The Meb Faber Show - Better Investing

In episode 291, we welcome our guest, Ron Lieber, the Your Money columnist for The New York author of the book, The Price You Pay for College. In today’s episode, we’re talking about what Ron describes as the biggest financial decision your family will ever make: paying for your child’s college tuition. We begin with some background as to how the sticker price of college has soared over the past few decades. Then Ron explains what merit aid is, how it can save you tens of thousands of dollars, and how schools are using it to compete with other schools for prospective students. Ron walks us through some of the best ways to start preparing for this big expense and why he believes you should talk to your son or daughter before they enter high school about all the factors impacting this important financial decision. As we wind down, Ron explains what policy suggestions he’d love to see implemented to help fix the student debt crisis. All this and more in episode 291 with The New York Times’ Ron Lieber.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 290, we welcome our guest, Bill Smead, the Chief Investment Officer for Smead Capital Management. In today’s episode, Bill explains why he believes the market is undergoing a tide change. He starts with a look back on the 2000 tech bubble and uses Cisco as an example of why it’s important to separate a good business from a good stock. After talking about parts of the market he doesn’t like, we move on to the parts he finds attractive, including home-builders, energy, suburban mall REITs, and financials. As we wind down, Bill touches on the antitrust case for big tech and what the investment implications may be. Please enjoy this episode with Smead Capital Management’s Bill Smead.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 289 is a Mebisode. In this episode, you’ll hear Meb put today's stock valuations into historical perspective. He addresses the claim that stock valuations should be high because bond yields are low and then looks at what conditions were present at the start of the best ten-year stock returns in history. Finally, he provides some thoughts on what investors could do to handle the current market environment.All of this and more in episode 289. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 288, we welcome our guest, Doug Pugliese, the Head of 1042 QRP Solutions at Alpha Architect, where he manages the firm’s qualified replacement property investment strategies practice. In today’s episode, we’re covering Doug’s best idea: employee stock ownership plans.ESOP’s are a niche but incredibly attractive way for a business owner to sell their business for both themselves and the long-term viability of the company. The episode starts with a broad overview and then dives into the inner workings of an ESOP sale. Doug explains how the tax benefits of a 1042 election allow the owner to defer capital gains tax and even invest the proceeds into a portfolio of blue chip stocks.As the conversation winds down, Doug shares why ESOP’s may be an ideal way for middle market private equity companies to exit investments.Please enjoy this special “Best Ideas” episode with Alpha Architect’s Doug Pugliese. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The podcast discusses using data science for venture capital investing, Tribe Capital's unique approach, successful investments in Slack and Carta, and co-investment opportunities. They explore product-market fit, data-driven strategies, COVID-19 impact on auto retail, frustration arbitrage, and FinTech investments.

In episode 286, we welcome our guest, Jeremy Grantham, co-founder and Chief Investment Strategist of GMO. In today’s episode, Jeremy begins by talking about the current market, which he believes will be recorded as one of the great bubbles of financial history. He puts this bubble into historical perspective by comparing it to the Japanese, technology and housing bubbles. Then he addresses the commonly cited argument that low interest rates justify high stock valuations. Next, Jeremy explains why he is so bullish on venture capital and has allocated almost 60% of his foundation to the asset class, making it, as he says, one of the most aggressive portfolios in the philanthropic world. As we wind down, Jeremy explains why he is so passionate about addressing climate change through his foundation, and why China is ahead of the U.S. to address the issue. Please enjoy this episode with GMO’s Jeremy Grantham.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 285, we welcome our guest David Marcus, the co-founder and Chief Investment Officer of Evermore Global Advisors, where he manages the Evermore Global Value Fund. In today’s episode, we’re talking about David’s best idea: special situations in Europe.David’s been investing in Europe for almost his entire career and thinks now is the best opportunity for special situations he has ever seen. First, he explains what it was like for him to watch legendary investor Michael Price navigate the 1987 crash. Then David explains what led him to start Evermore Global and the firm’s investment philosophy. He touches on the different types of special situations he focuses on, including spinoffs, restructurings, and breakups, and why activism, catalysts, and cheaper valuations make Europe especially attractive.As the conversation winds down, David talks about some of his current holdings and the benefits of investing in family-owned businesses.Please enjoy this special “Best Ideas” episode with Evermore Global Advisor’s David Marcus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 284, we welcome our guest, Michael Gayed, a Portfolio Manager at Toroso Investments, where he runs two tactical, risk-on, risk-off strategies. He’s also the publisher of the Lead-Lag Report.In today’s episode we’re talking about how to use indicators to decide when to go risk-on, risk-off. Michael explains how he came to focus on risk management early in his career and has kept that mentality since. He walks us through how he uses the utilities sector as an indicator for when volatility is going to spike, which worked well in 2020, helping him return over 70% in his ATAC fund. Then he takes us through his award winning paper on lumber and gold, two seemingly uncorrelated commodities that actually work well together to serve as a strong indicator for inflationary or deflationary conditions.As we wind down, he explains how often he assesses these signals and what they are showing as we start 2021.Please enjoy this episode with Toroso Investment’s Michael Gayed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 283, we welcome our guest, Brian Barish, the President and Chief Investment Officer at Cambiar Investors, a relative value firm focusing on out-of-favor companies with strong fundamentals.In today’s episode we’re talking all about value investing. Brian explains his evolution as a value investor with a comparison to the evolution of the NBA. He covers the two tenets he uses, taking an underwriting approach to evaluating a company and assessing the capital discipline over time. Then we hear about a couple of names in his portfolio and what he expects the recovery to look like in 2021.As we wind down, we take a look around the globe to hear where he sees value and hear what he thinks about the possibility of negative interest rates.Please enjoy this episode with Cambiar Investor's Brian Barish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 282, we welcome our guest, Salem Abraham, President of Abraham Trading Company and a legend within the trend following and managed futures space.In today’s episode we're talking with Salem about a lifetime of trend-following. Salem explains how a chance meeting with Turtle Trader Jerry Parker was his first encounter with ideas he would build his career on. We talk about the importance of risk management and diversification by utilizing assets other than equities. Then he explains how his relationship with the late Boone Pickens led to a foundation that had such good returns that he opened it up to the public and runs to this day. We touch on asset classes ranging from the dollar, bitcoin, farmland, and even trailer parks.As we wind down, we hear how hedge he put on in February turned $200,000 into $6 million in 37 days, returning 30x his money.All this and more with Abraham Trading Company’s Salem Abraham. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices