Lagniappe

The stock and bond markets have seen some wild swings over the past few weeks. This has caused large drawdowns in the stock and bond markets and a great deal of pain for international economies. While the increasing declines in the market may have a negative impact in the short run, they are likely to have a positive impact in the long run.

In this episode, Greg and Doug talk about how people feel about the current state of the market, the increasing drawdowns in the stock and bond markets, and update on the economic situation around the world.

Key Takeaways

Quotes

[09:07] - "Besides the Great Depression, during which the stock market was down 90%, the bigger drawdowns that have historically happened in the U.S. stock market have been down 50%, 40%, etc. The bond market is not supposed to function like that from a volatility standpoint. But this year, the 20+ year treasury market is down negative 42%. That's unreal to think about." ~ Greg Stokes

[11:07] - "As far as the bond market is down as much as it is simultaneously with the stock market, that's unprecedented." ~ Greg Stokes

[17:33] - "When you have an economic downturn, at least historically, one way to combat it has been to cut taxes and spur economic growth." ~ Doug Stokes

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The information in this podcast is educational and general in nature and does not take into consideration the listener's personal circumstances. Therefore, it is not intended to be a substitute for specific, individualized financial, legal, or tax advice. To determine which strategies or investments may be suitable for you, consult the appropriate qualified professional prior to making a final decision.

The stock market has been on a roller coaster ride this year, and unfortunately, it has mostly been going down. This has made a lot of people very anxious about their investments and future. Bonds have also been performing poorly, adding to the anxiety. How should investors respond to current market conditions?

In this episode, Greg and Doug talk about how stocks and bonds have performed poorly this year, how people react to today's market conditions, and how Mike Epstein's story makes sense from an Armageddon-type scenario.

Key Takeaways

Quotes

[03:25] - "It's been a crummy year for stocks and bonds. The only thing that's worked this year has been cash and oil stocks, the things which people looked at negatively for the previous 10 years." ~ Greg Stokes

[10:41] - "The market is a very good teacher and the lessons can be expensive." ~ Doug Stokes

[19:33] - "My definition of wealth is time and freedom and the ability to choose what you want to do with your time and freedom. It's not necessarily the value of your portfolio, the amount of earnings, or the amount of material things you have." ~ Doug Stokes

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The information in this podcast is educational and general in nature and does not take into consideration the listener's personal circumstances. Therefore, it is not intended to be a substitute for specific, individualized financial, legal, or tax advice. To determine which strategies or investments may be suitable for you, consult the appropriate qualified professional prior to making a final decision.

A growing number of experts believe that a recession is looming on the horizon.

This week, Greg and Doug look at the importance of being prepared for the dips while remaining focused on the brighter days to come.

Key Takeaways

Quotes

[03:38] - "The markets are hoping that data provides the Fed an excuse to pivot or get more dovish and not continue down the path of raising rates. The jobs report that came out on Friday did the opposite." ~ Greg Stokes

[06:56] - "The Federal Reserve is trying to push the economy into a recession, which means having corporate profit margins cut substantially, and corporate earnings cut down, leading to higher unemployment." ~ Doug Stokes

[14:42] - "Bear markets are typically an elevator down, and bull markets are an escalator on the way back up. Meaning that typically bear markets happen pretty quickly, and then it slows as it's climbing a wall of worry from the standpoint of re-initiating another bull market." ~ Greg Stokes

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The information in this podcast is educational and general in nature and does not take into consideration the listener's personal circumstances. Therefore, it is not intended to be a substitute for specific, individualized financial, legal, or tax advice. To determine which strategies or investments may be suitable for you, consult the appropriate qualified professional prior to making a final decision.

The market has continued to be volatile over the last month. This situation has left many investors wondering what they can expect in the coming weeks and months. Despite speculation surrounding investment banks, the financial market, and the housing market, many experts believe there is potential growth in the long term.

In this episode, Greg Stokes and Doug Stokes talk about the market performance over the last month, the speculations surrounding investment banks, and their outlook on the financial and housing markets.

Key Takeaways

Quotes

[05:15] - "It's easy to be bearish at this point, and the people that are rewarded are the ones that are bullish when everybody else is bearish." ~ Doug Stokes

[09:43] - "It's difficult to make buying decisions when there's so much uncertainty in the world and when the range of outcomes is so wide. I think that comes down to prudent portfolio and cash flow management." ~ Doug Stokes 

[09:58] - "As a young person, the exciting thing about the market today is the buying opportunity. If you're dollar cost averaging into your 401K plan, great. Your dollar cost averaging into lower and lower prices help with the accumulation of more and more wealth over time. But if you're reaching retirement age, the exciting component to your portfolio is that you can earn some interest on the bond side." ~ Doug Stokes

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The information in this podcast is educational and general in nature and does not take into consideration the listener's personal circumstances. Therefore, it is not intended to be a substitute for specific, individualized financial, legal, or tax advice. To determine which strategies or investments may be suitable for you, consult the appropriate qualified professional prior to making a final decision.

