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The Rational Reminder Podcast

Written by: Benjamin Felix & Cameron Passmore
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  • Summary

  • A weekly reality check on sensible investing and financial decision-making, from two Canadians. Hosted by Benjamin Felix and Cameron Passmore, Portfolio Managers at PWL Capital.
    2024 copyright - PWL Capital, all rights reserved
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Episodes
  • Episode 309 - Are Robo-Advisors Passive Investors?

    Episode 309 - Are Robo-Advisors Passive Investors?
    Jun 13 2024
    When robo-advisors first came onto the scene, they were pitched as an easy way to access index funds. These digital platforms provide algorithm-driven financial planning and investment services, with little to no human supervision, and typically use passive investment strategies. But while this technology has revolutionized access, not all robo-advisors are created equal. In today’s episode, Mark, Ben, and Cameron sit down to discuss the role of robo-advisors as passive investors, and the performance disparity in robo-advisor returns, as they investigate different robo-advisors, from Wealthsimple to Wealthfront. Next, in this week’s version of ‘Would you rather?’, we have robo-advisors pairing off against active bank mutual funds, with each of our hosts debating the pros and cons of these two approaches. For our aftershow section, we discuss listener feedback, interesting community discussions, Ben’s addiction to Excel, and much more. Tune in for a deep dive into robo-advisors and how to navigate this technology! Key Points From This Episode: (0:04:20) The history of robo-advisors and how they are used today. (0:08:30) Why there is such a marked dispersion among robo-advisor portfolios; an overview of Wealthsimple’s portfolios and the changes they’ve made over time. (0:16:00) Wealthsimple's investment returns, fees, and an attribution analysis. (0:24:19) Why Wealthfront pulled value out of their factor-tilted portfolios in 2022. (0:26:13) PWL’s investment approach and why no strategy is truly passive. (0:30:43) What the average investor needs to understand when using a robo-advisor. (0:32:02) Wealthsimple’s value proposition and why people are drawn to it. (0:33:33) Our ‘Would You Rather?’ Question: Would you rather put all your money with a robo-advisor or in a big bank actively managed mutual fund? (0:40:30) The growth of passive investing vs active management in the financial industry. (0:44:12) AI's impact on financial planning and an update on new calculators we’ve released. (0:52:38) Aftershow section: listener feedback, community discussions, leasing versus buying vehicles, Ben’s addiction to modelling, and more. Links From Today’s Episode: Rational Reminder on iTunes — https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-rational-reminder-podcast/id1426530582. Rational Reminder Website — https://rationalreminder.ca/ Rational Reminder on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/rationalreminder/ Rational Reminder on X — https://x.com/RationalRemind Rational Reminder on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/ Rational Reminder Email — info@rationalreminder.caBenjamin Felix — https://www.pwlcapital.com/author/benjamin-felix/ Benjamin on X — https://x.com/benjaminwfelix Benjamin on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminwfelix/ Cameron Passmore — https://www.pwlcapital.com/profile/cameron-passmore/ Cameron on X — https://x.com/CameronPassmore Cameron on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronpassmore/ Mark McGrath on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmcgrathcfp/ Mark McGrath on X — https://x.com/MarkMcGrathCFPWealthsimple — https://www.wealthsimple.com/en-ca Wealthfront — https://invest.wealthfront.com/ Rational Reminder Episode 308: Dan Bortolotti — Episode 299: The Most Important Lessons in Investing — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/299 The Money Scope Podcast — https://moneyscope.ca/Episode 251: Covered Calls — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/251 Ashleigh Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal — https://www.netflix.com/za/title/81602884 — Papers From Today’s Episode: ‘Are Banks Better Money Doctors?’ — https://www.researchgate.net/publication/377037694_Are_banks_better_money_doctors_An_analysis_of_mutual_fund_flows_of_bank_and_non-bank_funds_using_Canadian_data
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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • Episode 308 - Dan Bortolotti: The Canadian Couch Potato

