Cls's The Weighing Machine

Lobbying is a necessary part of the political process and a powerful tool for organizations and businesses alike. If done correctly, it can be an important investment strategy as well.In today’s episode, Rusty and Robyn talk with Courtney Rosenberger, Managing Director of Policy Research at Strategas Securities, a registered investment advisor specializing in macro thematic investing.In her role, Courtney directs Strategas’ policy research efforts. This involves the construction, maintenance, and analysis of Strategas’ equity portfolios based on public policy themes. Courtney also serves as the lead portfolio analyst for Strategas Asset Management’s widely followed Policy Opportunities Portfolio.Courtney talks with Rusty and Robyn about what the Strategas Policy Opportunities Portfolio is all about, why lobbying can be a powerful investment tool, as well as how to encourage women to pursue careers in investing.Key Takeaways [03:47] - What attracted Courtney to the world of investing. [04:50] - What the Strate

Investing takes many forms. For most people, it is a way to grow their money and protect their financial future. This means that they are more likely to invest in things they are comfortable with and believe will give them the best return on investment. But when it comes to diversification, what are the best strategies?In today’s episode, Rusty talks with David Sherman, President of Cohanzick Management and Founder & Portfolio Manager of CrossingBridge Advisors, an investment management firm specializing in ultra-short and low duration strategies, including special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs).David talks with Rusty about the current market environment, particularly the high yield bond market, what investors should know about SPACs, and what the true risk-free investment rate is.Key Takeaways [01:54] - David’s role at CrossingBridge Advisors. [04:27] - What makes David’s Global Value Investing class interesting. [07:14] - What distinguishes his students from one another. [09:15] - What qualificat

Marketing is a critical piece of any business. It is the function that focuses on bringing awareness and interest to a company, its products, and services. When done correctly, marketing can help a business achieve incredible results. In this episode, Rusty and Robyn talk with Manish Khatta, CEO & CIO of Potomac Fund Management, a boutique investment strategy firm for financial advisors.Manish is a quant, a true math geek. He has spent his career creating and refining trading strategies built on mathematical computations and number crunching. He is a lifelong Potomac employee who started with the firm after college and programmed the initial work behind Potomac’s mechanical trading systems. Manish is a staunch believer that investment risk is something that can be contained and conquered using quantitative trading systems.Manish talks with Rusty and Robyn about how Potomac Fund Management helps financial advisors, the value of marketing, and what marketing and branding strategies he uses on social media.K

New technologies, economic shifts, demographic changes, urbanization, and climate change are global trends that have a significant impact on society and the economy. They are also shaping the way people invest their money. While these megatrends offer investors a great way to tap into new markets and opportunities, how can they be effectively incorporated into portfolios?In this episode, Rusty and Robyn talk with Jeff Spiegel, Director, US Head of iShares Megatrend, Sector and International ETFs at BlackRock, a global asset manager and technology provider.At BlackRock, Jeff manages product, sales, and marketing for the Megatrend and International franchises. In this episode, Jeff talks with Rusty and Robyn about megatrend investing strategy, the general guidelines for incorporating megatrends into a portfolio, and the top three investment themes that investors need to keep an eye on in 2022.Key Takeaways [03:49] - What is a megatrend investing strategy? [05:39] - The role of technological breakthroughs in meg

Global markets have been experiencing a lot of volatility lately, leaving many investors wondering how to respond. What strategies are successful money managers using to protect their clients' investments?In today’s episode, Rusty and Robyn talk with Kenneth Sleeper, Co-Founder, Co-Managing Director, and Portfolio Manager at Ocean Park Asset Management, a firm with a unique investment approach that limits downside risk and delivers satisfying returns.Before co-founding Sierra Investment Management (parent company of Ocean Park Asset Management) in 1987, Kenneth applied his extensive background in statistical and computer applications to develop and refine computerized techniques for reducing downside risk. In his current roles at Ocean Park Asset Management, Kenneth jointly oversees all aspects of the organization’s activities, including asset management, research, and client relationships. He utilizes his experience to help create productive investment solutions for clients so they can retire safely and succ