Historically, leaders communicated with their employees in a transactional and hierarchical manner. However, these tactics no longer work in today's environment. The traditional, command-and-control leadership style is no longer as effective. What leadership techniques do effective leaders employ in the modern business and working environment?

In this episode, Doug and Greg talk with Michelle Johnston, a management professor, executive coach, and leadership expert who serves as the Gaston Chair of Business at Loyola University New Orleans. Author of “The Seismic Shift in Leadership,” Michelle emphasizes the need for leaders to shift from a command-and-control leadership style to one focused on connection.

Michelle talks with Doug and Greg about how leaders can get to the heart of their organizations, how human connection can drive better financial performance, innovation, and productivity, and what true connection is all about.

Key Takeaways

Quotes

[02:49] - "Leaders who were truly getting to the highest levels in their organizations were leaders who were focusing on showing up and connecting with their people." ~ Michelle Johnston

[04:21] - "You can't truly connect with others and get the best out of your team if you're trying to be somebody you're not or you're uncomfortable in your own skin. It starts with you." ~ Michelle Johnston

[18:02] - "Connection is shared reciprocity. Communication in the old way was transactional, hierarchical, or do this. In connection, there's got to be an energy of reciprocity. I see you, you see me. So even though I'm the leader, I see you." ~ Michelle Johnston

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The information in this podcast is educational and general in nature and does not take into consideration the listener's personal circumstances. Therefore, it is not intended to be a substitute for specific, individualized financial, legal, or tax advice. To determine which strategies or investments may be suitable for you, consult the appropriate qualified professional prior to making a final decision.

Inflation is commonly discussed in terms of its impact on commodity prices. However, its effects go much deeper than that. Businesses, the stock market, and even interest rates are affected by it. As inflation ripples through the economy, what is the federal government doing to deal with this problem?

In this episode, Doug and Greg talk about inflation trends and their associated risks. They speak about the impact of inflation on commodities, businesses, and the stock market, the federal government's response to inflation, and how treasury risk premiums affect various asset classes.

Key Takeaways

Quotes

[04:19] - "There are a lot of components to the inflationary picture that seems to be slowing down. The risk is that the policymakers are making decisions from an interest rate standpoint with the analogy of the late 1970s when inflation existed for 15 years and wanted to nip it in the bud." ~ Greg Stokes

[11:42] - "It's very difficult to be a business owner and a big participant in the global economy and manage a business with many variabilities." ~ Doug Stokes

[13:27] - "There's tremendous volatility in all aspects of business and the same thing in the markets. Even though we have inflation in the 8% range, unemployment is low. Unemployment is 3.5%, so that's an interesting dichotomy of what's happening right now." ~ Greg Stokes

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The information in this podcast is educational and general in nature and does not take into consideration the listener's personal circumstances. Therefore, it is not intended to be a substitute for specific, individualized financial, legal, or tax advice. To determine which strategies or investments may be suitable for you, consult the appropriate qualified professional prior to making a final decision.

For centuries, families have passed down their wealth from one generation to the next. However, with the modern-day challenges, the need for a more formalized approach to multi-generational wealth stewardship has never been greater.

In this episode, Doug and Greg talk with Jason Baker, a former NFL punter who is now the CEO and Partner at Paterson Center. This organization helps individuals and organizations be very intentional about their strategy and performance. After going through a life plan with one of the best strategic planning facilitators, Jason found clarity in the next act in his life. Today, he got licensed to hold all the Paterson licensing in his private practice.

Jason talks with Doug and Greg about how he transitioned from playing football to owning a consulting firm, what Paterson Center can offer clients, and his approach to creating a life plan for families with different dynamics.

Key Takeaways

Quotes

[14:31] - "It's our job to recognize where the family wants to go and what needs to happen to get there. Then we'll certainly embrace getting there and maintaining our accountability." ~ Jason Baker

[27:03] - "Our goal is always to do the best work we can that somehow we will be a blessing to the organizations and families we work with." ~ Jason Baker

[32:40] - "We love the opportunity to help people do what they want with what they've got and what they've been blessed with in the world. And I'm fortunate enough to have some pretty cool tools to do it." ~ Jason Baker

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The information in this podcast is educational and general in nature and does not take into consideration the listener's personal circumstances. Therefore, it is not intended to be a substitute for specific, individualized financial, legal, or tax advice. To determine which strategies or investments may be suitable for you, consult the appropriate qualified professional prior to making a final decision.

