Ben Felix: Rational Reminders for Good Financial Decisions

Our guest on the podcast today is Ben Felix. Ben is chief investment officer for PWL Capital, a Canadian wealth management firm. He also co-hosts the Rational Reminder podcast and is the host of a YouTube channel that covers finance and investing-related topics. He joined PWL Capital in 2013 after completing a degree in mechanical engineering as well as an MBA. He is a CFA charter holder and a CFP professional. Ben, welcome to The Long View.BackgroundBioPWL CapitalRational Reminder podcastCanadian Market and Home-Country Bias“The Passive vs. Active Fund Monitor,” by Raymond Kerzerho, pwlcapital.com, Winter 2024.“Passive Beats Active Again in 2024,” by James Parkyn, capitaltopics.com, April 30, 2025.“Canadians Reducing Home Bias, Eh? Vanguard Research Finds That Investors Are Increasingly Going Global,” vanguard.ca, June 2024.Rational Reminder Podcast“Episode 169: Prof. John Cochrane: (Modern) Modern Portfolio Theory,” Rational Reminder Podcast, Sept. 30, 2021.“Understanding Crypto 14: Prof. John Cochrane: Money, (Fiscal) Inflation, and Political Freedom,” Rational Reminder Podcast, Sept. 2, 2022.“Episode 284: Prof. Scott Cederburg: Challenging the Status Quo on Lifecycle Asset Allocation,” Rational Reminder Podcast, Dec. 21, 2023.“Episode 350: Scott Cederburg: A Critical Assessment of Lifecycle Investment Advice,” Rational Reminder Podcast, March 27, 2025.“Episode 316: Andrew Chen: ‘Is Everything I Was Taught About Cross-Sectional Asset Pricing Wrong?!’” Rational Reminder Podcast, Aug. 1, 2024.“Episode 102: Dr. Brian Portnoy: Underwriting a Meaningful Life,” Rational Reminder Podcast, June 11, 2020.“Episode 171: Prof. Campbell R. Harvey: The Past and Future of Finance,” Rational Reminder Podcast, Oct. 14, 2021.Other“The Misguided Beliefs of Financial Advisors,” by Juhani T. Linnainmaa, Brian Melzer, and Alessandro Previtero, Journal of Finance, March 22, 2021.Rational Reminder Community“OneDigital Expands Into Canada With Investment in PWL Capital, Expanding Wealth Management Services Across Borders,” OneDigital.com, Jan. 23, 2025.“Beyond the Status Quo: A Critical Assessment of Lifecycle Investment Advice,” by Scott Cederburg, Aizhan Anarkulova, and Michael S. O’Doherty, papers.ssrn.com, March 5, 2025.The Fiscal Theory of the Price Level, by John Cochrane

On this week’s episode, we’re pleased to welcome back returning guest, Jason Zweig. Jason writes the “Intelligent Investor” column in The Wall Street Journal and has published a number of popular and critically acclaimed books on investing and finance, including Your Money and Your Brain and The Devil’s Financial Dictionary. In his most recent project, Jason published an update of Ben Graham’s classic book, The Intelligent Investor. And we’ve devoted a portion of today’s episode to delving into Graham and the Intelligent Investor with Jason. Please note that we recorded this interview on April 8, 2025.BackgroundBioYour Money and Your Brain: How the New Science of Neuroeconomics Can Help Make Your RichThe Devil’s Financial DictionaryTariffs and TIPS“Trump Just Shredded the Economic Playbook. Here Are Your Next Investing Moves,” by Jason Zweig, wsj.com, April 4, 2025.“The Mistake You’re Making in Today’s Stock Market—Without Even Knowing It,” by Jason Zweig, wsj.com, April 25, 2025.“Four Questions You Should Ask to Combat the Market Chaos,” by Jason Zweig, wsj.com, April 10, 2025.“Inflation Isn’t Going Away? Some Tips on How to Buy TIPS,” by Jason Zweig, wsj.com, Feb. 14, 2025.The Intelligent InvestorThe Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing, by Benjamin GrahamThe Intelligent Investor Third Edition: The Definition on Value Investing, by Benjamin Graham and updated with new commentary by Jason Zweig.Jonathan Clements“The WSJ’s Jonathan Clements Wants to Leave a Living Legacy,” by Jason Zweig, wsj.com, May 8, 2025.“Jonathan Clements: ‘Humility Is a Hallmark of People Who Are Financially Successful,’” The Long View podcast, Morningstar.com, Dec. 26, 2023.“Jonathan Clements: ‘Life Is Full of Small Pleasures,’” The Long View podcast, Morningstar.com, Oct. 15, 2024.Private Markets“Private Markets Seem Out of Reach for Individual Investors. BlackRock Thinks It Has an Answer,” by Jason Zweig, wsj.com, Sept. 12, 2024.“You’re Invited to Wall Street’s Private Party. Say You’re Busy,” by Jason Zweig, wsj.com, Dec. 20, 2024.“Don’t Buy Into This Easy Fix for Stock-Market Craziness,” by Jason Zweig, wsj.com, April 18, 2025.Other“SEC, States Investigate Firm Holding Couple’s $763,094 Retirement Fund,” by Jason Zweig, wsj.com, Dec. 4, 2024.“David Swensen’s Coda,” Yale News, news.yale.edu, Oct. 22, 2021.

Hi, and welcome to The Long View. I’m Christine Benz, director of personal finance and retirement planning for Morningstar. Today on the podcast, we welcome back author and blogger JL Collins. JL’s first book, The Simple Path to Wealth: Your road map to financial independence and a rich, free life, was published in 2016 and has since sold more than 1 million copies. He has recently come out with a second edition of the book, which his daughter, Jess, collaborated on. In 2023, he published another book called Pathfinders: Extraordinary Stories of People Like You on the Quest for Financial Independence.BackgroundBioThe Simple Path to Wealth (Revised & Expanded 2025 Edition): Your Road Map to Financial Independence and a Rich, Free LifePathfinders: Extraordinary Stories of People Like You on the Quest for Financial Independence—And How to Join ThemThe Simple Path to Wealth, 4% Rule, Inflation, and Stocks“Case Study #1: Putting the Simple Path to Wealth Into Action,” by JL Collins, jlcollinsnh.com, July 10, 2023.“Things Important, and Unimportant,” by JL Collins, jlcollinsnh.com, March 1, 2023.“Stocks—Part XIII: The 4% Rule, Withdrawal Rates and How Much Can I Spend Anyway?” by JL Collins, jlcollinsnh.com, Oct. 15, 2023.“Déjà Vu All Over Again,” by JL Collins, jlcollinshh.com, April 18, 2025.“Stocks—Part IV: The Big Ugly Event, Deflation and a Bit on Inflation,” by JL Collins, jlcollinsnh.com, Nov. 16, 2023.“Stocks—Part XXII: Stepping Away From REITs,” by JL Collins, jlcollinsnh.com, May 12, 2025.“Stocks—Part XXVII: Why I Don’t Like Dollar Cost Averaging,” by JL Collins, jlcollinshn.com, Jan. 8, 2024.“Stocks—Part III: Most People Lose Money in the Market,” by JL Collins, jlcollinsnh.com, Nov. 16, 2023.“Time Machine and the Future Returns for Stocks,” by JL Collins, jlcollinsnh.com, July 10, 2023.Debt Paydown“Chainsaws and Credit Cards,” by JL Collins, jlcollinsnh.com, March 30, 2023.“Stocks—Part XXVIII: Debt – The Unacceptable Burden,” by JL Collins, jlcollinsnh.com, May 12, 2025.Other“JL Collins: The Case for Simplicity,” The Long View podcast, Morningstar.com, April 5, 2022.“JL Collins: Spotlighting the Many Paths to Financial Independence,” The Long View podcast, Morningstar.com, Oct. 31, 2023.Vanguard Total Stock Market Index VTSAXBill BengenMr. Money Mustache

Hi, and welcome to The Long View. I’m Dan Lefkovitz, strategist for Morningstar Indexes. Our guest this week is Arunma Oteh, currently of the University of Oxford Saïd Business School. Arunma is a former treasurer of the World Bank and also served in various leadership roles in the African Development Bank. In 2010, she became Director General of Nigeria Securities and Exchange Commission, and she led that apex regulator for several years following the global financial crisis. She writes about the experience in the recently published book All Hands on Deck: Unleash Prosperity Through World Class Capital Markets. Arunma is a graduate of the University of Nigeria, UNN Nsukka, and Harvard Business School.BackgroundBioAll Hands on Deck: Unleash Prosperity Through World Class Capital MarketsNigeria’s “Iron Lady”“Nigeria’s Iron Lady Takes on Fraudsters,” by Caroline Duffield, bbc.com, July 1, 2010.“Changing the World One Bond at a Time,” Rita Stankeviciute and Kathleen Manahan, worldbank.org, July 18, 2018.“Nigeria SEC Boss, Arunma Oteh, Fights Back,” YouTube video, March 15, 2012.OtherSecurities and Exchange Commission, NigeriaNigerian Exchange Group NGXFMDQ Group“A Tale of 2 Exchanges: As FMDQ Thrives NGX Plays Catch Up,” by Bala Augie, moneycentral.com, Oct. 2, 2021.

