The Rational Reminder Podcast

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Benjamin Felix, Cameron Passmore, and Dan Bortolotti
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17.9K - 29.8K listeners Neutral 4.9 rating 1191 reviews 379 episodes Canada
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A weekly reality check on sensible investing and financial decision-making, from three Canadians. Hosted by Benjamin Felix, Cameron Passmore, and Dan Bortolotti, Portfolio Managers at PWL Capital.

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Contact Page Emails

Emails
  • Marketing Department: ma***@pwlcapital.com
  • For all inquiries: in***@rationalreminder.ca
Phone Numbers
  • Customer inquiries: (613) 237-5544
Addresses
  • Location: Ottawa, Canada
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General Website Emails

  • ma***@pwlcapital.com

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  • in***@rationalreminder.ca

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Recent Hosts, Guests & Topics

Here's a quick summary of the last 5 episodes on The Rational Reminder Podcast.

Hosts

Benjamin Felix Cameron Passmore Dan Bortolotti Mark McGrath

Previous Guests

Abby Davisson
Abby Davisson is a Yale and Stanford alumnus, a former executive at Gap Inc., and the co-author of the book 'Money and Love'. She is the founder of the Money and Love Institute, which focuses on helping individuals and professionals navigate significant life decisions. Abby has developed a practical, research-backed decision-making framework known as the 5Cs Framework, which she applies in her own life and shares with others to guide couples in making important decisions together.
Marco Sammon
Marco Sammon is a financial researcher and academic known for his work on index rebalancing and stock market composition. He has co-authored papers that explore the mechanics of index funds and their impact on market dynamics. Marco's research often compares traditional investment theories with modern practices, aiming to bridge the gap between academic finance and practical investment strategies. He is affiliated with Harvard Business School, where he contributes to the understanding of financial markets and investment management.
Jason Pereira
Jason Pereira is a Canadian financial planner with over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. He holds dual CFP certifications in Canada and the United States and is known for his advocacy in professionalizing the field of financial planning. Jason has a client-centred investment philosophy and emphasizes the importance of fiduciary duty in financial planning. He is also recognized for his insights into the complexities of index fund adoption in Canada and the impact of technology and the Fintech revolution on the industry. Jason actively challenges common myths surrounding financial planning and shares best practices for vetting financial advisors.
Antti Ilmanen
Antti Ilmanen is a renowned finance expert and author, known for his work in the field of investment management and asset allocation. He has a strong academic background, holding a PhD in Finance from the University of Chicago. Ilmanen has contributed significantly to the understanding of market behavior and risk management, and he is recognized for his insights into the dynamics of financial markets. He has also served as a portfolio manager and has been involved in various research initiatives aimed at improving investment strategies.

Topics Discussed

Listener Questions Investing Lessons PWL Retirement Planning Tool OneDigital PWL Capital multi-host format capital gains tax personal finances financial advisors testicular cancer decision-making money love 5Cs Framework financial transparency equitable division of housework career transitions retirement planning Index Funds Adverse Selection Costs Index Rebalancing Stock Market Composition Bill Sharpe Arithmetic of Active Management Market Tracking Errors Delayed Rebalancing Passive-Active Spectrum Performance Benchmarking financial planning fiduciary duty index fund adoption client-centred investment philosophy mortality pooling Fintech revolution ESG trends market volatility historical resilience market crash bonds Alberta Pension Plan PWL-style advisor DFA vs Vanguard spending rules stock/bond allocation short-term investing

YouTube Channel

Channel Info

Ben Felix
@BenFelixCSI

Channel Stats

Subscribers: 411,000
Total Videos: 143
Total Views: 21,921,174
Joined: Mar 2, 2017
Location: Canada

Description

I post videos on investing, financial decision-making, and living a good life.

My name is Ben Felix. I am a Portfolio Manager and the Chief Investment Officer at PWL Capital. I am a CFA charterholder and CFP professional. I am securities licensed in Canada by CIRO.

All channel content is produced and owned by PWL Capital Inc.

Additional Info

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Episodes

Here's the recent few episodes on The Rational Reminder Podcast.

0:00 56:13

Episode 357 AMA #6

Hosts
Benjamin Felix Cameron Passmore
Keywords
Listener Questions Investing Lessons PWL Retirement Planning Tool OneDigital PWL Capital multi-host format capital gains tax personal finances financial advisors testicular cancer

Cameron joins Ben for his first AMA as we bring you the sixth edition of our Listener Questions and Investing Lessons mini-series. Diving right in, Ben and Cameron share their stance on the multi-host format of the Rational Reminder podcast before walking us through the new PWL Retirement Planning Tool. Then, we unpack our venture with OneDigital, recent changes at PWL Capital, how we make each episode of this show, and how we allocate our time across podcast and business responsibilities. We also examine our protocol regarding guests, why Cameron and Ben would never gamble with their own money, how the human condition prevents the full comprehension of investing as a principle, and smart money moves to make under current market conditions. To end, we discuss the effects of a capital gains tax increase, common mistakes to avoid in managing personal finances, programs and technologies for financial advisors, and the After Show, which ends with an important discussion on testicular cancer.

Key Points From This Episode:

(0:00:00) How Ben and Cameron feel about the multi-host format of this podcast.

(0:01:12) The new PWL Retirement Planning Tool, developed by Braden Warwick.

(0:03:13) Joining OneDigital and other PWL changes from the past four months.

(0:09:05) Behind the scenes: Making a Rational Reminder podcast episode.

(0:12:38) Allocating time for research, preparation, creating content, and business.

(0:17:27) How guests inform our approach to research and preparation.

(0:19:29) The reasons why were not risk-averse but have no appetite for gambling.

(0:24:26) Why investing has been largely solved, except for the human aspect.

(0:30:13) The most rational investing practices under current market conditions.

(0:34:25) How to approach a capital gains tax increase, and why banks do what they do.

(0:38:03) The most costly mistakes when it comes to managing personal finances.

(0:40:12) Why we don't offer advice-only planning for DIY investors.

(0:44:07) Financial app tips and tricks and programs and technologies to be aware of.

(0:48:23) The After Show: Alternate personalities, noise filtering, and testicular cancer.

Links From Todays Episode:


Meet with PWL Capital https://calendly.com/d/3vm-t2j-h3p

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 TikTok www.tiktok.com/@rationalreminder

Rational Reminder on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/

Rational Reminder Email [email protected]
Benjamin Felix https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/

Benjamin on X https://x.com/benjaminwfelix

Benjamin on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminwfelix/

Cameron Passmore https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/

Cameron on X https://x.com/CameronPassmore

Cameron on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronpassmore/

Braden Warwick on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/braden-warwick-a40b48a3

PWL Capital Retirement Planning Tool https://research-tools.pwlcapital.com/research/retirement

OneDigital https://www.onedigital.com/

Episode 341: PWL's Next Chapter https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/341

Episode 355: Do Index Funds Incur Adverse Selection Costs? https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/355

Episode 200: Prof. Eugene Fama https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/200

Episode 100: Prof. Kenneth French: Expect the Unexpected https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/100

Episode 93: Cliff Asness from AQR: The Impact of Stories, Behaviour and Risk https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/93

Episode 270: What Happened to All the Billionaires? with Victor Haghani and James White https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/270

Episode 11: Robb Engen: Simple vs. Complex https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/11

Episode 203: S*** (Misguided) Financial Advisors Say https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/203

The Money Scope Podcast https://moneyscope.ca/

Financial Advisor Success Ep 433: When You 10X Your Advisory Firm to over $20M of RevenueAnd Want to 10X Again, with Cameron Passmore https://www.kitces.com/blog/cameron-passmore-pwl-capital-10x-revenue-growth-advisory-firm/

The Podcast Consultant https://thepodcastconsultant.com/

The Long View https://www.morningstar.com/podcasts/the-long-view

Eli Beracha on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/eli-beracha-b8082250/

