull those core lessons out of the work of Eugene Fama and Ken French. We discuss ten timeless lessons investors can take from their research and look at some simple examples that make them easy to understand. We also look at what it all means for investors from both a portfolio construction and financial planning perspective.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://www.validea.com/financial-planning-podcast
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SUNPOINTE INVESTMENTS
https://sunpointeinvestments.com/
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau
FOLLOW MATT
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cultishcreative
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-zeigler-a58a0a60/

Mar 4, 2024 • 51min
The S&P 500 Is Highly Concentrated | Should You Be Worried?
The top ten companies in the S&P 500 currently represent 35% of the index. Some market pundits have talked about that being a significant risk factor for the market going forward. In this episode, we take a look at the facts to see if those concerns are warranted. We look at how the current level of concentration compares to history, whether the fundamentals of the biggest companies justify their valuations and what it all means for investors.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://www.validea.com/financial-planning-podcast
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SUNPOINTE INVESTMENTS
https://sunpointeinvestments.com/
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau
FOLLOW MATT
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cultishcreative
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-zeigler-a58a0a60/

Feb 26, 2024 • 59min
David Einhorn Says the Market is Broken | We Debate Whether He is Right
In a recent appearance on the Masters in Business podcast, David Einhorn claimed that the stock market is broken. He discussed how he has adjusted his strategy to reflect his belief that the market doesn't seem to care about fundamentals anymore. In this episode, we take an in depth look at this idea and the facts both supporting and refuting it. We discuss how the rise of passive investing has changed the market, how that impacts fundamental investing and some potential changes fundamental investors can make to deal with the changing market.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://www.validea.com/financial-planning-podcast
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SUNPOINTE INVESTMENTS
https://sunpointeinvestments.com/
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau
FOLLOW MATT
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cultishcreative
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-zeigler-a58a0a60/

Feb 19, 2024 • 1h 11min
The Intentional Investor | Justin Castelli
In the first episode of our new series, the Intentional Investor, Matt Zeigler sits down with RLS Wealth founder Justin Castelli to discuss his personal mission and the tools he uses to achieve it. They discuss Justin's life planning mission, why he prefers visions over goals, the $1,000,000 check he wrote to his future self and a lot more.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://www.validea.com/financial-planning-podcast
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SUNPOINTE INVESTMENTS
https://sunpointeinvestments.com/
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau
FOLLOW MATT
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cultishcreative
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-zeigler-a58a0a60/