

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

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/

Feb 12, 2024 • 51min
The Elusive Definition of Risk | And How to Manage It
We all know risk in investing when we see it. But defining it can be a much bigger challenge. In this episode, we work through the concept of risk from both an investing and financial planning perspective. We discuss the ways to measure it, how active investors can think about it, the importance of considering it in a behavioral context 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/

Feb 5, 2024 • 55min
Private Investing for the Average Investor | The Pros and Cons of Evergreen and Interval Funds
Private equity, private credit and private real estate have traditionally been areas that are reserved for large investors and institutions. But new fund structures are beginning to change that. The question is whether that is a good thing or a bad thing for investors. In this episode, we are joined by Lee Boudouris to tackle that question. We take a detailed look at these asset classes in general, how the evergreen fund structures that have made them more accessible work and the things investors should keep in mind as they evaluate them.
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/

Jan 29, 2024 • 1h 6min
Fact or Fiction: Limitations of the 60-40, Dave Ramsey's 8% Rule, Factor Investing, AI and More
In our first "Fact of Fiction" episode, we tackle some of the questions we have been asked or have seen out in the world recently. We discuss whether stocks and bonds are sufficient in a portfolio, retirement planning, factor investing, whether an AI driven bubble could be coming. why there wasn't a #1 rap song in 2023 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/

Jan 22, 2024 • 1h 2min
The Key Criteria to Look at When Evaluating Active ETFs
Active ETFs have grown exponentially in recent years, especially in the equity space. One of the big benefits of that for investors in more investment strategies to choose from. The challenge, though, is that is can be hard to filter through them all to find the right strategy for a specific need. In this episode, we try to help solve that problem. We walk through the key criteria we look at when evaluating active ETFs from both and investing and financial planning perspective. We also work through some examples to show how we do it in practice.
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/

Jan 15, 2024 • 1h 2min
Lessons from Launching (and Shutting Down) a Small-Cap Value ETF
In this episode, we walk through our experience of launching a small-cap value ETF in 2014, running it for 6 years and then shutting it down in 2020. We look at what we learned from the experience and what investors can learn about how ETFs work behind the scenes from our experience.
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/

Jan 8, 2024 • 38min
Lessons from the Rise and Fall (And Rise Again?) of ARK
Technology booms can lead to massive change in our society. They can also lead to huge profits for investors who invest in them. But those huge gains can also be followed by major losses when they inevitably run their course. There is probably no better way to understand the lessons for investors from these periods than to look at the story of ARK Investments. ARK's flagship innovation ETF generated eye popping returns in the years leading up to 2021. Then it gave many of those returns back as investors questioned whether the prospects if the companies it owned justified their high valuations. And then it bounced back in a big way in 2023, although it still sits well below its highs. In this episode, we use the story of ARK to highlight some of the most important lessons we think investors can learn about investing in innovation and concentrated strategies.
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/

Jan 1, 2024 • 40min
Nine Investing and Life Lessons From 2023
2023 was a very interesting year in markets. The pessimism many investors had at the beginning of the year turned out to be unfounded as markets produced well above average returns. And the economy also remained more resilient than many thought, with inflation falling more than expectations throughout the year. Now that 2023 has come to a close, we wanted to take a look back and share the biggest lessons we learned from the year. We discuss what we learned in markets and what we learned in our lives and how that will inform our approach going forward.
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/

4 snips
Dec 27, 2023 • 47min
Our 2024 Market Forecast | And Why You Shouldn't Listen to It
Forecast season is once again upon is. It is the time of year where many market strategists will tell us where the S&P 500 will end 2024 and do it with conviction. There is just one problem. Almost all of them will be wrong. But despite the fact that the evidence that forecasting the market is a losing game, many of us who follow markets still think we can do it. So we decided that the best way for us to overcome that bias is to try to do it ourselves. In our first annual forecast episode, all 3 of us offer our 2024 forecasts for the market, the economy and a bunch of other things we have no business forecasting. We hope you will enjoy rubbing it our faces next year when we are proven wrong.
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/

Dec 18, 2023 • 44min
Four Ways Value Investors Can Use Momentum
Many value investors may see momentum as the antithesis of their approach to investing. But the reality is that there are a variety of ways that value investors can use momentum to enhance their approach. In this episode, we discuss four of them.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://www.validea.com/the-education-of-a-financial-planner-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/