Talking Wealth

On this episode of Talking Wealth, we’re diving into one of the most misunderstood—and increasingly controversial—corners of investing: alternatives.

Over the past few years, interval funds and other semi-liquid vehicles have exploded in popularity, promising access to private markets with smoother returns and less volatility. But as recent events around BlueRock have made painfully clear, the structure matters just as much as the strategy.

My guest today is Leyla Kunimoto, co-founder of Accredited Investor Insights, and one of the leading experts on private investment funds and fiduciary responsibility.

In this conversation, we’re going to break down what actually went wrong, how interval funds really work when markets turn, and—most importantly—what investors and advisors must understand before allocating capital to alternative investments.

This episode is sponsored by VanEck.  Learn more about the VanEck Semiconductor ETF: http://vaneck.com/SMHCompound

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On this episode of Talking Wealth, Josh Brown is joined by Eden Ovadia and Victoria Toli, two of the three founders of FINNY AI. FINNY AI is one of the hottest startups in the wealth management industry fresh off a major new funding round with some of the smartest venture capitalists in the space. Josh is an investor and an advisor to the company.

This episode is brought to you by VanEck. Learn more about the VanEck Semiconductor ETF: ⁠http://vaneck.com/SMHCompound

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On this episode of Talking Wealth, we’re doing something special as part of the Compound Insights Research Program, our initiative to bring original data, white papers, and strategic intelligence to the wealth management profession. Our latest publication — The RIA Real Deal: What We’ve Learned from a Golden Era of Deal-Making — is one of the first true retrospective analyses of RIA M&A outcomes over the past decade.

To break down the findings, we’re joined by Mark Bruno, Managing Director and Head of Strategic Advisory at Emigrant Partners. Mark has spent over 20 years working across the RIA and asset management ecosystem — leading research, benchmarking, consulting, and strategic advisory programs at firms including Informa, Echelon Partners, and InvestmentNews. Mark authored this paper, with data provided by RIA Catalyst’s data engine, to shine a spotlight on growth trends in the industry.

This episode is sponsored by SS&C’s Black Diamond® Wealth Platform. To learn how Black Diamond is helping wealth advisors of all shapes and sizes, visit: https://www.sscblackdiamond.com

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On this episode of Talking Wealth, Michael Batnick is joined by Lisa Salvi, Managing Director of Business Consulting and Education at Charles Schwab Advisor Services. We’re diving deep into Schwab’s RIA Benchmarking Study, which is the leading study in the industry, with 1,288 firms representing over $2.4 trillion in AUM. The study reveals actionable insights into what’s fueling growth across the industry.

Michael and Lisa will examine how the most successful firms are delivering organic growth, why personalized client experience and service expansion are top priorities, and how talent, technology and operational efficiency are becoming non-negotiable must-haves for RIAs who want to scale intelligently.

This episode is brought to you by VanEck. Learn more about the VanEck Rare Earth and Strategic Metals ETF: http://vaneck.com/REMXCompound

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On this episode of Talking Wealth, we’re diving into one of the biggest shifts in the advisory world: the surge in income-oriented products. From covered-call ETFs and bond ladders to private-credit funds and interval structures, advisors are increasingly building portfolios around steady cash flow rather than pure total return. Jeffrey Ptak, managing director at Morningstar, joins Michael Batnick to break down why this trend has accelerated, what problems these products are trying to solve, and where they actually fit in a client’s plan. If you want a clearer lens on how income products are being used today — and what advisors should be thinking about before adopting them — this episode has you covered.

This episode is sponsored by RBC Clearing & Custody. To find out more visit https://www.rbcclearingandcustody.com/

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On this episode of Talking Wealth, Michael Batnick and Ian Wenik go deep on the RIA industry’s two biggest stress fractures: the organic growth slowdown and the unraveling of some of private equity’s largest wealth rollups. From referral fatigue to valuation pressure to PE firms discovering the limits of financial engineering, this is a candid look at why multi-billion-dollar platforms suddenly can’t find an exit — and what comes next for the firms caught in the middle.

This episode is sponsored by RBC Clearing & Custody. To find out more visit https://www.rbcclearingandcustody.com/

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On this episode of Talking Wealth, Ben Carlson is joined by Cullen Roche, founder and CIO of Discipline Funds. They'll explore how Cullen turned his blog, Pragmatic Capitalism, into a funnel for wealth management clients, why he turned his client portfolios into ETFs, the process that goes into starting an ETF, the challenges facing advisors when it comes to reaching client goals and more.

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Josh Brown and Kevin Thompson are back for an all new edition of Talking Wealth. They'll discuss the Kyle Busch IUL scam, ChatGPT bans “tailored financial advice”, CFP & being young, what does everyone do to inoculate retiring clients from the full court press, and more.

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On this episode of Talking Wealth, Michael Batnick sits down with John Connell, Co-Founder and CEO of Focal, the AI-powered productivity platform transforming how advisory firms document, automate and scale client service. With roots at Microsoft and multiple startups, John brings deep enterprise SaaS experience to the advisor space. We’ll explore how Focal is moving beyond note-taking to orchestration of advisor workflows, the security and compliance imperatives in wealthtech, and what’s next as agentic AI begins to drive the next wave of practice transformation.

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On this episode of Talking Wealth, Ben Carlson sits down with Nick Downer, Head of Advisory Services at Opto Investments. Opto Investments is a tech-driven platform that helps financial advisors and family offices better manage private investments. We’re going to discuss how Opto does this, their new AI tool for private market due diligence, and more. If you're a financial advisor and interested in going deeper, subscribe to the Talking Wealth email blast for wealth management professionals here:

Participants include employees of Ritholtz Wealth Management. All opinions expressed by them are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of Ritholtz Wealth Management. This program is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or on any specific security or product. Any opinions expressed herein do not constitute or imply endorsement, sponsorship, or recommendation by Ritholtz Wealth Management or its employees. Ritholtz Wealth Management and its affiliates may invest in the technology company discussed.

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