In this episode, Rusty and Robyn talk with Eben Burr, President of Toews Asset Management.Eben came to the financial industry with an unusual background. With degrees in architectural history and product design, he studied architecture in Paris, designed products, and worked in NYC real estate market, before eventually landing at Toews.That said, the common thread throughout Eben’s career has been a focus on user experience — a skill that turned out to be a huge asset at Toews. Eben talks with Rusty and Robyn about preparing for a potential bear market,  hedging portfolios against inflation, and bringing introspection to investing.Key Takeaways [06:45] - Are we in a superbubble? [10:52] - Are advisors ready for a bear market in the stocks? [15:58] - Some evidence-based findings on inflation. [19:30] - What's the hedge equity approach? [24:47] - Keeping up with quick volatility and market downdraft. [26:14] - Advice on unconstrained fixed income strategies. [27:48] - The importance of behavioral finance. [30:5

In this episode, Rusty and Robyn talk with Justin Christofel, Portfolio Manager at BlackRock. For more than a decade, Justin has been overseeing and managing income-oriented multi-asset portfolios. His focus is to generate a consistent level of cash flow for clients, particularly for those who are living through retirement.Justin talks with Rusty and Robyn about active management strategies, the challenge of measuring volatility for the investing population, and the need for a disciplined and methodical investing approach during highly inflationary periods.Key Takeaways [01:19] - COVID, tech stocks, and the Fed’s actions toward inflation. [02:10] - The state of the labor economy.  [05:37] - The difference between CFA and CA designations. [07:05] - What's the best way to build a portfolio? [11:10] - How can investors adjust their portfolios according to how inflation will move? [14:53] - Learning from active management strategies at BlackRock. [17:39] - Domestic vs global exposure of investment portfolios. [19

When it comes to building an investment portfolio, it's important to have a diversified mix of assets in order to reduce risk. While there are a number of different options to choose from, Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) can be an attractive choice for investors looking to add some diversity.  How can ETFs be a low-risk option for diversifying portfolios and why might they be a good option for you?In this episode, Rusty and Robyn talk with John Davi, Founder, CEO, and Chief Investment Officer of Astoria Portfolio Advisors, an investment management firm that specializes in research-driven, cross-asset, ETF, and thematic equity portfolio construction.John Davi is an award-winning research strategist and has more than 20 years of experience in macro ETF strategy, quantitative research, and portfolio construction. Prior to founding Astoria, he was the head of Morgan Stanley’s Institutional ETF Content and advised many of the world’s largest hedge funds and asset managers on ETF portfolio construction. John is a regu

Risk is inherent in any investment. It is therefore crucial to plan your investment portfolio in a way that protects you against losses. Without a solid downside risk management strategy in place, you are exposing yourself to unnecessary losses and financial instability. Taking steps to protect yourself from losses can help ensure that your portfolio remains healthy and profitable, even in difficult market conditions.In today’s episode, Rusty talks with Geremy van Arkel, Principal and Director of Strategies at Frontier Asset Management, an independent national asset manager that supports and manages strategies for the clients of investment advisors.With more than 25 years of extensive experience working with national accounts as well as with financial advisors and their clients, Geremy has developed expertise in managing global allocation portfolios, performing manager due diligence, and working with advisors and enterprise clients. As a member of Frontier’s Investment Committee, he is an expert in mutual fun

Firms and investment professionals must keep up. Tech innovations, demographic shifts, redefined client-advisor engagement—you name it. The future of the investment management industry is promising. But, how can the industry keep its vision to provide continuous better outcomes for clients?In this episode, Rusty and Robyn talk with Noreen Beaman, President at Orion Advisor Solutions. Aside from oversight of the firm’s operations, Noreen serves as a leader and a mentor to almost 1200 investment professionals at Orion. Her focus is mainly on the firm’s investments and sales and marketing operations. Prior to that, Noreen was the Founding Partner and CEO at Brinker Capital where she offered her expertise for 29 yearsNoreen talks with Rusty and Robyn about the importance of behavioral finance, the strategies of being a successful professional, and the future of Orion and the entire investment industry.Key Takeaways [04:28] -  What is the secret to being a successful investment firm? [05:45] - Noreen’s industry fo

