The Meb Faber Show - Better Investing

In episode 264, we welcome our guest, Sammy Courtright, co-founder of Ten Spot. In today’s episode, we’re talking about workforce engagement and solving some of the problems with distributed teams.Sammy tells us the backstory of Ten Spot and the re-branding process they’ve gone through to focus on technology to help the company streamline and scale. She explains the business model, how important it is with the modern workforce to make sure teams are engaged and connecting, and how Ten Spot is bringing engagement to the table. We discuss what’s on the horizon for the company, including some thoughts on international expansion.As the conversation winds down, Sammy shares the difficulty of navigating 2020, which not only includes trying to run the business, but extends to securing critical funding. All this and more in episode 264 with Ten Spot’s Sammy Courtright. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 263, we welcome our guest, Julian Klymochko, founder and CEO of Accelerate Financial Technologies, a firm delivering institutional caliber ETFs, ranging from absolute return strategies to private equity replication to arbitrage. In today’s episode we’re covering our guest’s best idea: SPAC arbitrage.It’s been a hot topic lately, and we dive into what the world of SPACs and SPAC arbitrage is all about. Julian offers a nice walk through of what a SPAC is and how the mechanics work. We cover what makes them such a unique vehicle for sponsors and investors alike, and get into the practical steps a SPAC must go through in the process of making business deals. We talk market dynamics, and chat about where the interesting arbitrage opportunities exist for investors.Please enjoy this special “Best Ideas” episode with Accelerate’s Julian Klymochko. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 262, we welcome our guest, Ihor Dusaniwsky, Managing Director of Predictive Analytics for S3 Partners. In today’s episode, we’re chatting all things short-selling. If you are managing money on behalf of others, or even for your own account and don’t know if you are earning money, or even how much, from lending your securities, this is a must listen.We cover the mechanics of short selling, that is, what actually happens when someone sells short a security. Ihor has said Tesla is the longest unprofitable short he’s ever seen. We chat Tesla and its status as the number-one short in the market right now by absolute size. We get into S3, and the unique, and frankly refreshing offering of providing timely, unbiased, stock loan data to investors.As we wind down, we cover some of Ihor’s lessons and takeaways from his time analyzing short interest data.All this and more in episode 262 with S3’s Ihor Dusaniwsky. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last year we brought listeners the entire volume of The Best Investment Writing Volume 3, in audio format, right here on the podcast. Listeners loved it, so we’re running it back again this year with The Best Investment Writing Volume 4.You’ll hear from some of the most respected money managers and investment researchers from all over the planet.Enough from me, let’s let Alec take over this special episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 261, we welcome our guest, Mike Lecours, co-founder of fpPathfinder, a firm developing flowcharts and checklists specifically to help advisors navigate complex financial planning questions to be more diligent in their planning processes.We’re covering Mike’s best idea: Checklists for financial advisors. Financial planning is no walk in the park. The rules that guide the advice planners’ offer their clients are always changing. We walk through the value that checklists can add for advisors. Not only can they help answer questions in a thorough, diligent manner, but they stand to offer efficiency gains as well. We get into how advisors are putting them to work, and sometimes even leaning on them to demonstrate what the process and path of advice might look like.As the conversation winds down we talk about evolving the resources into a digital solution to make the tools even more user friendly and integrated into the advisor workflow.Please enjoy this special “Best Ideas” episode with fpPathfinder’s Mike Lecours. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 260, we welcome our guest, Joel Greenblatt, Co-Chief Investment Officer of Gotham Asset Management. In today’s episode we’re talking about real proposals for real problems.We dig into topics that touch everyone in our society. We get into long-term savings, (by the way, nearly half of all working age families have zero retirement savings beyond what they might expect from social security) and discuss a novel tweak to the model that might deliver critical retirement savings for people who may not be in a position to save enough for retirement. We touch on our education system, where the core issues stem from, and how education might be able to be improved for all. We talk about the advantages of being open to immigration, and how a movement of alternative certification might spur an ecosystem that can improve how the workforce prepares for jobs and offer more direct ways of demonstrating technical know-how.Make sure you listen all the way to the end, as Joel covers some high level thoughts about how he thinks about value investing and his perspective on markets right now.All this and more in episode 260 with Gotham Asset Management’s Joel Greenblatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 259, we welcome our guest, Shane Heath, founder and CEO of MUD\WTR. In today’s episode, we’re diving into building a brand around needing something more out of coffee and the morning ritual.Shane takes us through his relationship with coffee, why it no longer served him, and what he did to improve on the cup of joe many of us have built into our daily routine. From launch, it was only 6 months before the company hit 6 figures in monthly revenue. We hear about the evolution from filling orders from his kitchen and delivering them to the post office on his lunch break, to quitting his job, raising money, and scaling the business.As we wind down, we discuss how the company was positioned for the current COVID environment as a modern D-to-C brand.All this and more in episode 259 with MUD\WTR’s Shane Heath. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode we welcome our guest, Alpha Architect’s founder and CEO, Wes Gray. We’re covering Wes’s best idea: Launching an ETF. We cover the ups and downs of the asset management business, and the different permutations his business went through before eventually landing on the ETF structure as the best way forward.From transparency to tax efficiency to ease of access for investors, we chat about why someone should consider launching an ETF. We spend a lot of time walking through the process of getting a fund up-and-running, which is not for the faint of heart, and even walk through some case studies of some folks that have launched ETFs with Alpha Architect’s white label business.Please enjoy this special “Best Ideas” episode with Alpha Architect’s Wes Gray. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 257 we welcome our guest, Marc Levine. In today’s episode, we’re approaching investing from the institutional, pension side of things.We talk to Marc about his role at ISBI. When he was there, there were 80 or so hedge funds in the portfolio. He discusses the mood in the boardroom when he made the decision to fire the vast majority of them and index the portfolio instead.We get into his interesting way of thinking of investors in the context of a ‘Tribal’ model, and why he feels investors should honor all 4 tribes. We even get his thoughts on 13F investing.All this and more in episode 257 with Marc Levine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last year we brought listeners the entire volume of The Best Investment Writing Volume 3, in audio format, right here on the podcast. Listeners loved it, so we’re running it back again this year with The Best Investment Writing Volume 4.You’ll hear from some of the most respected money managers and investment researchers from all over the planet.Enough from me, let’s let Rob take over this special episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices