Investing Unscripted

We open the February 2026 mailbag to answer your questions on how to handle the psychological toll of the "SaaS apocalypse" and when it actually makes sense to buy the dip. We also discuss how to assess relative risk in a portfolio, dive deep into the differences between SentinelOne and CrowdStrike (including thoughts on stock-based compensation), and reveal the "falling knife" software stocks we are most tempted to buy right now, including ServiceNow and Salesforce.

00:51 First Friday Update

02:03 Mailbag Fear in Downturns

03:56 DCA and SaaS Selloff

06:15 Deploying Cash Rules

08:43 Add to Winners Not Losers

15:49 Risk in Portfolios

20:31 Position Sizing Examples

23:28 SentinelOne Profitability Debate

28:35 SentinelOne vs CrowdStrike

30:44 Cybersecurity Basket Strategy

31:42 M&A and Buyout Odds

33:12 CareTrust REIT Update

35:00 Discord Falling Knife Picks

35:35 ServiceNow Case

37:44 PayPal Options and CEO Risk

38:33 Salesforce AI and Valuation

42:50 How We Add Positions

47:28 Enphase and Gut Conviction

50:19 Secular Trends and EV Lesson

52:05 QuantumScape Battery Bet

52:37 Wrap Up and Where to Ask

Companies mentioned: ASML, CRM, CRWD, CTRE, ENPH, NOW, PYPL, QS, S, TSLA, TSM

Find where to listen & subscribe,  portfolio contests, and contact information at https://investingunscripted.com

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Listen to the Chit Chat Stocks Podcast for discussions on stocks, financial markets, super investors, and more. Follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube

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We discuss the recent market dislocation where SaaS stocks are crashing while the broader market hits all-time highs. We break down the three main fears driving the sell-off and debate which companies—like Adobe and Salesforce—are actually at risk. Finally, we share how we are handling the volatility, with Jeff buying more Shopify and Jason using a "barbell strategy" to stay sane.

02:27 Housekeeping

03:53 Episode Setup

06:37 Three AI Threats to SaaS: 

09:23 Is AI Really Different? 

12:59 Stock Spotlight: Adobe

18:35 The Real Issue: Moats, Stickiness, Switching Costs, and Resetting SaaS Multiples

23:18 LLMs Aren’t Free

23:49 Why SaaS Stocks Are Selling Off

25:11 Shopify vs. Toast

27:06 Disruption Timelines & Valuation Reratings

29:19 Earnings Season as the Reality Check

31:53 Tactical Moves: Selling Puts for Margin of Safety

33:02 Barbell Portfolio Strategy: Growth on One Side, Dividends on the Other

Companies mentioned: ABNB, ADBE, ASAN, CRM, CRWD, ENPH, EPR, MNDY, MSFT, NOW, O, PYPL, SHOP, SQ, TEAM, TOST, TTD

Find where to listen & subscribe,  portfolio contests, and contact information at https://investingunscripted.com

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To get 15% off any paid plan at fiscal.ai, visit https://fiscal.ai/unscripted

Listen to the Chit Chat Stocks Podcast for discussions on stocks, financial markets, super investors, and more. Follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube

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We are joined by The Motley Fool's Emily Flippen to discuss her "Survivor" origins and why she believes empathy is the most underrated skill for investors. We also debate the difference between a "fad" and a "trend" in consumer goods (using Crocs vs. On Holding as the prime example), and Emily gives her honest take on "AI burnout."

00:32 Introducing Special Guest Emily Flippant

01:55 Emily's Journey to The Motley Fool

02:48 The Contrarian Path: Studying Business in China

03:13 The Ethical Dilemma and Finding The Motley Fool

06:11 The Art of Investing: Embracing Mistakes

08:07 The Weight of Public Stock Recommendations

12:29 Evolution as an Investor: From Value to Growth

19:35 Consumer Goods: The Fun Side of Investing

23:31 The 'Too Hard' Pile: Avoiding Complex Sectors

29:16 AI: The Double-Edged Sword

30:20 Is It a Bubble?

