
Two Quants and a Financial Planner
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.
Latest episodes

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/

Dec 11, 2023 • 51min
Evaluating Alternatives to the 60-40 Portfolio
Stocks and bonds have their best returns in history over the past 40 years. But history tells us that the period is more the exception than the rule. With the outlook for stocks and bonds not looking as rosy as the past, many investors have questioned whether a portfolio consisting of just stocks and bonds is enough. In this episode, we tackle that question. We look at the future outlook for stocks and bonds and evaluate a variety of alternative strategies investors could consider.
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/

Dec 4, 2023 • 42min
The Characteristics of a Good Investment Process - And How to Know When to Change It
One of the most common pieces of advice given to investors is to have a process. But figuring out what that process should be is much more challenging. And determining when to change it is even harder. In this episode, we tackle both issues. We look at the characteristics of a good investment process. We also look at international diversification, the 60-40 portfolio and the struggles of value investing as examples of how to think about when to change it.
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/

Nov 27, 2023 • 42min
Year-End Investing and Planning Strategies | Portfolio Rebalancing, Tax Loss Harvesting and More
As we approach the end of 2023, there are many considerations for investors both on the investing and the financial planning side. In this episode, Ben Tuscai returns to help us work through them. We discuss tax loss harvesting, how we look at the process of evaluating investment strategy changes, RMD considerations and a lot more.
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/

Nov 20, 2023 • 50min
What Investors Need to Know About Momentum Investing
In this episode, we take a deep dive into momentum investing. We discuss the different types of momentum, why it works, how it is measured and how it is used to construct portfolios. We also cover trend following, the behavioral challenges of momentum and how to think about momentum in the context of a financial plan.
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/