In this episode, Rusty talks with Eric Clarke, CEO of Orion Advisor Services. Eric is a high-profile industry speaker and advocate, and has won numerous industry awards. As Orion’s CEO, he’s focused on creating a suite of technology that can fully transform every client-advisor journey for the better.Eric talks with Rusty about how tech integrations can help build meaningful and seamless client-investor connections, and what the coming months and years look like for Orion and the industry.Key Takeaways [03:46] - Fintech in 2022, according to Eric Clarke. [05:23] - Exploring new dimensions after the merger with Brinker Capital. [06:41] - Implementing tools to build better relationships between advisors and investors. [08:43] - Evolving value propositions in the fintech industry. [10:53] - How does a firm keep productivity high in a remote-working world? [13:41] - Orion’s acquisition of Brinker Capital. [15:52] - Why is pays to stick with your long-term investing strategy. [19:35] - Eric's first investment stor

In this episode, Rusty and Robyn talk with Jamie Susanin, portfolio manager at Brinker Capital Investments, LLC.At an early age, Jamie was already learning about the basics and even foundational skills in finance from her then-advisor grandfather. While Jamie was in sales, one of the (toughest) first clients she served was her grandfather.  There was pressure, but most of all there was a lot of mentoring and guidance.Currently, Jamie is part of the Tax Management Team at Orion- Brinker. Applying what she has learned from her mentor-grandfather, she helps clients keep unrealized gains invested within their portfolio through effective tax management.Jamie discusses with Rusty and Robyn the impact of investing in yourself, the importance of having a mentor, and the true value of tax management.Key Takeaways [01:16] - The rise of long-term interest rates. [01:56] - The current state of labor markets. [06:01] -  How Jamie Susanin started her journey into the world of finance. [08:05] - Who are Jamie’s key mentors?

The start of the year is always interesting for investors and advisors. In this episode, Rusty and Robyn talk with Kim Arthur, President and CEO of Main Management, LLC.Kim has been in the finance sector for 35 years. At Main Management, he’s laser-focused on delivering beta plus strategies to clients. According to Kim, investors should keep more of their returns by having control over costs and taxes.Kim talks with Rusty and Robyn about thematic investing, active strategies, and insightful investment predictions for 2022.Key Takeaways [01:03] - Tougher Federal Reserve, higher interest rates, and higher cases in COVID. [05:39] - Stock market return estimate in 2022. [06:40] - Kim Arthur’s insights on inflation. [08:04] - How investors can diversify equity risk. [10:08] - What is thematic investing? [11:44] - What’s the rule of thumb when portioning your investment portfolio? [12:29] - What’s the active sector rotation strategy? [14:17] - The promise of international stocks to outperform in 2022. [15:23] - Wha

When it comes to retirement, the difficult part is figuring out what retirement plan will work best for you. Many people are afraid to invest their money because they don't know how or where to start. Fortunately, there are lots of options.In today’s episode, Rusty and Robyn talk with Brian Dobbis, Director of Retirement Solutions at Lord Abbett. Having spent 19 years of his professional career carrying out various roles under the retirement umbrella, Brian has lived and breathed retirement.  Being well versed in the industry, he provides clients with smart retirement savings plans tailored to their unique needs.Brian talks with Rusty and Robyn about the ins and outs of Roth IRAs, the best retirement vehicles, and how to save smart for your retirement.Key Takeaways [05:58] - Brian's role at Lord Abbett. [09:15] - How financial advisors help investors prepare for retirement. [11:42] - What you need to know about Roth IRAs. [14:16] - How backdoor Roth IRAs work. [15:28] - How minors can contribute to Roth IRAs.

The world of investing is constantly evolving. The traditional approach of diversifying portfolios is no longer the only way to go. Today, thematic investing is one of the most exciting investment strategies.The popularity of thematic investing continues to skyrocket, and for good reason. It allows investors to invest in themes or sectors that may be performing well now or have the potential for growth in the future based on current trends and market conditions.In today’s episode, Rusty and Robyn talk with Jay Jacobs, Head of Research and Strategy at Global X ETFs, about the biggest investing themes of 2022 and how these trends impact the market. Key Takeaways [03:15] - How Global X formulated the outlook for 2022. [04:46] - The eight major themes of Charting Disruption. [05:46] - What investors need to know about robotics and artificial intelligence. [07:31] - What the future holds for mobility. [08:41] - The future of blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and digital assets. [10:27] - Why climate change is a very c