Hi, and welcome to The Long View. I’m Dan Lefkovitz, strategist for Morningstar Indexes. Our guest this week is Daniel Rasmussen. He’s the founder and portfolio manager of Verdad Advisers, a hedge fund. Before starting Verdad, Dan worked at Bain Capital Private Equity and Bridgewater Associates. He’s a member of the investment committee of the trustees of donations of the Episcopal Church and he’s a contributor to The Wall Street Journal. Dan is author of the new book, The Humble Investor: How to find a winning edge in a surprising world. His earlier book was American Uprising: The Untold Story of America’s Largest Slave Revolt. Dan holds a bachelor’s from Harvard and an MBA from Stanford. Dan, thanks so much for joining us on The Long View.BackgroundBioVerdadThe Humble Investor: How to find a winning edge in a surprising worldAmerican Uprising: The Untold Story of America’s Largest Slave RevoltForecasting“Waves in Ship Prices and Investment,” by Sam Hanson and Robin Greenwood, Quarterly Journal of Economics, February 2014.Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction, by Philip Tetlock“Gaining Edge by Forecasting Volatility and Correlations,” by Dan Rasmussen, Chris Satterthwaite, and Lionel Smoler Schatz, verdadcap.com, Oct. 30, 2023.Value Investing“Where the Value Investing Strategy Still Works,” by Dan Rasmussen, ft.com, May 23, 2024.“Factors from Scratch: A Look Back, and Forward, at How, When and Why Factors Work,” by Chris Meredith, Jesse Livermore, and Patrick O’Shaughnessy, osam.com, May 2018.“The Size Factor: Small Caps Are Trading at the Steepest Discount to Large Caps in Decades,” by Dan Rasmussen and Brian Chingono, verdadcap.com, Aug. 22, 2022.“The Small Cap Amplifier,” by Dan Rasmussen and Brian Chingono, verdadcap.com, Oct. 21, 2024.“Explaining International Valuations,” by Dan Rasmussen, verdadcap.com, Jan. 27, 2025.Private Credit and High Yield“The ‘Fool’s Yield’ of Private Credit,” by Jamie Powell, ft.com, Jan. 28, 2020.“Sizing Private Equity Allocations,” by Dan Rasmussen, verdadcap.com, May 13, 2024.“The Best Macro Indicator: Why You Should Be Following High-Yield Spreads,” by Dan Rasmussen, verdadcap.com, May 17, 2021.Crisis Investing“Crisis Investing in Europe: The Unlikely Winners in the Most Difficult Times,” by Dan Rasmussen and Brian Chingono, verdadcap.com, May 16, 2022.“EM Crisis Investing, A Deeper Dive: Understanding the Factors at Play in Emerging Markets,” by Verdad Research, verdadcap.com, May 3, 2022.

Our guest on the podcast today is David Booth. He’s the Chairman of Dimensional Fund Advisors, a firm he founded in 1981. David led Dimensional as CEO and later Co-CEO until 2017, when he stepped back from the daily management of the firm. David helped create one of the world’s first index funds in the 1970s and launched the first passively managed small-company strategy in the early 1980s. He received a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1968 and a master’s degree in business in 1969 from the University of Kansas. In 1971, he received an MBA from the University of Chicago. Over the years, David has been a benefactor to both schools, and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business is named in David’s honor. David, welcome to The Long View.BackgroundBioTune Out the NoiseDFA US Small CapDFA US Micro CapPapers Mentioned“Stocks, Bonds, Bills and Inflation: Year-by-Year Historical Returns (1926-1974),” by Roger Ibbotson and Rex Siquefield, The Journal of Business, January 1976.“The Cross-Section of Expected Stock Returns,” by Eugene Fama and Kenneth French, jstor.org, June 1992.“Why Investors Missed Out on 15% of Total Fund Returns,” by Jeffrey Ptak, Morningstar.com, Aug. 15, 2024.OtherErrol MorrisMerton MillerEugene FamaMac McQuownRex SinquefieldRobert MertonDan WheelerDaniel Kahneman“Everything You Need to Know About ‘MADOFF: The Monster of Wall Street,’” by Ingrid Ostby, netflix.com, Jan. 4, 2023.“DFA vs. Vanguard,” The Rational Reminder podcast, Episode 351, youtube.com.“PHOTOS: A Look Inside the Booth Estate,” Austin American-Statesman, Feb. 13, 2020.