    Episode 308 - Dan Bortolotti: The Canadian Couch Potato
    Jun 6 2024
    When it comes to DIY investing, there’s always a temptation to make things more complicated than they need to be. But, in reality, embracing simplicity is one of the best ways to ensure good investment outcomes. Today’s episode features an exceptional conversation with our long-time friend and colleague, Dan Bortolotti, who has worked alongside us as an Portfolio Manager at PWL Capital for over ten years. Some of our Canadian listeners might recognize Dan as the man behind the Canadian Couch Potato blog (one of the most popular resources for Canadian investors) and the voice behind the Canadian Couch Potato podcast. Dan is a consummate communicator, both on paper and in person; beyond his extensive blogging, he has also written a number of books, both fiction and non-fiction, the most recent of which includes Reboot Your Portfolio: 9 Steps to Successful Investing with ETFs. Dan has played a pivotal role in making PWL Capital what it is today, and in this episode, we learn about his surprising journey to becoming an advisor, before hearing his wide-ranging insights on DIY investing. Dan breaks down key components for investors, from how to approach your asset allocation and picking index funds to navigating fees, taxes, and performance. We also discuss how the investing landscape has changed since Dan started writing and essential lessons he has learned over the years. To hear all about investing from the Canadian Couch Potato himself, be sure to tune in for this expansive conversation! Key Points From This Episode: (0:03:52) The origin story of the Canadian Couch Potato blog, by Dan Bortolotti. (0:08:17) How the availability of index funds in Canada has changed since Dan started writing about them in 2010, and his role in the index fund revolution. (0:10:01) Why Canadians have been slower to adopt index funds than Americans. (0:12:09) How the model portfolios on his site have changed over time. (0:14:20) Why simplicity is so important to a good investment outcome. (0:16:38) The biggest obstacle Dan has observed when it comes to successful investing. (0:19:40) Advice on how to approach decisions around stocks, bonds, and asset allocation. (0:24:34) How to select the ideal ETF or index fund to express your asset allocation. (0:27:22) Some of the ways that Dan’s views have changed since starting the Couch Potato portfolio, and the evolution of his blog. (0:31:46) Why you should be clear on your financial goals before investing and the importance of saving rate relative to fees and performance. (0:37:32) Understanding the value of financial advice if we consider investing to be effectively solved by low-cost ETF mutual funds. (0:40:23) Why it’s so important to close the gap between providing a financial plan and implementing it. (0:43:25) What surprised Dan about his clients during his transition from blogger to advisor, and what he has learned about earning his clients’s trust. (0:48:22) Dan’s thoughts on how people should make the decision between DIY investing or hiring an advisor, and what people should look for in a financial advisor. (0:55:46) The story of how Dan connected with PWL Capital and the key ways he has helped shape the company. Links From Today’s Episode: Rational Reminder on iTunes — https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-rational-reminder-podcast/id1426530582. Rational Reminder Website — https://rationalreminder.ca/ Rational Reminder on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/rationalreminder/ Rational Reminder on X — https://twitter.com/RationalRemind Rational Reminder on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/ Rational Reminder Email — info@rationalreminder.caBenjamin Felix — https://www.pwlcapital.com/author/benjamin-felix/ Benjamin on X — https://twitter.com/benjaminwfelix Benjamin on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminwfelix/ Cameron Passmore — https://www.pwlcapital.com/profile/cameron-passmore/ Cameron on X — https://twitter.com/CameronPassmore Cameron on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronpassmore/ Dan Bortolotti — https://www.pwlcapital.com/profile/dan-bortolotti/ Dan Bortolotti on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-bortolotti-8a482310/ Canadian Couch Potato Blog — https://canadiancouchpotato.com/ Canadian Couch Potato Podcast — https://canadiancouchpotato.com/podcast/ Larry Swedroe on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-swedroe-18778267/ Larry Swedroe books on Amazon — https://www.amazon.com/Larry-E-Swedroe-Books/s?k=Larry+E.+Swedroe&rh=n%3A283155 Books From Today’s Episode: Reboot Your Portfolio: 9 Steps to Successful Investing with ETFs — https://www.amazon.ca/Reboot-Your-Portfolio-Successful-Investing/dp/1988344328 Wild Blue — https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Blue-Natural-History-Largest-ebook/dp/B005BP0E3W
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Episode 307 - How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?

