

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

Oct 2, 2023 • 47min
Roth Conversions | What Investors Need to Know
In this episode, we are joined by Sunpointe's Ben Tuscai to take a deep dive into Roth conversions. We discuss the criteria that investors can use to determine when the make sense and why they aren't used in the real world as often as you might think. We also discuss back door Roth conversions, mega back door Roth conversions, conversions inside employer plans and a lot more.
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/

Sep 25, 2023 • 52min
The Many Sides of Diversification | Spreading Your Bets Across Stocks, Factors and Asset Classes
The idea of diversification is simple. Most investors understand that spreading your bets and avoiding overconcentration is a good idea. But the details behind how to do that can be much more complicated. In this episode, we take a deep dive into diversification. We look at the number of stocks a portfolio needs to be diversified, the importance of factor diversification, whether a portfolio with only stocks and bonds can be considered properly diversified and why rebalancing is an essential part of diversification.
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/

Sep 18, 2023 • 46min
A Detailed Look at Direct Indexing
Many believe that direct indexing will be the next big trend in investing. While it used to be reserved for high-net-worth individuals, zero commissions and the ability to trade partial shares has now brought it to the masses. But does it make sense for investors to utilize the strategy? As is usually the case with all investing tools, the answer is "it depends". In this episode, Lee Boudouris of Sunpointe Investment joins us to look at how direct indexing strategies work and the pros and the cons of the approach.
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/

Sep 11, 2023 • 43min
Two Quants and a Financial Planner Talk Inflation
The inflation experience of the last few years has been unlike anything many investors have ever seen before. And it has impacted all of our lives in many different ways. In this episode we try to put all of it in context. We discuss the causes of inflation, the challenges of measuring and predicting it, how different asset classes perform during high inflation and how we look at high inflation from both a portfolio construction and financial planning perspective.
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/

Sep 4, 2023 • 39min
Breaking Down the Greatness of Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett just celebrated his 93rd birthday. And for most of his life, he has been demonstrating the power of disciplined investing and compounding to all of us. In this episode, we look at some of the most important lessons investors can learn from Buffett. We discuss his long-term focus, the simplicity of his communications approach, his optimism and flexibility and a lot more.
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/

Aug 28, 2023 • 57min
Behind the Curtain of 401K Plans with Law Professors Ian Ayres and Quinn Curtis
Many Americans rely on 401k plans as the primary source to fund their retirements. But many also don't understand the behind-the-scenes details that play a significant role in the outcomes they generate with these retirement plans. In this episode, we speak with Yale law professor Ian Ayres and UVA law professor Quinn Curtis to help us fill in these gaps and discuss how retirement plans can produce better outcomes for their participants. We look at the history of retirement plans and how they have evolved, why choice can be a double-edged sword, how guardrails can improve outcomes 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/

Aug 21, 2023 • 31min
Untangling the Challenging Rules of Inherited IRAs
Inherited IRAs can be very challenging for investors to understand. Not only are there a series of different rules that govern how money must be withdrawn from them in each unique situation, but those rules also changed substantially with the recent passage of the Secure Act. In this episode, we provide an overview of Inherited IRAs and what investors need to know about them.
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/

Aug 14, 2023 • 51min
A Quant and a Financial Planner Discuss Factor Investing
In this episode Matt and Jack look at factor investing from both the perspective of someone who builds quantitative strategies and someone who utilizes them. They discuss what factors are, why they work, the different ways to combine them into multi-factor portfolios, the importance of matching an investment strategy with the end user's goals and risk tolerance, the important of human capital in portfolio construction and a lot more.
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/

Aug 7, 2023 • 39min
The Truth About Market Forecasts (And Dollar Cost Averaging)
In this episode we tackle two topics that can impact investors as they seek to build long-term wealth. We first look at the idea of annual stock market forecasts. We talk about the challenges of predicting the market over the short-term, the importance of understanding base rates and how long-term investors should view forecasts. We also cover dollar cost averaging and the ways it can be both used and misused. We discuss why one use of dollar cost averaging is much more useful than the other and the ways investors with a lump sum of money to invest in the market can think about deploying it.
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/

Jul 31, 2023 • 39min
A Young Financial Planner Shares His Most Important Insights for Early Career Investors
In this episode, Ben Tuscai helps us work through many of the issues that young investors deal with navigating early in their careers. He has a unique perspective to offer given that he has recently dealt with the many similar challenges in his own life. We discuss planning for having children, the basics of insurance, general rules for emergency funds, why investing early is so important, emergency fund rules of thumb and a lot more.
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/