Episodes
Oct. 30, 2023
Talk Your Book: Investing in Luxury
On today's show, Michael and Ben are joined by Brendan Ahern, CIO of Kraneshares to discuss: the creation of Kraneshares Luxury ETF, demographic trends and utilizing the wealth affect, challenges in investing in international markets, luxury dynamics in a recession, and much more! Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel free to shoot us an email at animalspirits@thecompoundnews.com with any feedback, questio...
Oct. 25, 2023
Higher for Longer (EP.331)
On episode 331 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: higher growth and higher rates vs. lower growth and lower rates, why there is so much focus on 60/40 portfolios, bears vs. doomers, the annoyance economy, why no one is happy about the economy right now (or ever), a record jump in net worth, renting vs. buying, and much more! Thanks to YCharts for sponsoring this episode. To learn more about their advisor resources and tax efficient investing, visit: https://go.ycharts.c...
Oct. 23, 2023
Talk Your Book: Equities With Guardrails
On today's show, Michael and Ben are joined by Hamilton Reiner, MD, PM, and Head of US Equity Derivatives at J.P. Morgan Asset Management to discuss: how hedging ladders provide downside protection, the goal of the HELO ETF, hedged equity strategies vs traditional 60/40 portfolios, the impact of volatility on the strategy, and much more! Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel free to shoot us an email at an...
Oct. 21, 2023
Talk Your Book: The State of Venture Capital
On today's show, Michael and Ben are joined by Samir Kaji, CEO, President, and Co-Founder of Allocate to discuss: what start-up prices look like today, if the free money era is gone forever, VC return dynamics and the power law, and much more! Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel free to shoot us an email at animalspiritspod@gmail.com with any feedback, questions, recommendations, or ideas for future topi...
Oct. 18, 2023
Does Government Debt Matter? (EP.330)
On episode 330 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: inflation coming down, the continued strength of the US consumer, Howard Marks on investing for a sea change, the risk-reward in bonds, what would happen if the US government paid off its debts, EMH in crypto, the worst case scenario for the housing market, and much more! Thanks to iShares for sponsoring this episode. To learn more about the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX), visit: https://www.ishares.com/us/products/239...
Oct. 16, 2023
Talk Your Book: The All-In-One Home Equity Loan
On today's show, Michael and Ben are joined by Jason Anderson, Regional Vice President of Northpointe Bank NMLS# 243209 to discuss: the All-In-One Loan, how interest rates affect home equity lines of credit, who this product may or may not benefit, the dangers of financial engineering, and much more! Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel free to shoot us an email at animalspiritspod@gmail.com with any feed...
Oct. 11, 2023
The Worst Bear Market Ever (EP.329)
On episode 329 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: why long-term bond yields are rising, the worst bond market sell-off in history, when good news is bad news for the economy, continued strength in the labor market, boomers are holding up the economy, Michael Lewis book review, why millennials are more prepared for retirement, and much more! Today's episode is sponsored by our friends at YCharts! Start your free trial and get 20% off your first subscription at: https://g...
Oct. 9, 2023
Talk Your Book: Investing in Music
On today's show, Michael and Ben are joined by David Schulhof, Founder and CEO of MUSQ to discuss: what the MUSQ ETF is comprised of, whether or not the music industry is undervalued, the affect Taylor Swift is having on the economy, how AI and blockchain technology might impact the music industry, and much more! Learn more at: https://www.musqetf.com/ Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel free to shoot u...
Oct. 4, 2023
Yolo Spenders (EP.328)
On episode 328 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: crazy moves in US Treasuries, how prepared the consumer is for a recession, more positive data on inflation, Michael Lewis and the SBF situation, dark meat chicken, the best 80s movies, and much more! Nuveen has provided investment excellence for 125 years. Visit https://www.nuveen.com to learn more. The CFA Program is very difficult, but Kaplan Schweser can help you prepare. Visit https://www.schweser.com/ to learn mor...
Oct. 2, 2023
Talk Your Book: Compounding Machine
Description: On today's show, we spoke with Eric Crittenden, CIO of Standpoint Asset Management to discuss: The creation and use of trend following, market changes over time, understanding what investors need vs. what they want, utilizing a mutual fund wrapper instead of an ETF, and much more! Learn more with the Monthly Update: https://www.standpointfunds.com/monthly-update and https://www.standpointfunds.com/ Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Mi...
Sept. 27, 2023
House Poor (EP.327)
On today's show we discuss higher for longer, soft landings, why nothing has broken yet in the economy, where the housing bubbles are, why it's harder than ever to outperform the market, gambling vs. day trading, NFTs are worthless and much more! Today's episode is sponsored by our friends at YCharts! Start your free trial and get 20% off your first subscription at: https://go.ycharts.com/animal-spirits-referral Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense M...
Sept. 25, 2023
Talk Your Book: Where Leverage Comes From
On today's show, we are joined by Ed Egilinsky, Managing Director and Head of Alternatives at Direxion to discuss: How leverage is created within leveraged ETFs, Why leveraged ETFs should not be held long-term, Investing in China, Using ETF flows as a trading signal, Direxions tactical commodity ETF, Diversifying Nasdaq exposure with equal weight ETFs, and much more! Learn More at: https://www.direxion.com/ Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michae...
Sept. 20, 2023
Americans Love Borrowing Money (EP.326)
On episode 326 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: Future Proof, how markets have changed over the past 70 years, why allocations to stocks are higher than they were in the past, small caps vs. large caps, trading options vs. gambling on sports, why people spend more then they earn more, why the vibes are off in the economy, starter homes, and much more! Today's episode is sponsored by F/m Investments. Learn more about their ETF offerings at: https://fmetfs.com/ Find co...
Sept. 18, 2023
Talk Your Book: Customizing Alternatives
On today's show, we are joined again by Brett Hillard, CIO of GLASfunds to discuss: wealth managers vs. institutions investing in alternatives, how advisors are utilizing GLASfunds, investing in alts in a rising-rate environment, how private investments could be improved, and much more! Learn More at: https://glasfunds.com/ Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel free to shoot us an email at animalspiritspo...
Sept. 13, 2023
Is Apple the Next IBM? (EP.325)
On episode 325 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson are live at Future Proof! Duncan spills a Miami Vice and we discuss: what we actually do at RWM, if Apple is the next IBM, Canadian real estate, issues at ESPN, traveling to California, and much more! Today's episode is sponsored by our friends at YCharts! Start your free trial and get 20% off your first subscription at: https://go.ycharts.com/animal-spirits-referral. Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wea...
Sept. 11, 2023
Talk Your Book: The Macro Case for Crypto
On today's show, Michael and Ben are joined by Jack Neureuter, Senior Research Analyst at Fidelity Digital Assets, and Ramine Bigdeliazari, Director of Product at Fidelity Digital Assets to discuss: - What the SEC ruling means for digital assets - How an ETF may affect the crypto ecosystem - The migration of talent within crypto - Macro changes and digital asset reactions, and much more! Learn More at: https://www.fidelitydigitalassets.com/ Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Car...
Sept. 9, 2023
Talk Your Book: Need to Have Cars With Car Dealership Guy
On today's show, Michael and Ben are joined again by CarDealershipGuy to discuss: Ben's car leasing dilemma, leasing vs buying, why car prices have gotten so expensive, Tesla vs everyone, and much more! Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel free to shoot us an email at animalspiritspod@gmail.com with any feedback, questions, recommendations, or ideas for future topics of conversation. Check out the latest...
Sept. 6, 2023
The Market Cap of Taylor Swift (EP.324)
On episode 324 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: one of the best years ever for the Nasdaq 100, people who want to see the financial system burn, getting back on trend with economic data, what if housing prices were just undervalued before the pandemic, Canada vs. Miami housing prices, why married people are happier, and much more! Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel free to sho...
Aug. 30, 2023
Are You on Track For Retirement? (EP.323)
On episode 323 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: the outlook for a 60/40 portfolio, dollar cost averaging into a bear market, the evolution of retirement, the best age for making good financial decisions, the Fed cannot fix the housing market, how HGTV ruined housing prices, hedging climate change risk, and more! Today's episode is sponsored by AdvisorShares. Learn more about the AdvisorShares Dorsey Wright Short ETF (ticker: DWSH) at: https://advisorshares.com/etfs/dw...
Aug. 28, 2023
Talk Your Book: J.P. Morgan's Covered Call Strategies
On today's show, Michael and Ben are joined by Hamilton Reiner, MD, PM, and Head of US Equity Derivatives at J.P. Morgan Asset Management to discuss: how JEPI is constructed, how volatility affects yield, why JEPI has been so popular, and much more! Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel free to shoot us an email at animalspiritspod@gmail.com with any feedback, questions, recommendations, or ideas for futur...
Aug. 23, 2023
Rates to the Hilt (EP.322)
On episode 322 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: if bonds are more attractive than stocks right now, a lost decade for bonds, Michael Burry's track record, why the economy is so hard to predict right now, why streaming is underrated, the latest Netflix series, and much more! Today's episode is sponsored by our friends at YCharts! Start your free trial and get 20% off your first subscription at: https://go.ycharts.com/animal-spirits-referral. Find complete show notes o...
Aug. 21, 2023
Talk Your Book: Customizing Your Assets
On today's show, Michael and Ben are joined by Matt Radgowski, CEO of Halo Investing to discuss: customizing your assets, utilizing structured notes as a hedge, latest innovations in defined outcome products, and much more! Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel free to shoot us an email at animalspiritspod@gmail.com with any feedback, questions, recommendations, or ideas for future topics of conversation. ...
Aug. 16, 2023
How Much is Happiness Worth? (EP.321)
On episode 321 of Animal Spirits, Michael Batnick and Ben Carlson discuss: Ben's trip to NYC, stock market vs. bond market valuations, the 4% inflation scenario, why the consumer is so important, record home values (again), the power of home equity, and much more! This episode is sponsored by Franklin Templeton. To learn more about the Franklin U.S. Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF (LVHD), visit: https://www.franklintempleton.com/investments/capabilities/etfs If you'd like to apply for t...
Aug. 14, 2023
Talk Your Book: Large Cap Alpha
On today's show, Michael and Ben are joined by Francisco Bido, Senior Portfolio Manager for the Integrated Alpha group of F/m Investments to discuss: screening companies, growth vs value investing, investing in Apple, avoiding Tesla, and much more! Find complete show notes on our blogs... Ben Carlson’s A Wealth of Common Sense Michael Batnick’s The Irrelevant Investor Feel free to shoot us an email at animalspiritspod@gmail.com with any feedback, questions, recommendations, or ideas for future...