CIBC Mutual Funds https://www.cibc.com/en/personal-banking/investments/mutual-funds.html

Microsoft Excel https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/excel

Python https://www.python.org/

Monte Carlo https://www.montecarlodata.com/

ChatGPT https://chatgpt.com/

Papers From Todays Episode:

The Arithmetic of Active Management https://www.jstor.org/stable/4479386


Lifetime Portfolio Selection under Uncertainty: The Continuous-Time Case https://www.jstor.org/stable/1926560

0:00 58:31

Episode 356 – Abby Davisson: How to Make Decisions About Money and Love

Hosts
Benjamin Felix Cameron Passmore Dan Bortolotti
Guests
Abby Davisson
Keywords
decision-making money love 5Cs Framework financial transparency equitable division of housework career transitions retirement planning

How do we make the most important decisions in life with intention rather than impulse? In this episode, we are joined by Abby Davisson to unpack her practical framework for better decision-making. Abby is a Yale and Stanford alumnus, a former executive at Gap Inc., and the co-author of Money and Love. She is also the founder of the Money and Love Institute, which is dedicated to helping individuals and professionals navigate life’s most significant decisions. In today’s conversation, Abby unpacks her practical, research-backed “5Cs Framework” for decision-making and demonstrates how it can guide all the decisions couples need to make through life. We explore the idea of financial transparency, progressive pooling of finances, equitable division of housework, deciding when to outsource help, and navigating career pauses or transitions. Abby also shares how she applied the framework in her own life and offers an honest perspective for individuals navigating change. Join us to learn how to approach choices and the “life stuff” that doesn’t always show up in spreadsheets with Abby Davisson. Tune in now!

Key Points From This Episode:

 

(0:04:16) Myra Strober’s Work and Family course and how it led to writing Money and Love.

(0:07:21) The drivers of poor decisions and the five Cs in Abby’s decision-making framework.

(0:11:15) Discover the four big topics every couple should discuss and how to approach them.

(0:15:09) Learn the fundamentals of how couples should handle and combine money.

(0:17:49) Why division of housework is vital, how to approach it, and the role of gender norms. 

(0:21:49) Outsourcing tasks and the impacts of not taking the division of housework seriously.

(0:24:27) How to decide where to live as a couple, and whether to rent or buy a house.

(0:29:08) A real-life example of how to apply to 5C Framework for decision-making. 

(0:33:34) Navigating career ambitions, division of childcare, and stay-at-home parenting.

(0:37:16) Hear how the 5C Framework helps deal with separation and family dynamics.

(0:40:31) Ways the concept of retirement has changed and why families should discuss it.

(0:44:12) Find out how involved adult children should be in their parents' retirement planning.

(0:47:02) Advice for finding the right life partner and how to stress-test a relationship.

(0:52:05) What to consider before getting married and having children, and why.

(0:55:37) Abby’s biggest lessons from writing the book and her definition of success.

 

Links From Today’s Episode:

Meet with PWL Capital: https://calendly.com/d/3vm-t2j-h3p

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 TikTok — www.tiktok.com/@rationalreminder

Rational Reminder on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/

Rational Reminder Email — [email protected]
Benjamin Felix — https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/

Benjamin on X — https://x.com/benjaminwfelix

Benjamin on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminwfelix/

Cameron Passmore — https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/

Cameron on X — https://x.com/CameronPassmore

Cameron on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronpassmore/

Abby Davisson — https://www.abbydavisson.com/

Abby Davisson — https://linkedin.com/in/abbydavisson/

Money and Love Institute — https://moneyloveinstitute.com/

Practically Deliberate Newsletter — https://abbydavisson.substack.com/

Gap Inc. — https://www.gapinc.com

Myra Strober on LinkedIn — https://linkedin.com/in/myra-strober-a8b2846a/

Eve Rodsky — https://www.everodsky.com/

Carefull — https://getcarefull.com/

Baba Shiv — https://linkedin.com/in/baba-shiv-a859882/

 

Books From Today’s Episode:


Money and Love — https://www.moneylovebook.com/

0:00 1:02:50

Episode 355 – Do Index Funds Incur Adverse Selection Costs?

