Money For the Rest of Us

When is good enough actually good enough? AI is reshaping how I work and live. And a member with a portfolio that's beaten an all-in-one Vanguard LifeStrategy fund for ten years asks whether ...

How historical and expected returns for university endowments can guide us in setting reasonable return expectations. We also analyze managed futures strategies to see how they work, how they...

In this episode, we look at asset location, how to decide which investments belong in taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free accounts, how where we live shapes the opportunities available to us,...

A new ETF allows individuals to earn income by insuring against natural disasters through investing in catastrophe bonds. We break down the historical returns, risk, fees, and structure of th...

We explore the forces likely to shape financial markets in 2026 and how to make better decisions as you pursue your goals this year.Topics covered include:The difference between intentions an...

Should you borrow money to magnify returns in your 401 (k), IRA, or other tax-deferred retirement account?We examine Basic Capital, which allows investors to leverage their retirement account...

As Baby Boomers continue to retire, some analysts expect financial markets to feel the strain. We examine whether demographic shifts truly shape stock and bond returns, or what other factors ...

David converses with best-selling author David Bach about preventing burnout through sabbaticals, moving to another country, why retirees should take Social Security as early as possible, and...

Can you really make money sports betting on low-risk, high-probability events?Topics covered include:The growing size and influence of the U.S. sports betting marketRecent sports betting scan...

What’s the difference between hoarding and investing? There’s a reason markets built on productive assets—like stocks and bonds—are far larger than hoarding markets such as gold and cryptocur...

How AI gets simple finance wrong, and how to make it work for you, not mislead youTopics covered include:How AI ignores the time value of moneyA detailed example of ChatGPT misleading by maki...

Are gold and silver up more than 50% in 2025 because investors fear currency debasement, or is this rally just the latest meme trade? In this episode, we explore the supply and demand forces ...

How to decide when to invest in municipal bonds versus new tax-efficient bond ETFs that don't invest in munis.We analyze several newer ETFs that earn bond-like returns while avoiding paying t...

This week there isn’t a regular Money for the Rest of Us episode, but David shares an update on what’s happening behind the scenes. He previews an exclusive Plus member livestream o...

What happens when the money supply grows too slowly or too quickly? From gold-standard deflation to QE-driven inflation and inequality, we trace the lessons of monetary history, and what...

From salmon leaping along the Vancouver Island coast to fake bands on Spotify, this episode explores the divide between the physical and digital economy, and what lumber markets, managed fore...

Central bankers set policy with incomplete information, unobservable targets, and constant trade-offs between growth, inflation, and employment. In this episode, we delve into how the fight f...

From the dot-com boom to today’s AI frenzy, bubbles follow a familiar script. This episode explores how to recognize them, what sustains them, and how to position your portfolio without getti...

A practical framework for making better decisions, managing risk, and finding opportunity in unpredictable environments. We contrast these principles with the massive $2.9 trillion AI data ce...

Dave Thomas, CIO and Founder of long/short hedge fund, Atalan Capital Partners, shares why most hedge funds fail and the keys to being a long-term successful investor.Episode SponsorDelete Me...

David converses with renowned illustrator and financial philosopher Carl Richards on the abstraction of money, attention capital, distinguishing risk from uncertainty, and the importance of t...

A new executive order could radically reshape retirement investing by allowing private equity, crypto, and gold in 401(k) plans. This episode examines the factors driving the demand for alter...

We explore the compelling questions surrounding artificial intelligence. Will AI create more new jobs than it destroys? Is AI already destroying jobs? Are we seeing overinvestment in companie...

How the investing landscape is being reshaped by the global race for critical minerals.Topics covered in this conversation between FEG's Greg Dowling and private equity firm Kinterra Capital'...

We examine how robo-advisors have evolved over the past decade to determine if their services justify the fees they charge.Topics covered include:How large are the top 5 robo-advisorsRobo-adv...

