FireSide: A Podcast Series from FS Investments

Even sophisticated clients don’t always understand why financial planning can help them achieve their goals. Regina McCann Hess, Founder and President of Forge Wealth Management, hopes to change that. 

Regina joins Ginevra Czech, FS Investments Director of Client Value Add Programs, to discuss her passion for educating women about finance, insights from her book, Super Woman Wealth, and how she mobilizes her clients’ vision and values to help them secure their futures. 

“A friend of the family wanted to teach me about the stock market. And I said, look, I grew up poor. That’s for rich people. And he said, no, I'm going to give you a stock for a graduation gift, but you have to do the research; you have to tell me why I'm buying this. So, I did it, and he created a monster. I absolutely loved it.”–Regina McCann Hess

Are private credit markets saturated with too much capital? Chief Market Strategist Troy A. Gayeski, CFA, shares the key takeaways from his new strategy note, Are private credit markets too good to be true—Or just factually true?

 Troy joins Content Strategist Harrison Beck to analyze the opportunity set for private credit. He addresses frequent investor questions, examines key trends and dives into the latest data on this essential asset class. 

 “You have two discrete opportunities in private credit that you wouldn't have dreamed of back then, sourcing assets directly from bank balance sheets and being able to provide short term financing vehicles for great companies.” –Troy Gayeski

Banks are essential to the healthy functioning of the global economy, and their role in the financial system has been anything but static over time. Today, headwinds for banks and the growth of private markets point to further evolution.
 
Join Chief U.S. Economist Lara Rhame and Director of Research Andrew Korz as they dive into their recent Playbook for the great lending evolution to explore the interplay between banks and private credit today.

In a new episode of Head to Head, Ken Crowley (Private Wealth Advisor and Managing Director at Rockefeller Capital Management) joins Co-Heads of Distribution Kirsten Pickens and Ryan Robertson to discuss what surfing taught him about the importance of preparation, how growing up in Central America shaped his perspective and the value that creating a diverse, multi-generational team brings to his clients.

“I like to describe our team as really a true representation of America. You've got diversity at different levels, not just generationally, but culturally. And these experiences and perspectives really give us a deep understanding of our clients and their needs.” – Ken Crowley

How can you achieve sustainable high performance in your work? Stefan Underwood, Senior Vice President of Methodology at Exos, has supported the performance goals of pro athletes, elite military operators and leaders at Fortune 100 organizations.

Stefan sits down with Ginevra Czech, FS Investments Director of Client Value Add Programs, to discuss how to attract top talent by cultivating performance, the current revolution in women’s performance and how his team understands and achieves flow state. 
 
 “The analogy that I give is, does water running over stone make a change? No. But when it consistently does for a long time, it carves canyons. And so, to be a trickle of water, I used to tell athletes that, intensity is king, but consistency rules.”–Stefan Underwood 

The extraordinary growth in private credit markets has led some investors to question its risks. We go in depth on our recent report, Is private credit a bubble? to offer answers. 

Join Chief U.S. Economist Lara Rhame, Managing Director of Credit Wealth Solutions Robert Hoffman and Executive Director of Research Andrew Korz as they examine important questions on transparency, the quality of borrowers and the rapid flow of money into this key asset class.

How are investors “becoming the bank” through investments like mortgage REITs? Chief Market Strategist Troy Gayeski shares the key takeaways from his latest strategy note on why current conditions favor these debt-focused CRE investments and how to pick one.

 Troy joins Content Strategist Harrison Beck to examine the regulatory trends shaping CRE lending, how higher interest rates can amplify potential opportunities and what investors may want to seek out when evaluating these investments. 

 “If you can be the bank and potentially earn an attractive return well above cash without taking uncomfortable levels of risk, what a wonderful outcome.” –Troy Gayeski

With less than 100 days until Americans hit the polls, how are markets reacting to the rapidly evolving headlines and how should investors navigate the most likely scenarios?

Join our experts—Head of Public Policy Jason Cole, Chief U.S. Economist Lara Rhame and Chiron Funds Chief Investment Officer Ryan Caldwell—as they examine the possible policy implications from both administrations and the potential opportunities they may present for investors and allocators.

It’s a political earthquake, but what will Joe Biden's unexpected withdrawal and Kamala Harris’ emerging candidacy mean for investors?

Join Head of Public Policy Jason Cole and Executive Director of Investment Research Andrew Korz as they delve into how Republicans and Democrats may respond—plus the potential impact on the “Trump trade,” interest rates and market volatility. 

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and breaking news

01:08 Historical context and unprecedented events

02:50 Immediate political reactions

05:56 Polling and potential candidates

08:16 Vice Presidential selection process

12:12 Republican response and public perception

14:32 Logistics and legal considerations

17:34 Market implications and conclusion

A mortgage with a sub-3% rate feels like the proverbial golden handcuffs these days. Join Chief U.S. Economist Lara Rhame and Executive Director Andrew Korz as they examine what investors need to know about the latest trends driving the housing market. 

 They discuss the structural and cyclical issues affecting housing supply, the impact of potential Fed policy changes on financing and where sectors like multifamily may offer opportunities for investors and allocators.