In today’s episode, Rusty and Robyn talk with Brie Williams, Vice President and Head of Practice Management at SPDR Exchange Traded Funds.Women make up half of the population, but they are vastly underrepresented in the investment industry.  Traditionally, they have been economically disadvantaged relative to their male counterparts.  In recent years, however, there has been a changing role for women as financial decision-makers. How can financial advisors help women break through the barrier of navigating into the investing world?Rusty and Robyn talk with Brie about the SHEconomy, the changing role of women as financial decision-makers, and how to encourage women to be part of the investment industry.Key Takeaways [3:16] - What attracted Brie to the marketing field. [5:59] - How advertising contributed to her early success. [7:35] - Her role at SPDR Exchange Traded Funds. [10:33] - What the statue of the fearless girl represents. [13:13] - The impact of the fearless girl after four years. [16:06] - How the d

In an economy characterized by uncertainty, can decentralized finance offer a better solution to protect your money and investments?In today’s episode, Rusty and Robyn talk with Jeremy Schwartz, Global Chief Investment Officer at WisdomTree Asset Management.Jeremy had an innate interest in numbers as a kid, and grew up reading the Wall Street Journal and watching stock prices. He began his career as a head research assistant to Wharton finance professor, Jeremy Siegel. Their work, The Future for Investors, has become a key element of WisdomTree.Jeremy talks with Rusty and Robyn about WisdonTree’s market outlook, how they are embracing digital assets, and how Jeremy Siegel played a significant role in his career development.Key Takeaways [4:20] - What drew Jeremy to investing. [6:13] - The many roles he’s played at WisdomTree. [7:52] - What makes a good research team. [9:46] - What he learned from Jeremy Siegel, personally and professionally. [13:02] - His favorite podcast topics. [15:36] - WisdomTree's curren

The economy is changing. Markets are shifting. As you make decisions about retirement or other long-term goals, it's important to think about the types of investments that will be appropriate for those goals. How does focusing on conventional investment strategies limit your potential to succeed?In today’s episode, Rusty and Robyn talk with Brian Selmo, Partner and Portfolio Manager at First Pacific Advisors (FPA).Prior to joining FPA, Brian was the founder and managing member of Eagle Lake Capital as well as an analyst at Third Avenue Management and Rothschild, Inc. With his extensive experience in the financial services industry, Brian is well versed in formulating strategies that will adapt to the world's ever-changing economy.Brain talks with Rusty and Robyn about FPA Crescent Fund, why it is different from other asset allocation funds, and how it works in the financial markets.Key Takeaways [03:50] - Brian's role at FPA. [06:32] - The qualities FPA looks for in an analyst. [09:42] - What sets Crescent Fu

Inflation is one of the many things that can erode your investment returns, leaving you with far less than you anticipated.  How can you protect yourself from inflation and maximize your yield?In today’s episode, Rusty and Robyn talk with Scott Henderson, Senior Vice President and Portfolio Specialist at Calamos Investments. Being with Calamos Investments since the beginning of his career, Scott has gained a deep understanding of alternative investments and convertible funds. Because of the many hats he wears, he has been part of the company's transformation into a diversified global investment firm today.Scott talks with Rusty and Robyn about alternative and convertible bond investing, the pros and cons of convertible funds, and what makes a good investment manager and a good investor.Key Takeaways [4:14] - Scott's role at Calamos Investments. [5:38] - What attracted Scott to the world of investment. [7:06] - How market-neutral funds work. [7:40] - What sets Calamos’ market-neutral fund apart from other mark

The world is changing and it's time to change with it. As global debt and inflation rise, how can investors navigate the challenges of the global economy?In today’s episode, Rusty and Robyn talk with Dirk Hofschire, Senior Vice President of Asset Allocation Research at Fidelity Investments.Prior to joining Fidelity, Dirk was a foreign service officer for the U.S. Department of State and a financial economist for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. As he traveled the world, he developed an interest in economics.Dirk talks with Rusty and Robyn about the risks of rising global debt, how investors can stay ahead of an unsustainably challenging economy, the business cycle, and other risks to the global economy.Key Takeaways [5:16] - Dirk Hofschire’s role at Fidelity Investments. [6:58] - How multi-time horizon asset allocation works. [8:18] - Why analyzing the business cycle is important. [12:48] - Why debt has ballooned so much around the world in recent years. [18:01] - What investors need to remember when