How our spending, investing, and life strategy change as our net worth grows. We consider how skill, luck, discipline, relationships, and AI can allow us to ascend and, in some cases, descend...

Circle Invest, one of the leading stablecoin providers, just went public, and its stock price has tripled. We delve into the growth of stablecoins, their applications, and the associated risk...

From wildfires to AI-driven demand surges, the power grid is under pressure—and so is the investment landscape around it. Scott Harland of Rockland Capital visits with Greg Dowling of FEG to ...

With longer-term U.S. interest rates rising and no plan to reduce the budget deficit, is a U.S. national debt crisis imminent?Topics covered include:Why S&P, Fitch, and now Moody's stripp...

How can we apply the same emergency measures that Harvard and other universities are using to navigate a financial crisis? Also, how universities invest their endowments and what their perfor...

Discover how bond market ETFs have transformed investing — making bonds easier, cheaper, and more accessible than ever. We also explore how the bond market’s very composition has evolved.Epis...

Ali Akay, CIO of Carrhae Capital, answers why invest in emerging markets. He also shares with Greg Dowling of FEG insights on China, Mexico, South Korea, Argentina, Greece, Turkey, South Kore...

The U.S has traditionally been a safe haven for investing, but that hasn't been the case in 2025. We explore three economic and narrative regimes and consider why we may be witnessing a shift...

In this episode, we explore what it means to invest in a non-ergodic world—where time, not averages, determines outcomes. We unpack concepts like volatility drag, ensemble vs. time averages, ...

What will the impact be now that the U.S. has one of the highest tariff rates in the world?Topics covered include:Why the Trump administration raised tariffsHow the last round of U.S. tariffs...

Greg Dowling of FEG interviews Max Belmont, a gold specialist and portfolio manager at First Eagle Investments. Greg and Max discuss the historical, philosophical, and practical reasons for o...

We compare three approaches to closed-end fund investing: Opportunistic trading, the buy and hold income factory, and a systematic approach of selling closed-end funds after 5% gains.We also ...

How trade deficits are making the U.S. poorer, while in the past they have made the U.S. wealthier.Topics covered include:Two ways countries can increase their competitivenessHow savings alwa...

How the Trump administration is using tariffs as a negotiating tool to weaken the U.S. dollar and increase the global competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers.Topics covered include:Why U.S. sto...

This week on episode 514, we share a conversation between Howard Smith of Indus Capital and Greg Dowling of FEG Investment Advisors on why Japan could surprise investors over the next decade ...

We consider the incongruency of a U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, the latest crypto exchange hack, and how most participants lost money on the Trump meme coin. Given all that, we review some ...

How using a deferred income annuity can increase retirement income compared to an immediate annuity or a bond ladder.Topics covered include:How immediate annuities and deferred income annuiti...

The U.S. and the UK each announced they were establishing sovereign wealth funds. We explore the purposes and types of sovereign wealth funds, how they invest, and some concerns with the U.S....

This week on episode 510, we share a conversation between Ben Inker of GMO and Greg Dowling of FEG Investment Advisors on contrarian investing, deep value stocks, and the rise of passive inve...

We explore what private credit, or direct lending, is and how to invest in it. We also show how it is similar and different from investing in leverage loans and CLOs.Topics covered include:Wh...

Natural disasters are becoming more severe and costly—who should bear the financial burden? We explore the tension between socialized risk and market-based insurance.Topics covered include:Th...

How geography contributes to economic growth and can increase or lower the cost of living.Topics covered include:Why living in a developing country like Costa Rica is still relatively expensi...

In episode 506, Joshua shares the pros and cons of living outside of your home country. He convinces David why he needs more than one passport. Finally, Joshua makes a strong case for not ret...

In our final episode of the year, I converse with author and data scientist Coco Krumme about the benefits and costs of optimization in finance, industry, and our daily lives. We explore AI a...

How asset class returns move in cycles with periods of above-average returns followed by periods of lower returns. How has the rise of passive indexing led to higher stock valuations, and wha...