Money, Mind And Meaning

Dr. Richard Smith believes that risk literacy is essential not only for independent investors; it’s essential for anyone looking to succeed in today’s exploding digital marketplaces. Pulling from his expertise in mathematics and technology, Dr. Smith advises his clients on how to navigate the noise and distractions presented by the media and social platforms, allowing them to direct their attention to the things that matter most in their personal & investment lives. Dr. Smith studied mathematics at UC Berkeley and earned a PhD in systems science from the Watson School of Engineering at SUNY. He serves as chairman of the board and executive director of the Foundation for the Study of Cycles and is a regular columnist and guest on outlets such as CNN, BBC News, MarketWatch, Forbes and NASDAQ.com.Tune in to hear:- What is systems science and how might it be applied in a financial context?- As a society, has our thinking become more systemic or more siloed in the past 20 years?- Productivity is highly correla

Tune in to hear:- Why does Tra’s new book on entrepreneurship, Boss Brain, start with a focus on evolutionary psychology and brain science?- Does our wiring lead to a certain determinism or can we embolden ourselves by understanding our inner workings?- What are some cases where business owners confuse predictability with control?- Currently, 93% of people are working for the other 7% of people - Tra predicts that, unless swift action is taken, 99% of us will work for the other 1%. Why is this problematic and what can we do to avert this?- The baseline of comfort and meeting ones basic needs is easier to achieve, in many ways, than ever. If this is the case, why are we more risk averse than ever?- As an entrepreneur, how do you know when to listen to the naysayers in your life, as people who want to protect you and watch out for your wellbeing, and how do you know when to ignore them?- What are some of the societal wide benefits of increased entrepreneurship?- Would an increase in entrepreneurship help or hin

This week, Dr. Crosby is joined by fellow behavioral finance geek Neil Bage. Neil is passionate about helping people make safe and informed choices and is a specialist on behavioral drivers of financial decisions. In this episode, we turn the tables and Neil interviews Daniel in celebration of the 2nd Edition release of Dr. Crosby's book 'The Laws of Wealth.' Tune in to hear: How does one go about controlling the controllable in their personal and financial life and what does one do if something that they have no control over matters a great deal to them? How do financial advisors go about laying the right foundations for dealing with the emotional aspects their clients will inevitably encounter? How do people maintain their composure and not get overly excited by, or attached to, a particular investment opportunity. Does this require a kind of courage? What proactive steps can advisors take to factor into the human and behavioral element of investment advice? Why might your average US citizen belie

JC Parets launched the All Star Charts Research Platform in September of 2014 to provide technical analysis commentary across all asset classes to investors worldwide. He also has his own podcast, Technical Analysis Radio, which helps others grow their knowledge of technical analysis. JC grew up in Miami, FL and is a big sports fan. When he’s not looking through charts, he’s probably cooking, eating or watching a game. JC is also a certified sommelier and sake expert. Tune in to hear: What’s case can be made for technical analysts being the ultimate behavioral investors? Why is it that price action is the first and final word for technical analysts and how can they be so confident in purchases when they know nothing about their fundamentals, business or commodity? How do you manage risk with technical analysis and how do you differentiate between a daily dip and a true sell signal? What is something that JC was wrong about and how did he come to realize this and change his mind? How can being “agnos

Johnny Sandquist is the Founder & CEO of Three Crowns Marketing. He's focused on supporting RIA firms and advisor technology companies for over a decade now. He has a wife and three kids and is a huge Star Wars geek. Tune in to hear: Does Johnny advise his marketing clients to avoid or pursue engaging their target market by taking a stance on divisive, political issues? If so, what might be the most prudent way to approach this? In such a painful and tumultuous time, like Coronavirus, how can you keep your business top of mind and promote yourself while staying sensitive to the fact that you might not be offering an essential service? The Oatly Superbowl commercial seemed to be the most universally hated ad that night. Is all of this attention potentially productive for them, or is will it potentially come back to bite them? What are some common themes among the most effective advertisement campaigns? How do we balance the, seemingly, conflicting values of self-care, “being a brand” and being au