Hosts
Benjamin Felix Dan Bortolotti
Guests
Marco Sammon
Keywords
Index Funds Adverse Selection Costs Index Rebalancing Stock Market Composition Bill Sharpe Arithmetic of Active Management Market Tracking Errors Delayed Rebalancing Passive-Active Spectrum Performance Benchmarking

Marco Sammon joins Ben and Dan to unpack his latest paper, ‘Index Rebalancing and Stock Market Composition’, beginning with how Marco’s work (co-written by John Shim) compares to the Nobel Prize-winner Bill Sharpe’s paper, ‘Arithmetic of Active Management.’ We investigate the missing links in Sharpe’s logic before defining “the market” and ascertaining the main objectives of index funds. Then, we dive deeper into the mechanics of Marco’s paper, index and market tracking errors, why delayed rebalancing is more beneficial than instant rebalancing, and the role of technology in the modern tracking error obsession. We also assess the passive-active spectrum of index funds in portfolio management and learn how investors should choose their optimal excess return. To end, Marco shares practical applications for improving performance benchmarked against traditional indexes, and The Aftershow is all about bridging the gap between PWL Capital and you, our listeners.

Key Points From This Episode:

 

(0:00:00) Key takeaways from Marco Sammon’s latest paper and how it compares to Bill Sharpe’s ‘Arithmetic of Active Management.’

(0:08:10) Marco describes what’s missing from the ‘Arithmetic of Active Management’ logic.

(0:09:11) Defining ‘the market’, the main objective of an index fund, and how index funds track the market.

(0:15:57) The mechanics of Marco’s paper, ‘Index Rebalancing and Stock Market Composition.’

(0:18:38) Factor exposure, index and market tracking errors, and how often index funds trade.

(0:26:28) Rebalancing less frequently; why delayed does better than instant rebalancing.

(0:31:59) The tech run-up and lazy rebalancing, and the modern tracking error obsession. 

(0:36:51) Assessing the passive-active spectrum of index funds in portfolio management.

(0:41:02) Exploring how investors should decide on their optimal excess return. 

(0:45:14) How the rising index fund ownership of stocks impacts the implicit cost of indexing

(0:46:58) Practical ways to improve performance benchmarked against traditional indexes.

(0:52:30) The Aftershow: Canadian finances, more airtime for Cameron, and PWL – OneDigital. 

 

Links From Today’s Episode:


Meet with PWL Capital — https://calendly.com/d/3vm-t2j-h3p

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 TikTok — www.tiktok.com/@rationalreminder

Rational Reminder on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/

Rational Reminder Email — [email protected]
Benjamin Felix — https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/

Benjamin on X — https://x.com/benjaminwfelix

Benjamin on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminwfelix/

Dan Bortolotti on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-bortolotti-8a482310/

Episode 322: Prof. Marco Sammon: How are Passive Investors Affecting the Stock Market? — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/322

Episode 200: Prof. Eugene Fama — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/200 

Episode 268: Itzhak Ben-David: ETFs, Investor Behavior, and Hedge Fund Fees — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/268 

Episode 112: Michael Kitces: Retirement Research and the Business of Financial Advice — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/112 

Marco Sammon — https://marcosammon.com/ 

Marco Sammon on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/marco-sammon-b3b81456/ 

Marco Sammon on X — https://x.com/mcsammon19 

Marco Sammon | Harvard Business School — https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=1326895 

Marco Sammon Email — [email protected] 

John Shim on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-shim-2931271b/ 

Vanguard — https://global.vanguard.com/ 

Sheridan Titman on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheridan-titman-226b0811/ 

Alex Chinko — https://alexchinco.com/ 

Erik Stafford | Harvard Business School — https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6625 

Itzhak (Zahi) Ben-David on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/ibendavi/ 