30:45 The Reality of AI Investments

31:08 Personal Investment Strategies

31:36 The Hype and Risks of AI

34:15 The Importance of Financial Goals

38:30 AI's Impact on Consumer Goods

43:18 The Future of AI and Society

48:07 Exciting Market Trends

Companies mentioned: CROX, ONON, PYPL

Find where to listen & subscribe,  portfolio contests, and contact information at https://investingunscripted.com

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To get 15% off any paid plan at fiscal.ai, visit https://fiscal.ai/unscripted

Listen to the Chit Chat Stocks Podcast for discussions on stocks, financial markets, super investors, and more. Follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube

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We break down the six stocks we are most excited to watch this earnings season (and why "excited" doesn't necessarily mean we're buying). Jeff discusses Lemonade's path to 2026 profitability and why Rocket Lab is entering a critical "prove it" phase with its Neutron rocket, while Jason makes the case for Canadian Solar trading at half its book value and explains why SentinelOne offers a better risk/reward profile than CrowdStrike.

00:32 Discussing Stocks and Earnings Season

01:48 Analyzing Financial Statements and Risks

02:56 The Importance of Full-Year Results

04:16 Exciting Stocks and Future Prospects

05:57 Deep Dive into Canadian Solar

12:17 Exploring the Renewable Energy Market

17:55 Lemonade: A Stock with Potential

27:21 Lemonade Stock's Volatility and Future Outlook

28:11 Deep Dive into QuantumScape

32:15 Rocket Lab's Progress and Challenges

36:50 SentinelOne's Potential in Cybersecurity

40:42 PayPal's Strategic Focus and Future Prospects

46:58 Lightning Round: Stock Picks and Predictions

Companies mentioned: CRWD, CSIQ, LMND, PYPL, QS, RKLB, S

Find where to listen & subscribe,  portfolio contests, and contact information at https://investingunscripted.com

*****************************************

To get 15% off any paid plan at fiscal.ai, visit https://fiscal.ai/unscripted

Listen to the Chit Chat Stocks Podcast for discussions on stocks, financial markets, super investors, and more. Follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube

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Subscribe to our portfolio on Savvy Trader

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We open the mailbag to answer your questions on whether Life Insurance Retirement Plans (LIRPs) are a scam, if spending millions on a Super Bowl commercial is ever a good idea (looking at you, CrowdStrike), and if equal-weight S&P 500 ETFs are the best way to hedge against a tech crash. Plus, we debate the future of the energy sector, discuss the power of "stock cannibals" like Adobe and PayPal, and reveal the two stocks we think could generate life-changing returns over the next 15 years.

01:44 Housekeeping and Listener Support

02:53 Diving into Listener Questions

03:04 Explaining Life Insurance Retirement Plans

09:03 Super Bowl Commercials: Worth the Investment?

16:47 Exploring ETF Diversification

23:10 Introduction and Wayne's Email

23:17 Colin's Energy Market Inquiry

24:04 Oil and Gas Market Dynamics

27:38 Investment Strategies in Energy Sector

29:48 Wayne's Question on ADRs

32:17 John's Query on Stock Buybacks

37:41 Ramey's AI and Investment Question

43:27 Future Investment Picks

47:23 Spam Comment of the Month

Companies mentioned: ADBE, AZO, CRWD, GDDY, KNSL, KR, ORLY, PSX, PYPL, RKLB, TBBB, TTE, TXN

Find where to listen & subscribe,  portfolio contests, and contact information at https://investingunscripted.com

*****************************************

To get 15% off any paid plan at fiscal.ai, visit https://fiscal.ai/unscripted

Listen to the Chit Chat Stocks Podcast for discussions on stocks, financial markets, super investors, and more. Follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube

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Subscribe to our portfolio on Savvy Trader

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In this special "toolbox" episode, Jason and Jeff strip away the jargon to teach you how to actually read the three most important documents in investing: the Income Statement, the Balance Sheet, and the Statement of Cash Flows. Using Nvidia’s recent Q3 earnings report as a real-world case study, the hosts walk through these important financial statements line by line.