Lindsey Bell is Ally Invest’s Chief Investment Strategist, responsible for shaping the company’s point of view on investing and the global markets. She is also President of Ally Invest Advisors, responsible for its robo advisory offerings. Lindsey has a broad background in finance, with experience on the buy-side and sell-side, in research, and in investment banking, and has held roles at JPMorgan, Deutsche Bank, Jefferies, and CFRA Research. Lindsey holds a passion for teaching individuals how to become successful long-term investors. She is a contributor at CNBC, and frequently shares her insights with various publications including the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, MarketWatch, Business Insider, etc. She also serves on the board of Better Investing, a non-profit organization focused on investment education. Callie Cox is a senior investment strategist for Ally Invest. In her role, she helps educate Ally Invest customers about the financial markets through engaging content and strategic initiatives. Callie

In 2010, Stacy Havener founded Havener Capital Partners, an independent third party marketing firm, to provide sales and marketing services to a select group of high quality managers. Well recognized for her expertise in the Registered Investment Advisor and wealth management channel, Stacy has significant experience in product development as well as raising assets through successful distribution strategies. Previously, Stacy was a co-founder of third party marketing firm Candlewood Advisory Partners and worked with institutional marketing firm Arrow Partners. Her career in third party marketing began in 2000 when she joined Sincere & Co., LLC as the first employee. Prior to her 7 years at Sincere, she served as Marketing Manager for Grand Prix Funds (Wilton, CT). In her investment sales career, Stacy has raised over $5 billion dollars. Active in the industry, Stacy is currently on the board of the Third Party Marketers Association (www.3pm.org) after serving as the association President for 6 years. She

Nathan Astle is the founder of Relational Money LLC where he offers training to financial advisors and money coaches on basic financial therapy skills. This will help them be better at their jobs, retain more clients, and improve the quality of care. Tune in to hear: What are some of the key differences and similarities between financial therapy, clinical psychology and behavioral finance? While we fixate on money and wealth in popular culture and in the media, Americans are also really reluctant to be direct about their personal financial matters. What accounts for this juxtaposition of obsession and secrecy in American financial matters? When considering happiness, we often ascribe money with significance above and beyond the elements of personal success. Why is this the case? What are some common money themes, or “scripts,” that one might find themselves within? If someone identifies a money script, that’s negatively impacting their personal and financial wellbeing, how difficult is it for them t

Tim Holland is the Chief Investment Officer at Orion Advisor Solutions, where he oversees the investment management and strategies for Orion Portfolio Solutions and Brinker Capital Investments. Prior to his current role, Tim was the Global Investment Strategist at Brinker Capital where he worked with senior members of the investment team to develop and deliver Brinker Capital’s macroeconomic and capital markets outlook, including the company’s investment views and portfolio positioning. Tim has over 20 years of investment experience. Prior to joining Brinker Capital, Tim was a Portfolio Manager at TAMRO Capital Partners, where he directed overall portfolio construction on two long-only, US equity strategies based on fundamental company and industry analysis and understanding the potential impact of economic, industry, and political trends on portfolio holdings.Tim received his Bachelor of Arts in political science from Drew University. He holds a FINRA Series 65 designation and is a CFA® charterholder. Tim’s

Rusty Vanneman serves as the Chief Investment Strategist for Orion Advisor Solutions, where he is responsible for overseeing the investment strategies at Orion Portfolio Solutions (turnkey asset management program) and at Orion Advisor Technology (financial technology). Previously, Rusty was the Chief Investment Officer for Orion Advisor Solutions and prior to that was the President and Chief Investment Officer of CLS Investments. Before joining Orion in 2012, Rusty served as the Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director for a multi-billion RIA in the greater Boston area. His 11-year tenure at the RIA included a five-year span when the firm was owned by ETRADE Financial where he also served as the Senior Market Strategist for ETRADE Capital. Prior, Rusty was a Senior Analyst at Fidelity Management and Research in Boston.  Rusty received his Bachelor of Science in Management from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts where he graduated with high distinction. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (

Phil is widely regarded as a thought leader in the asset management industry. As Founder & CEO of Exponential ETFs Phil raised $1.8 Billion in AUM in just over three years after launching the company from scratch. As Managing Director at NYSE Phil exceeded 90% market share of ETF listings. Phil is the author of two patents on innovative ETF structures, has led market structure enhancements that have become industry standard and pioneered new investment strategies into the market. Phil is featured regularly on top-tier media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, CNBC, Financial Times and Reuters. Phil holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation and is the host of the ETF Experience and the Phil Bak Podcast. Tune in to hear: Why might the market be rallying in spite of the Coronavirus being worse than ever, unemployment rates at an all time high and political divisiveness is explosive? When is the right time to “check the math” on how enduring a factor is or somet

An economist by trade, Hoda manages her company’s successful flagship portfolio. She also applies behavioral economics, data journalism and storytelling to their product development. Before starting her own company, Hoda worked as a strategist at Sony, Aimia and Symantec. Outside of the world of work, Hoda is a certified wine specialist who loves Rottweilers. Tune in to hear: What was Hoda’s “aha” moment that lead her to become a Fintech CEO? When did Hoda realize that awareness of behavioral bias is at the heart of sound investment strategies? What are some benefits to keeping an investment journal? If we’re playing devil’s advocate - what might a Fintech, that encouraged the worst possible practices, look like? As technologists, what responsibility do we have to maximize shareholder value vs. maximize value for the larger populace? How can technology be used to help us overcome our worst behavioral impulses? In investment, one can make a terrible decision, based on the information available an

Jean-Michel Pailhon is Vice-president at Ledger, the leading company in security solutions for crypto-assets, where he’s heading the company’s product initiatives. He joined Ledger in early 2017 when the company had 20 employees initially leading the finance, strategy and corporate development initiatives. Before that, Jean-Michel spent 15+ years in the financial industry, working for Euronext and then the New York Stock Exchange, where he held various management positions covering finance, strategy, fund management, M&A and IPO. Jean-Michel is a founding member of the French Fintech Startups Association (https://francefintech.org/en/) and is a lecturer in finance and strategy at ESSEC Business School and Pantheon Assas University (France). Tune in to hear: Why compelling use cases might be more critical than the price action for the healthy growth, and widespread adoption, of bitcoin and other crypto currencies 5 to 10 years from now might volatility in Bitcoin look more like US equities or is it mor

Eric Clarke serves as CEO for Orion Advisor Solutions (Orion), helping advisory professionals operationalize their vision for success by delivering cutting-edge financial technology and investment management solutions through the organization’s brand entities: Orion Advisor Tech, Orion Portfolio Solutions, CLS Investments and Brinker Capital Investments. Prior to his current role, Eric was the founding CEO of Orion Advisor Tech, which he continues to lead, and previously served as COO for CLS Investments. As an industry-recognized though leader and advocate for advisory professionals, Eric has written numerous articles that have appeared in InvestmentsNews and The Journal of Financial Planning. Eric has received numerous industry awards including ThinkAdvisor’s IA25 in 2012 and 2019, and InvestmentNews’ Icon & Innovators Award in 2019. Eric earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Brigham Young University and Master of Business Administration from the University of Utah. As an avid runner, Eric u

Tune in to hear:What are some of the advantages of being a woman that make them uniquely suited to financial advising?How might some of women’s strengths, when overextended, become weaknesses or impediments to investing?In spite of women’s outperformance, surveys show that the general public believes men are better money managers. How can the financial industry begin to remedy this misunderstanding?Women, on average, are less confident in their ability to manage money than men. How can we narrow this confidence gap while still retaining women’s aptitude for care and research in investing?How can the financial services industry better meet the unique needs of women, both as investors and as clients?www.westpacwealth.com