Bill Ackman on X — https://x.com/billackman  

‘Millennium Loses $900 Million on Strategy Roiled by Market Chaos’ — https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-03-08/millennium-loses-900-million-on-strategy-roiled-by-market-chaos  

Bogleheads — https://www.bogleheads.org/  

The Money Scope Podcast Episode 8: Canadian Investment Accounts — https://moneyscope.ca/2024/03/01/episode-8-canadian-investment-accounts/ 

The Wealthy Barber Podcast — https://thewealthybarber.com/podcast/  

Financial Advisor Success Podcast — https://www.kitces.com/blog/category/21-financial-advisor-success-podcast/ 

Financial Advisor Success Podcast Episode 433: When You 10X Your Advisory Firm To Over $20M Of Revenue…And Want To 10X Again, With Cameron Passmore — https://www.kitces.com/blog/cameron-passmore-pwl-capital-10x-revenue-growth-advisory-firm/  

OneDigital — https://www.onedigital.com/ 

The Longview Podcast: Ben Felix

 

Papers From Today’s Episode: 

 

‘The Arithmetic of Active Management’ — https://www.jstor.org/stable/4479386 

 

‘Index Rebalancing and Stock Market Composition: Do Index Funds Incur Adverse Selection Costs?’ — https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5080459  

 

‘Luck versus Skill in the Cross-Section of Mutual Fund Returns’ — https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1356021 

 

‘The Passive-Ownership Share Is Double What You Think It Is’ — https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4188052 

 

‘Long-Term Returns on the Original S&P 500 Companies’ — https://www.researchgate.net/publication/247884354_Long-Term_Returns_on_the_Original_SP_500_Companies  

 

‘The Price of Immediacy’ — https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1001762

 

‘Competition for Attention in the ETF Space’ — https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3765063 

 

‘Passive in Name Only: Delegated Management and “Index” Investing’ — https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3244991   

 

Jeremy Stein — “Unanchored” Strategy

0:00 1:17:18

Episode 354 - Jason Pereira: Expert Financial Planning

Hosts
Benjamin Felix Cameron Passmore Dan Bortolotti Mark McGrath
Guests
Jason Pereira
Keywords
financial planning fiduciary duty index fund adoption client-centred investment philosophy mortality pooling financial advisors Fintech revolution ESG trends

Beyond the sales pitches, acronyms, and product talk, what does it mean to be a financial planner? In this episode of the Rational Reminder Podcast, we sit down with long-time industry leader and advocate Jason Pereira. Jason is a Canadian financial planner with over 20 years of experience, dual CFP certification (Canada and US), and a passion for professionalizing the field. In our conversation, Jason shares details about his client-centred investment philosophy, explains why fiduciary duty is foundational, and unpacks the complexities of index fund adoption in Canada. We also delve into the barriers to transparent, evidence-based advice, the true role of a financial planner, the impact of the Fintech revolution, and the pros and cons of mortality pooling. He also challenges common myths surrounding financial planning, shares best practices for vetting financial advisors, and explains why the industry is long overdue for a transformation. Join us for career insights, cautionary tales, and forward-looking ideas that challenge the conventional thinking of what financial planning is, with Jason Pereira!

Key Points From This Episode:

 

(0:05:13) Jason’s core investment philosophy and perspective on factor-based indexing.

(0:07:15) Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) trends and client conversations.

(0:12:36) What fiduciary duty means, why it matters, and why some institutions fight against it. 

(0:18:09) Unpack the complexities of why Canada is behind the US in index fund adoption.

(0:20:52) Learn about the true role and common misconceptions of a financial planner.

(0:24:30) Explore how technology and the rise of generative AI are changing financial planning.

(0:31:55) How advisors can maintain strong personal relationships with clients in a digital world.

(0:37:00) Find out what a high-quality financial plan looks like and what it covers.

(0:39:44) His favourite financial planning-related argument to get into on the internet.

(0:41:20) Uncover how mortality and annuities should influence financial planning.