    Episode 307 - How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?
    May 30 2024
    Are you confident about the amount of life insurance coverage you have? Are you maximizing your tax savings with the principal residence exemption? In this episode, we delve into life insurance and optimizing capital gains to answer these essential questions. In our conversation, we unpack the nuanced topic of life insurance, what people get wrong about it, and how to effectively calculate your life insurance policy needs. Using his own experience as the lens for the conversation, Mark shares how he calculated his life insurance and incorporated costs such as funeral cover, emergency funds, short-term expenses, and income replacement. Learn about using the safe withdrawal rate shortcut, free resources for calculating life insurance costs, and the best financial tools for getting the most out of your policy. He also delves into capital gains and how to use a lesser-known exemption to reduce the amount owed significantly. Mark walks listeners through how the principal residence exemption works and how it impacted the sale of his rental properties. Then, jumping to a brand new segment on the Rational Reminder Podcast, Ben introduces his financial decision-making iteration of the game of ‘Would you rather’. Finally, we share listener reviews and feedback on previous episodes and debate whether to lease or buy a car in our after-show segment. Tune in now! Key Points From This Episode: (0:03:13) Mark explains how he and his wife calculated their life insurance needs. (0:06:55) Learn how to plan for income replacement and why it is so complicated. (0:12:10) Ben’s perspective on Mark’s approach to calculating his life insurance coverage. (0:13:54) Find out why there are differences between Ben and Mark’s calculations. (0:18:17) How Mark factored in retirement costs into his life insurance calculations. (0:22:30) Free resources and tips to accurately calculate your life insurance needs. (0:27:04) Why Mark considers whole life insurance as a separate asset class. (0:31:25) The principal residence exemption and how Mark applied it to his situation. (0:39:19) How we would choose to invest $1 billion in today’s market. (0:42:26) Would You Rather segment: only life insurance versus only disability insurance. (0:45:02) The exciting development of a tool for realizing capital gains in a corporation. (0:51:06) Trends in the awareness of corporate notional accounts and tax planning intricacies. (0:54:12) Listener reviews, episode feedback, and leasing a car instead of buying. Links From Today’s Episode: Rational Reminder on iTunes — https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-rational-reminder-podcast/id1426530582. Rational Reminder Website — https://rationalreminder.ca/ Rational Reminder on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/rationalreminder/ Rational Reminder on X — https://x.com/RationalRemind Rational Reminder on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/ Rational Reminder Email — info@rationalreminder.caBenjamin Felix — https://www.pwlcapital.com/author/benjamin-felix/ Benjamin on X — https://x.com/benjaminwfelix Benjamin on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminwfelix/ Cameron Passmore — https://www.pwlcapital.com/profile/cameron-passmore/ Cameron on X — https://x.com/CameronPassmore Cameron on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronpassmore/ Mark McGrath on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmcgrathcfp/ Mark McGrath on X — https://x.com/MarkMcGrathCFP ‘How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?’ — https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-much-life-insurance-do-you-need-mark-mcgrath-cfp-cim-clu--tjwwe/ InsureRight — https://www.insureright.ca/ Episode 65: Dr. Wendall Mascarenhas — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/65 Dimensional Fund Advisors — https://www.dimensional.com/ Money Scope Podcast — https://moneyscope.ca/ Braden Financial Services — https://www.bradenfinancialservices.com/ Hendry Warren on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/company/hendry-warren-llp/ Brady Plunkett on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/brady-plunkett-712489105/ Capital Gains Calculator for Non-Corporations — https://research-tools.pwlcapital.com/research/realize-gain Episode 305 - Is Private Credit Special? — https://rationalreminder.libsyn.com/episode-305-is-private-credit-special
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    1 hr and 7 mins
Personal Finance Economics
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Profile Image for Rob
  • Rob
  • 2023-08-25

changed my perspective and life

Every week this podcast presents curated information on how to be a better investor and live a happier and more fulfilling life.

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Profile Image for Jenifer Blanco

Life changing

Absolutely best personal finance podcast.
The two hosts do an incredibly week thought out job at providing educational information. All the information is based on academic research and referenced.

Through this podcast I not only developed my financial literacy tenfold, but also my curiosity on many different subjects and my drive to read more!

Thanks a million keep up the great work!

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