If you are approaching retirement, investment risk is no longer just about chasing higher returns. It becomes about whether you have enough time to recover from market declines and how volatility can affect your ability to retire when planned. 

In this episode of The Capitalist Investor, Diamond Hands - Derek and Jack Root discuss how risk tolerance evolves as retirement nears and why preserving capital, managing allocation, and maintaining discipline become more important than outperforming the market. 

They explain how drawdowns require significantly larger gains to recover, why the “lost decade” illustrates sequencing risk, and how rebalancing portfolios can help manage exposure as markets shift. 

The conversation focuses on building a plan that aligns investments, income strategy, and retirement timing rather than reacting to trends, momentum trades, or short-term performance. 

In this episode of The Capitalist Investor, Derek and Tony break down how California’s tax system can impact professional athletes, even after winning a championship.

They also examine whether consumer spending is truly slowing, reviewing retail growth data, job creation numbers, wage trends, and what higher tax refunds in 2026 could mean for the economy.

Finally, they discuss the streaming wars and whether cutting cable has actually saved consumers money, or simply replaced one high bill with many smaller ones.

If you want a grounded discussion on taxes, economic momentum, and consumer behavior, this episode delivers practical perspective without hype.

In this episode, Tony and Derrick open with a practical warning about identity theft and financial fraud, sharing real client stories and simple steps you can take today, including changing passwords, freezing credit, and using identity monitoring services.

They then shift into recent market volatility, breaking down gold and silver swings, Bitcoin’s technical patterns, and the surprising connection to the McRib. The conversation explores why timing matters, why emotional reactions hurt returns, and how long-term ownership differs from short-term speculation.

The episode closes with an honest discussion about today’s new investors, instant gratification versus steady strategy, and why having a plan, setting limits, and avoiding panic are essential when markets move quickly.

This is a straightforward, real-world conversation about protecting your finances and staying grounded during uncertain markets.

In this episode of The Capitalist Investor, Derek and Tony deliver rapid fire hot takes on what’s really driving today’s markets and what investors should be watching as 2026 approaches.

They break down why Costco selling physical gold is grabbing headlines, what soaring gold and silver prices may signal, and why Bitcoin isn’t reacting the way many expected. The conversation also covers the “Big Beautiful Bill,” including who actually benefits from the proposed tax relief and how an estimated $150+ billion back into consumers’ pockets could impact the economy.

Derek and Tony then shift to their 2026 market outlook, discussing sector rotation, why consumer discretionary and industrials could outperform, and why markets are moving beyond just a handful of tech stocks. They also walk through potential black swan events, including a possible government shutdown, geopolitical tensions, and volatility tied to election season.

If you want practical perspective on where opportunities may be emerging and what risks could derail markets, this episode delivers straightforward insight without the noise.

You worked hard to build your wealth. Now comes the real challenge: making sure it lasts.

In this episode, Derek and Tony break down legacy planning strategies to help families preserve wealth across generations. You’ll learn how Roth conversions, estate taxes, trust structures, and family meetings play a role in long term wealth transfer and how to prepare heirs to responsibly manage inherited assets.

This conversation covers practical estate planning concepts, retirement income considerations, and ways high net worth families can reduce taxes while protecting their legacy. If you are thinking about generational wealth, succession planning, or how to pass assets on with intention, this episode gives you a clear framework to start.

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If your retirement plan still relies on the same stock and bond playbook, you may be taking more risk than you realize.

In this episode of The Capitalist Investor, we break down how gold, silver, and cryptocurrency actually fit into a modern retirement portfolio and why more investors are rethinking diversification as inflation, government debt, and global uncertainty reshape the financial landscape. We discuss the real role of gold as a store of value, silver’s dual purpose as both a monetary and industrial asset, and how crypto has evolved from speculation into a legitimate alternative asset class.

You’ll also hear a practical conversation about allocation mistakes investors make, why chasing headlines can backfire, and how small, intentional exposure to alternatives can help protect long-term retirement plans without gambling on volatility. This episode is designed to help investors understand risk, stay disciplined, and think strategically about portfolio construction heading into 2026.

Many investors feel pressure at the start of a new year to make big portfolio changes. In this episode of The Capitalist Investor, Derek and Tony break down the most common investing mistakes people make early in the year and why activity is often confused with progress.

They discuss why overreacting to early market moves can create unnecessary risk, how chasing last year’s winners often backfires, and why simple rebalancing is usually more effective than drastic changes. The conversation also covers market volatility, mean reversion, discipline after strong multi year market performance, and how investors should think about positioning portfolios moving into 2026.

This episode is focused on long term thinking, risk management, and staying aligned with a plan instead of reacting emotionally to headlines or calendar changes.

Last week Tony and D kicked off a two part series on four areas your advisor should have on their radar to help maximize your growth. In part two they cover the next two and get very practical about what real planning looks like when your life changes fast.

First they talk about alignment. Your portfolio should match your lifestyle, your income needs, and your real world transitions, especially if you are a business owner selling a company, changing jobs, or moving into retirement. They explain why a plan cannot be rigid, why returns are not linear, and why you want someone you can treat like a personal CFO to help take emotion out and run the numbers when big decisions show up.

Then they close with a simple question. Is your advisor a specialist or a generalist. If the advice feels generic, the investments look like a one size fits all model, or the answers sound like they are going in circles, that is a signal to ask better questions and demand a strategy built around your situation.

Have you heard the saying what got you here might not get you there. In this episode Tony and D kick off a two part series based on a white paper from Mark and break down the first two areas your advisor should have on their radar to help maximize your wealth.

First they talk about the big picture. Investing matters, but taxes, estate planning, and business strategies matter too and missing them can cost you opportunities you cannot rewind. Then they shift to how a real plan handles major economic and world changing events, from COVID to market shocks to the current AI wave, and why your advisor’s job is to pull emotion off the table and stay disciplined when headlines get loud.

If you want a smarter framework for year end planning, legacy thinking, and staying ready for whatever the market throws next, this episode is for you.

In part two of this two-part series, Tony and Derek break down the remaining five retirement surprises that catch most people completely off guard. From boredom-driven overspending and down markets early in retirement to required minimum distributions, caring for aging parents, and why your money still needs to grow, this episode focuses on the real-life challenges retirees actually face.

This conversation goes beyond market returns and dives into planning realities that can derail even the best-looking retirement accounts. Whether retirement is around the corner or still years away, this episode highlights why having a real plan matters more than chasing performance.