Today on the podcast we welcome back Cullen Roche. Cullen is the founder and chief investment officer of the Discipline Funds, which manages the Discipline Fund ETF. In addition, he heads up Orcam Group, a registered investment advisory firm he established in 2012. He’s authored several books, including Pragmatic Capitalism: What Every Investor Needs to Know About Money and Finance, and he has a new book coming out next year called Your Perfect Portfolio. Cullen started his career as an advisor at Merrill Lynch and worked at an event-driven hedge fund before starting his RIA firm. He received his bachelor’s degree in finance from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. Cullen, welcome back to The Long View.BackgroundBioDiscipline FundsDiscipline Fund ETFPragmatic Capitalism: What Every Investor Needs to Know About Money and FinanceYour Perfect PortfolioTariffs and Recession“Let’s Talk About Tariffs,” by Cullen Roche, disciplinefunds.com, Feb. 3, 2025.“Weekend Reading—How Did We Get Here?” by Cullen Roche, disciplinefunds.com, April 4, 2025.“Three Things—Tariffs, Of Course,” by Cullen Roche, disciplinefunds.com, April 7, 2025.“American Economic Association 2021-2022 Universal Academic Questionnaire Summary Statistics,” by Charles E. Scott and John J. Siegfried, jstor.org.“Three Things—Is a Recession Coming?” by Cullen Roche, disciplinefunds.com, Feb. 8, 2025.Defined Duration Investing“What Is Defined Duration Investing?” by Cullen Roche, disciplinefunds.com, Feb. 21, 2023.“Defined Duration Investing,” by Cullen Roche, paper.ssrn.com, Aug. 8, 2022.The Fed and Global Investing“Three Things—State of the Markets,” by Cullen Roche, disciplinefunds.com, Feb. 22, 2025.“Why Is International Investing Working Again?” by Cullen Roche, disciplinefunds.com, March 26, 2025.“Three Things—Weekend Reading,” by Cullen Roche, disciplinefunds.com, April 19, 2025.Other“Cullen Roche: Macro Is About Understanding the World for What It Is,” The Long View podcast, Morningstar.com, Jan. 11, 2022.Milton Friedman“NY Empire State Index: Meaning, Benefits, Example,” by Adam Hayes, Investopedia.com, June 30, 2022.William Bernstein’s No-Brainer PortfolioMeb FaberThe Humble Investor, by Dan Rasmussen

Our guest this week is Vincent Montemaggiore. Vince is a portfolio manager at Fidelity where he manages the Overseas Fund. The strategy is highly regarded by Morningstar’s manager research team. Prior to taking over Fidelity Overseas in 2012, Vince ran Fidelity Select Banking from June 2008. He joined Fidelity as an equity analyst in 2004. Vince has a bachelor’s from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Columbia Business School. Vince, welcome to The Long View.BackgroundBioFidelity Series Overseas FSOSXGlobal Outlook“2025 Global Investing Outlook: Unsettling International Headlines Are Creating Opportunities for US Investors,” fidelity.com, Jan. 6, 2025.“Trump Tariffs and Investors: What They Mean for Inflation, Stocks, and the Economy,” fidelity.com, April 9, 2025.GRANOLAS Stocks Mentioned“Europe’s Magnificent 7 Stocks Are Profitable—And Cheaper,” by Jocelyn Jovene, morningstar.co.uk, Feb. 19, 2024.GSKRocheASMLNestleNovartisSAPAI and Companies MentionedRELXLSEG and Microsoft PartnershipOtherHitachiTokio MarineBill KennedySammy SimnegarJed Weiss

