On this podcast we give you the layman’s guide to Smart Beta. You could say some practical tips, in case you are tempted to invest in a Smart Beta fund.

Background:

On a recent podcast we talked about the beauty of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). We explained how a simple investment product has become centre stage for the entire investment industry. We highlighted how powerful a tool ETFs are for any investor.

But ETFs are over 40 years old, so we can hardly call them a recent innovation! 

So today we turn to a much newer investment product, that takes some of the best elements of both ETFs and active asset management, combining them into a low cost and potentially superior service. 

What is it? It’s called Smart Beta.

To many investors Warren Buffett is Berkshire Hathaway. But that’s a mirage. His co-founder, Charlie Munger is as influential a force at the company. His thoughts are sheer brillianty, though they often lack the “sweetness” of his partner, Warren. So, given our listeners loved “Our favorite five … from Warren Buffett” podcast, here are our top three from Charlie.

Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are one of the best innovations in financial services in the last 30 years. And if you’ve not explored them, you should. In this podcast we discuss: (1) What are ETFs? (2) What’s so great about them? (3) Should we have any concerns? (4) What’s the future look like for ETFs? (5) How can Stockflare, a service for active investors, actually like ETFs?

Hunting for a good investment? 

Perhaps you’ve spotted a good target, but noticed that its price has been going nowhere? You do the research, buy the stock, and six months later, the stock still hasn’t performed. 

No! You just might be caught in a “value trap”.

On this podcast we look at three scenarios where cheap valuations can stay cheap, for an extended period of time: (1) very large companies (2) very small companies, and (3) where your analysis is plain-wrong.

It’s hard to argue with the wisdom of Warren. But given how quotable he his, it can be difficult to condense his ideas into action. In this podcast, we take 5 of our favorite quotes and discuss: (a) Why we like them?

(b) What are the caveats? (c) And how to incorporate them into your investing life.

It’s all well and good talking about investing as a concept, but we are human after all. So at Stockflare we want to ask our friends and supporters to give us an insight into their personal style. You could say their investment philosophy.

In this podcast, our co-host Gautam Lamba answers 5 questions: (1) What is the worst investment decision that you see people doing again and again? (2) How do you decide what you think is a good investment? (3) Who is your favorite writer, investor, or blogger that any novice should follow? (4) How do you control stress and emotions when it comes to investing? (5)What is the most difficult lesson you have had to learn?

Hope you enjoy Gautam’s insights. I surely did!

There are lots of businesses on the stock market that don’t turn a profit. The company may be very young and investing heavily, it could have hit a rough patch in its business, or maybe it’s industry is cyclical with the economic winds blowing against them.

So how do we at Stockflare look at these businesses? What analysis do we run, when considering a stock that doesn’t have any earnings?

In this podcast we talk about 3 different types of loss-making businesses, and the different ways to analyze them.

At Stockflare, we believe everyone can do a good job of picking stocks. All you need is the right set of tools.

Every time a company reports results, the headlines always talk about earnings, earnings per share. But how useful a tool are they? How should you look at them? What are the dangers? Alternatives?

In this Stockflare Podcast, Shane & Gautam talk about how they look at earnings and how it helps them do their research.