(0:48:06) Permanent life insurance explained: best use cases and when to avoid.

(0:50:48) Jason shares his nerdiest and most broadly applicable financial planning advice.

(0:53:29) He explains the best practices for estimating a client’s life expectancy. 

(0:56:48) A breakdown of financial planner designations and how to vet a financial planner.

(1:03:59) Hear about his expert witness work and the costs of bad advice.

(1:08:55) Discover why Jason chooses to fight against financial misinformation online.

(1:11:18) The origins and vision of FPAC and Jason’s definition of success. 

 

Links From Today’s Episode:

Meet with PWL Capital: https://calendly.com/d/3vm-t2j-h3p

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 TikTok — www.tiktok.com/@rationalreminder

Rational Reminder on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/

Rational Reminder Email — [email protected]

Benjamin Felix — https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/

Benjamin on X — https://x.com/benjaminwfelix

Benjamin on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminwfelix/

Cameron Passmore — https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/

Cameron on X — https://x.com/CameronPassmore

Cameron on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronpassmore/`

Jason Pereira — https://jasonpereira.ca/

Jason Pereira on Facebook — https://facebook.com/jasonpereirafinancialplanner/

Jason Pereira on X — https://x.com/jasonpereira

Jason Pereira on LinkedIn — https://linkedin.com/in/pereirajm

Jason Pereira on YouTube — https://youtube.com/@jasonperieraFP

The Fintech Impact Podcast — https://jasonpereira.ca/the-fintech-impact-podcast-jason-pereira

Conquest Planning — https://conquestplanning.com/en-ca/home

Replit — https://replit.com/

FP Canada — https://fpcanada.ca/

Financial Planning Association of Canada (FPAC) — https://fpassociation.ca/

Episode 188: Prof. Ayelet Fishbach — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/188

Episode 236: Harold Geller — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/236

 

Papers From Today’s Episode: 

 

‘Current Practices for Risk Profiling in Canada and Review of Global Best Practices’ — https://osc.ca/sites/default/files/2021-02/iap_20151112_risk-profiling-report.pdf

‘Financial Risk Tolerance: A Psychometric Review’ — https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3088292

0:00 1:07:48

Episode 353 – AMA #5

Hosts
Benjamin Felix Cameron Passmore Dan Bortolotti Mark McGrath
Guests
Antti Ilmanen
Keywords
market volatility historical resilience market crash bonds Alberta Pension Plan PWL-style advisor DFA vs Vanguard spending rules stock/bond allocation short-term investing

The fifth installment of our Ask Me Anything sessions begins with the inevitable volatility of the stock market as we urge investors to remain calm amidst recent US stock declines. Similarly, we unpack the historical resilience of stock markets and offer advice for dealing with market crashes before discussing why bonds are not the best strategy for boosting returns. We examine the proposed Alberta Pension Plan, the Rational Reminder Podcast guests whose impact still ripples across PWL, how to be a PWL-style advisor, and we revisit the DFA versus Vanguard debate. We also explain why spending rules aren’t for us at PWL, the relationship between the amount to withdraw and the stock/bond allocation, and alternatives for short-term horizon investing, saving, and equities. To end, we hear feedback from Atti Ilmanen as well as reviews from listeners, but before all that, Mark McGrath shares bittersweet news! Stay tuned for an episode full of reflection, strategy, and insight.

 

Key Points From This Episode:

 

(0:01:13) The inevitability of market volatility and the historical resilience of stock markets.

(0:13:04) How to approach a volatile market and advice for dealing with a market crash. 

(0:18:06) Why bonds are not a return-enhancing strategy.

(0:21:04) A brief examination of the proposed Alberta Pension Plan.

(0:25:02) Impactful guests who have influenced how we work at PWL Capital.

(0:33:25) How to be a PWL-style advisor.

(0:35:37) Weighing Dimensional funds (DFA) against Vanguard and others. 

(0:41:57) Why spending rules aren’t really our thing. 

(0:44:56) The relationship between the amount to withdraw and the stock/bond allocation.