Today on the podcast, we welcome back Jean Chatzky. Jean is the CEO of HerMoney.com and host of the podcast, HerMoney with Jean Chatzky. She has served as the financial editor of NBC Today for 25 years and is the financial ambassador for AARP. She appears frequently on CNN, MSNBC, and was a recurring guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She has written several New York Times bestselling books. Her latest is Women with Money: The Judgment-Free Guide to Creating the Joyful, Less Stressed, Purposeful (and, Yes, Rich) Life You Deserve. Jean also appears in my book How to Retire, where she talks about retirement planning considerations for women.BackgroundBioHerMoney podcastFinanceFixxWomen With Money: The Judgment-Free Guide to Creating the Joyful, Less Stressed, Purposeful (and, Yes, Rich) Life You Deserve, by Jean ChatzkyOpportunity KnocksAARPWomen in Investing and Financial Advisors“How to Choose a Financial Advisor,” video post by Jean Chatzky, Linkedin.com.“Jean Chatzky on Women in Investing: Are You Taking Control of Your Money?” by Melissa Houston, forbes.com, April 21, 2022.Annuities, Long-Term Care, FIRE“The High Costs of Senior Caregiving,” by Ella Vincent, Kiplinger.com, Aug. 3, 2023.“Long-Term Care Insurance Rate Increase Creates Big Headache,” by Jean Chatzky, aarp.com, Feb. 7, 2023.“Are Annuities a Good Investment? What They Are and Why Women Should Consider Them,” HerMoney With Jean Chatzky, episode 433, hermoney.com, July 24, 2024.“How to Retire Early Without Hating Your Life,” HerMoney With Jean Chatzky, episode 459, hermoney.com, Jan. 22, 2025.Other“Jean Chatzky: ‘Financial Stress Is a Big Topic in Need of More Oxygen,’” The Long View podcast, Morningstar.com, Dec. 15, 2020.How to Retire: 20 Lessons for a Happy, Successful, and Wealthy Retirement, by Christine BenzKaren FinermanMichael KitcesAlliance for Lifetime IncomeJean Chatzky The Today Show archives

Our guest on the podcast today is Dr. Jay Zigmont. He’s the author of a new book called The Childfree Guide to Life and Money, and he’s also the founder and CEO of Childfree Wealth, a financial planning firm dedicated to helping people without kids. Dr. Jay is a certified financial planner, and he also has his MBA, as well as his PhD in Adult Learning from the University of Connecticut. He hosts the Childfree Wealth podcast, and he previously published another book called Portraits of Childfree Wealth. Dr. Jay, welcome to The Long View.BackgroundBioChildfree WealthChildfree Wealth podcastThe Childfree Guide to Life and Money: Make Your Finances Simple So Your Life Without Kids Can Be Amazing, by Jay ZigmontPortraits of Childfree Wealth: 26 stories about how being Childfree impacts your life, wealth and finances, by Jay ZigmontBeing Childfree“Census Bureau: Older Childless Women Make More Money, In Better Health Than Male Counterparts,” by Carlie Porterfield, forbes.com, Aug. 31, 2021.“11% of Older Americans (55+) Are Childfree,” by Jay Zigmont, childfreewealth.com, Aug. 28, 2022.“Among Unmarried Adults, Women Without Children Have as Much Wealth as Single Men,” by Richard Fry, pewresearch.org, Nov. 4, 2024.“Choosing the FILE Lifestyle—Financial Independence, Live Early,” by Jay Zigmont, childfreewealth.com, Aug. 28, 2022.“FILE vs FIRE—Finding What Is Right For You,” by Jay Zigmont, childfreewealth.com, Aug. 28, 2022.Die With ZeroDie With Zero: Getting All You Can From Your Money and Your Life, by Bill Perkins“How Do I Embrace the Die With Zero Approach?” by Jay Zigmont, childfreewealth.com, April 30, 2024.“Not Having Children ‘Breaks’ Traditional Financial Planning, says CFP—8 Money Rules for Childfree People,” by Ryan Ermey, cnbc.com, Dec. 5, 2023.Long-Term Care and Estate Planning“How Much Does Assisted Living Cost in 2023?” by Sam DiSalvo, finance.yahoo.com, March 30, 2023.“Long-Term Care for Childfree Individuals,” by Jay Zigmont, childfreewealth.com, Nov. 23, 2023.“Who Will Take Care of Me?” by Jay Zigmont, childfreewealth.com, Dec. 12, 2023.“Get Your Paperwork Right, Now!—Wills, Beneficiaries, Living Wills, POAs and More,” by Jay Zigmont, childfreewealth.com, Aug. 28, 2022.Other“New Report: Being Childfree May Not Make You Rich, But It May Make You Happy,” by Jay Zigmont, childfreewealth.com, Oct. 6, 2022.“The Gardener and the Rose,” by Jay Zigmont, childfreewealth.com, Aug. 28, 2022.The Purpose Code: How to Unlock Meaning, Maximize Happiness, and Leave a Lasting Legacy, by Jordan Grumet“Jordan Grumet: The Purpose Code,” The Long View podcast, Morningstar.com, Jan. 7, 2025.