01:33 The Importance of Financial Statements

04:59 Understanding the Income Statement

11:07 Revenue and Cost of Goods Sold

16:02 Operating Expenses and Income

18:39 Interest, Taxes, and Net Income

23:06 Depreciation, Amortization, and Goodwill

28:33 Introduction to the Balance Sheet

31:42 Understanding Current Assets and Liabilities

33:18 Accounts Receivable and Revenue Recognition

34:49 Inventory Management Insights

39:59 Exploring Goodwill and Intangible Assets

44:21 Diving into Liabilities and Working Capital

47:04 Cash Flow Statement Breakdown

58:32 Using Tools to Analyze Financial Statements

Companies mentioned: AAPL, BRK.B, INTC, MKL, NVDA, TGT, TJX, TREX

Find where to listen & subscribe,  portfolio contests, and contact information at https://investingunscripted.com

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To get 15% off any paid plan at fiscal.ai, visit https://fiscal.ai/unscripted

Listen to the Chit Chat Stocks Podcast for discussions on stocks, financial markets, super investors, and more. Follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube

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Brian Feroldi, founder of Long-Term Mindset, joins us to explain how he uses AI tools like Gemini and NotebookLM to supercharge his stock research. We discuss the difference between a "price bubble" and an "earnings bubble" (and which one Nvidia might be in), share specific prompting strategies to stop AI from hallucinating, and run a live demo analyzing Green Brick Partners from scratch.

00:55 Introducing the Guest: Brian Feroldi

01:43 AI in Investing: A Game Changer

03:40 Understanding AI Bubbles

07:08 Using AI for Stock Research

10:57 Optimizing AI Prompts for Investing

16:59 The Role of AI in Investment Decisions

19:42 AI Tools and Techniques

26:25 Understanding AI's Learning Process

26:49 Effective Prompting Techniques

26:54 Role Assignment and Citations

27:45 Step-by-Step Instructions for AI

28:08 Resources for AI Prompting

28:26 Using Notebook LM for Data Sources

29:55 Practical AI Prompt Demonstration

30:53 Analyzing Green Brick Partners

32:45 Evaluating AI's Financial Analysis

39:35 Customizing AI Prompts for Investment

45:12 Challenges and Future of AI in Finance

Companies mentioned: AAPL, CRWD, GILD, GOOGL, GRBK, LEN, LGIH, META, NVDA

Check out Brian’s work at https://www.longtermmindset.co/

Brian Feroldi is the creator of Stock Simplifier (https://stocksimplifier.com/), a tool that walks you through analyzing any stock step by step.

Find where to listen & subscribe,  portfolio contests, and contact information at https://investingunscripted.com

*****************************************

To get 15% off any paid plan at fiscal.ai, visit https://fiscal.ai/unscripted

Listen to the Chit Chat Stocks Podcast for discussions on stocks, financial markets, super investors, and more. Follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube

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Subscribe to our portfolio on Savvy Trader

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We kick off 2026 by auditing our own 2025 portfolio performance, where Jeff confesses to trailing the market by 3% and Jason explains why his 401(k) only returned 9% (and why he is perfectly okay with that). We also discuss why Jason's "boring" dividend portfolio outperformed the AI-driven market, and explore the dangers of "investing echo chambers".