Real estate has long been considered an attractive asset class by investors for several reasons. This investment offers many benefits, including high returns, stability, and inflation protection. With real estate investing being an excellent way to diversify portfolios and build wealth over time, what are some of the investment strategies that can take advantage of these opportunities?

In this episode, Greg and Doug talk with Drew Pearson, the Managing Partner at Pearson Partners. Drew began his commercial real estate career at Latter & Blum in Baton Rouge in 2008. He moved to a boutique firm, Waters & Pettit, in 2011 and became a top-selling agent there within a few years. In 2015, Drew began to work at Promanas, where he served as head of acquisitions helping the firm to grow to over $250M of real estate asset value.

Drew talks with Greg and Doug about his journey to becoming a real estate investor. A self-storage investor and developer himself, Drew speaks about why self-storage is an attractive asset class, how he builds teams to manage local and regional markets, and what his thoughts are on the next big thing on the real estate investing scene.

Key Takeaways

Quotes

[06:25] - "The demand drivers for storage are death, divorce, and dislocation or moving. Those things happen in good times and in bad. Unlike an office tenant in a recession who needs to downsize his footprint, there is a need, regardless of economic times, for this storage type." ~ Drew Pearson

[16:11] - "People are the gas to the race car, and investment properties are the race cars. They need people to operate them." ~ Drew Pearson

[28:22] - "It's almost better to have a short-term lease in today's market. If the tenant's paying six bucks a foot and the market is now nine bucks a foot, it's beneficial to have a short-term lease as a landlord. We can restructure the lease or bring things back closer to market and get a better return." ~ Drew Pearson

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Disclosure

The information in this podcast is educational and general in nature and does not take into consideration the listener’s personal circumstances. Therefore, it is not intended to be a substitute for specific, individualized financial, legal, or tax advice. To determine which strategies or investments may be suitable for you, consult the appropriate qualified professional prior to making a final decision.

The focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing has grown in recent years as more investors are looking to put their money into companies that align with their values. While this investment can positively impact the world, some unforeseen consequences come with it, especially in a tight supply chain.  

In this episode, Greg and Doug talk about the recent updates on markets and economies. Focusing on the impact of the increased price of energy, they speak about the result of Europe's shift towards renewables, the unforeseen consequences of ESG investing, and the risks associated with ESG investing in a tight supply chain.

Key Takeaways

Quotes

[16:56] - "There are these unforeseen consequences for many of these ideas that sound good in theory, like shifting to renewables. But there are potential causes and effects, like national defense concerns and what Europe is going through right now." - Greg Stokes

[18:24] - "The whole collective idea behind renewables is fabulous, but the idea of getting ahead of yourself from a policy perspective is not prudent." - Greg Stokes

[22:15] - "In good times, ESG seems great because you're not sacrificing anything. But in a supply chain crunch when energy is scarce and commodity investment has been low for a long period, those that didn't fall for the policy of the day are the ones that come out on top." - Doug Stokes

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Disclosure

The information in this podcast is educational and general in nature and does not take into consideration the listener’s personal circumstances. Therefore, it is not intended to be a substitute for specific, individualized financial, legal, or tax advice. To determine which strategies or investments may be suitable for you, consult the appropriate qualified professional prior to making a final decision.

The stock market is often seen as a leading indicator of economic activity, with movements in share prices reflecting changes in underlying conditions. For this reason, analysts closely watch stock markets for clues about future inflation trends. While inflation has been one of the most feared economic events, periods of high inflation have often been followed by bear market rallies. What does this phenomenon mean, and how does it impact investors?

In this episode, Greg and Doug talk about inflation trends, the bright side of all of the issues facing the U.S. and the international community, and the importance of time and quality assets in investing.

Key Takeaways

Quotes

[03:55] - "Inflation has peaked and is coming down. Anything can happen in markets, but from a fair valuation perspective, we're at the average level currently." - Doug Stokes

[10:00] - "If we look at every single bear market rally since 1929 and look at the best performance during that bear market before it declined even further, 2022 would be the absolute best." - Doug Stokes

[21:04] - "Having these emotional swings based on the political news of the day and general market sentiment is one of the worst things you can do for your portfolio decision-making." - Doug Stokes

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Disclosure

The information in this podcast is educational and general in nature and does not take into consideration the listener's personal circumstances. Therefore, it is not intended to be a substitute for specific, individualized financial, legal, or tax advice. To determine which strategies or investments may be suitable for you, consult the appropriate qualified professional prior to making a final decision.