(0:49:50) Exploring alternatives for short-term horizon investing, saving, and equities.

(0:57:00) An important announcement from Mark!

(1:02:51) The Aftershow: feedback from Antti Ilmanen, listener reviews, and final thoughts. 

 

Links From Today’s Episode:


Meet with PWL Capital — https://calendly.com/d/3vm-t2j-h3p

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 TikTok — www.tiktok.com/@rationalreminder

Rational Reminder on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/

Rational Reminder Email — [email protected]
Benjamin Felix — https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/

Benjamin on X — https://x.com/benjaminwfelix

Benjamin on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminwfelix/

Dan Bortolotti on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-bortolotti-8a482310/

Mark McGrath on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmcgrathcfp/
Mark McGrath on X — https://x.com/MarkMcGrathCFP

Episode 248: Prof. William Goetzmann: Learning from Financial Market History — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/248  

Episode 100: Prof. Kenneth French: Expect the Unexpected — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/100 

Episode 352: Jessica Moorhouse: Everything But Money — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/352  

Episode 316: Andrew Chen: "Is everything I was taught about cross-sectional asset pricing wrong?!" — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/316 

Episode 224: Prof. Scott Cederburg: Long-Horizon Losses in Stocks, Bonds, and Bills — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/224 

Episode 284: Prof. Scott Cederburg: Challenging the Status Quo on Lifecycle Asset Allocation — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/284 

Episode 350: Scott Cederburg: A Critical Assessment of Lifecycle Investment Advice — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/350 

Episode 89: Wade Pfau: Safety-First: A Sensible Approach to Retirement Income Planning — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/89 

Episode 289: Retiring Retirement Income Myths with the Retirement Income Dream Team — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/289 

Episode 122: Prof. Moshe Milevsky: Solving the Retirement Equation — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/122 

Episode 59: Alexandra Macqueen: Financial Economics and Annuities: Rational Planning for Retirement — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/59 

Episode 283: When Volatility is Risk, and Introducing The Money Scope Podcast — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/283 

Episode 351: DFA vs. Vanguard — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/351 

Episode 254: David Blanchett: Regret Optimized Portfolios, and Optimal Retirement Income — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/254 

Episode 152: Evaluating Systematic Equity Strategies — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/152 

Episode 347: The Case for Index Funds — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/347 

Episode 281: Lifecycle Asset Allocation, and Retiring Successfully with Justin King — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/281 

Episode 315: An Update from Avantis with Eduardo Repetto — https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/315 

Alberta Pension Plan — https://www.albertapensionplan.ca/ 

Financial Planning Association of Canada — https://www.fpassociation.ca/ 

Hook — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102057/ 

Antti Ilmanen | AQR — https://www.aqr.com/About-Us/OurFirm/Antti-Ilmanen 

 

Books From Today’s Episode: 

 

The Great Depression: A Diary — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1586489011 

Narrative Economics: How Stories Go Viral and Drive — https://www.amazon.com/dp/0691182299 

 

Papers From Today’s Episode: 

 

‘Negative Bubbles: What Happens after a Crash’ — https://ssrn.com/abstract=3038658 

‘Beyond the Status Quo: A Critical Assessment of Lifecycle Investment Advice’ — https://ssrn.com/abstract=4590406  

‘Financially Sound Households Use Financial Planners, Not Transactional Advisers’ — https://www.financialplanningassociation.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/APR19%20Blanchett.pdf 

‘Finding and Funding a Good Life’ — https://pwlcapital.com/finding-and-funding-a-good-life/ 

Ratings

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4.9 rating 1191 reviews

Canada

4.9 ratings 692 reviews

USA

4.9 ratings 399 reviews

Australia

4.8 ratings 48 reviews

UK

4.9 ratings 34 reviews

Singapore

4.7 ratings 7 reviews

New Zealand

4.8 ratings 5 reviews

Ireland

5.0 ratings 3 reviews

South Africa

5.0 ratings 3 reviews