01:32 Reflecting on 2025: Portfolio Performance

04:30 Jeff's Personal Investment Breakdown

14:22 Jason's Investment Strategy and Performance

23:25 Transitioning Investments to Bonds and Cash

24:21 Building a High-Yield Dividend Portfolio

26:13 Reflecting on Investment Performance

28:41 The Importance of Long-Term Investment Perspective

31:13 Analyzing Stock Picking Strategies

34:44 Echo Chambers in Stock Picking

Companies mentioned: BEP, BIP, BRK.B, CTRE, GOOGL, KNSL, MELI, NOW, NTB, PSX, PYPL, RKLB, S, SPG, TFSL, TSM, TTD

Find where to listen & subscribe,  portfolio contests, and contact information at https://investingunscripted.com

*****************************************

To get 15% off any paid plan at fiscal.ai, visit https://fiscal.ai/unscripted

Listen to the Chit Chat Stocks Podcast for discussions on stocks, financial markets, super investors, and more. Follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube

*****************************************

Join our Patreon
Subscribe to our portfolio on Savvy Trader

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our first live stream of 2026, we do a deep dive into QuantumScape's latest partnerships and what the "solid-state" future looks like for EVs. We also break down the winners (and massive losers) of our 2025 portfolio contest, reveal why a 4th grader is betting on Kontoor Brands, and share our own high-conviction picks for the year ahead, including Alphabet, Rocket Lab, and The Trade Desk.

00:50 Nostalgia: 90s vs 80s Debate

02:39 Engagement with Listeners

04:13 Deep Dive into QuantumScape

18:00 Small Caps and Market Trends

25:58 Annual Stock Picking Contest

29:32 Charity Contributions and Podcast Updates

30:13 Full Year Winner Announcement

31:05 Saad's Winning Portfolio Breakdown

31:57 Contest Performance and Long-Term Investing

36:25 2026 Contest Launch and Rules

38:36 Listener Engagement and Community Building

48:02 Final Thoughts and Portfolio Strategies

Companies mentioned: DAVA, F, GOOGL, KNSL, KTB, MELI, NOW, PLTR, PYPL, QS, RKLB, TBBB, TSLA, TTD

Find where to listen & subscribe,  portfolio contests, and contact information at https://investingunscripted.com

*****************************************

To get 15% off any paid plan at fiscal.ai, visit https://fiscal.ai/unscripted

Listen to the Chit Chat Stocks Podcast for discussions on stocks, financial markets, super investors, and more. Follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube

*****************************************

Join our Patreon
Subscribe to our portfolio on Savvy Trader

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the final episode of 2025, Jason and Jeff empty the mailbag to answer listener questions about managing sudden wealth, tax strategies, and portfolio management. They debate the pros and cons of rebalancing versus letting your winners run (featuring a look at Jason’s highly concentrated Roth IRA) and discuss how to handle a financial windfall like an inheritance. The hosts also break down the risks of complex conglomerates like Brookfield, analyze whether MTY Food Group is a value play or a value trap, and give their unfiltered take on whether recent political news finally makes Cannabis stocks investable.

00:23 Listener Mailbag and Community Engagement

03:09 First Listener Question: Balancing Financial Results and Industry Knowledge

06:50 Using AI Tools for Investment Research

08:27 Real-World Examples and Industry Research

11:04 Brookfield Corporation: Legal Issues and Investment Risks

14:50 MTY Foods: Cash Flow and Investment Potential

22:28 Rebalancing Portfolios: Strategies and Considerations

26:10 Risk Management in Asset Allocation

26:54 Personal Investment Stories and Lessons

28:21 Strategies for 401k, Roth, and Brokerage Accounts

37:29 Handling Inheritance and Tax Implications

45:26 Investing in Cannabis Stocks

50:54 Conclusion and Viewer Engagement

Companies mentioned: AEO, AMZN, BN, CAVA, CMG, CRWD, CTRE, DRI, EAT, EPR, GOOGL, LOB, MCD, MELI, MO, MTY, NFLX, NUE, STLD, TAP, TSM, YUM

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Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @InvestingPod

Check out our YouTube channel for more content: 

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To get 15% off any paid plan at fiscal.ai, visit https://fiscal.ai/unscripted

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Listen to the Chit Chat Stocks Podcast for discussions on stocks, financial markets, super investors, and more. Follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube

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The Smattering Six

2025 Portfolio Contest

2024 Portfolio Contest

2023 Portfolio Contest

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