Chau Lai first found her passion for finance as an Economics Major at the University of California San Diego. At the advice of her professors to “invest early,” Chau pooled her savings to invest half and the rest independently at the age of 17. Real-world experiences and early childhood struggles taught Chau important lessons regarding building and preserving wealth. They inspired her to craft her own unique investing methodology and personally redefine the meaning of success. She established her business in June 1997. Since then, she has enjoyed working with accomplished business owners and their families to create legacy and help protect wealth for future generations. Her progressive mindset and strong work ethic provide focus and direction for her clients to help accomplish their financial goals with an emphasis on wellness and balance. Chau helps her clients find their true purpose for money and to redefine the meaning of success. Tune in to hear: How to keep your clients grounded in the present while m

Samantha Russell is the Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer at Twenty Over Ten. Utilizing her background in Public Relations, Marketing and Client Relations, Sam focuses on helping new clients understand the value of their online presence and connecting them with the marketing tools and digital solutions they need to effectively manage their brand. Samantha was featured on Wealth Management’s “10 to Watch” and Investment News “40 Under 40” 2020 lists. Apart from her job, Sam enjoys cooking, running, hosting dinner parties and keeping up with her favorite podcasts - This American Life, Radiolab and Serial. Tune in to hear: Do marketers have an ethical obligation to use their powers for good? What is social marketing and what are some ways it can educate + help create a better world? What are some of the “pillars of success” shared by many timeless marketing campaigns? How true is the contemporary adage that “everyone is a brand?” If this holds true, how do we balance this reality with a

Tune in to hear:What are some of the unique fiscal or emotional challenges immigrants sometimes face?Nick’s perspective, as an immigrant, on “The American Dream”Why immigrants are often more inclined to entrepreneurial ventures than people born in the USAre there structural or systemic reasons why immigrants are often kept from more traditional forms of employment, choosing instead to forge their own path?How financial professionals can help clients balance financial best practices with their specific cultural sensitivitiesWhat are some unique challenges immigrant families face in becoming financially independent?What habits does Nick see in his immigrant clients that might strengthen the broader American money culture?Web: www.unitedwealthllc.com

Maddie has a Masters in Behavioral Science from the London School of Economics. She is the co-founder and director of Salient, which is a behavioral science consultancy, and she is head of membership at the newly formed Global Association of Applied Behavioral Scientists. Maddie also enjoys teaching yoga whenever she can. Tune in to hear: Western philosophy tends to think of the self as static and immutable, while Eastern philosophy thinks about the self in more contextual ways. Which conception of self is most conducive to self-growth or are there positive takeaways from both perspectives? In existential philosophy there is a thought that existence precedes essence. In practice, does it seem like we unearth a “true” self that has always been there, or do we shape and define our selves as we move through live? How do we scrape away the behavioral biases that keep us from seeing who we really are? Behavioral biases do serve a positive purpose when they aren’t over extended; they protect our ego and hel

Maxine Gray is the Business Strategy Development and Implementation Manager at Investec Wealth, South Africa. She is an ambassador for the United Nations Global Compact of young SDG innovators. Maxine has also been a board member of imagine.nation (NPO) since 2015, and she is the founder of Winter Warmer drive (2010-2020), helping over 20,000 people keep warm during winter. Tune in to hear: What are the UN’s sustainable development goals and how do they relate to investing and business? How did the UN settle on goals which were unanimously approved by all member nations? There are, of course, ethical and personal reasons to run a company that is generous and environmentally sustainable, but are there financially-motivated reasons as well? What are the differences between shareholder capitalism and stakeholder capitalism and how might these approaches coexist? Why environmental concerns are finally being considered legitimate risks to business How the “sdgs” are interconnected and why focusing on o