The Important Part: Investing with Liz Thomas

So you’ve graduated college and landed your first job. But along the way, no one told you about what a 401k is, or how to make a large home goods purchase, or even how to start making your money work for you. To make sure you don’t fumble, SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy and Host Liz Thomas welcomes back Brandon Copeland, retired NFL player, founder, and now author of the new book, ‘Your Money Playbook: How to Earn More, Build Wealth and Win At Life.’ Brandon discusses his goals in writing a book on personal finance, and his passion for financial education that is accessible to all. The two also talk about the saving and spending habits Brandon developed while in the NFL, the unique syllabus for his University of Pennsylvania Life 101 course, and the importance of having financial accountability buddies in your life.

For more, read Liz’s column every Thursday at On The Money by SoFi, sign up for the SoFi Daily Newsletter, and follow Liz on Twitter @LizThomasStrat.

Notable mentions in the episode:

(00:00) Introduction to The Important Part

(01:37) Why Brandon wrote his book

(07:47) The value of having a financial advisor

(11:33) Investing as the most important thing to get right

(13:49) The appetite for risk for young investors

(16:48) What Brandon learned about personal finance in the NFL

(21:20) Personal finance lessons best learned early

(28:16) How Brandon managed his money in the NFL

(31:50) Key resources for learning about personal finances

(37:14) Life 101: The syllabus

(42:11) Brandon’s transition from football player to CEO/Founder

(44:54) When Brandon decided to educate others on personal finance

(48:21) Key takeaways and conclusion

Recommended reading:

Additional resources:

This podcast should be used for informational purposes only and not deemed as a recommendation. Our Automated investing is via SoFi Wealth LLC, and is a registered investment advisor. Our Active investing is via SoFi securities LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest® platforms, please visit www. SoFi.com/Legal.

©2024 Social Finance, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

How can individual investors learn to navigate all the resources and information available? Is real estate still a worthwhile investment in a volatile market? What role can social media play in informing your investment choices? This episode, we’ll hear from Ben Carlson, Director of Institutional Asset Management at Ritholtz Wealth Management. Author of four books and the blog A Wealth of Common Sense, Ben Carlson has a gift for whittling down market complexities into simple solutions. He and Liz discuss the importance of not getting swept up in market fads, establishing a set of rules for your portfolio, and what it looks like to weather market extremes. 

For more, read Liz’s column every Thursday at On The Money by SoFi, sign up for the SoFi Daily Newsletter, and follow Liz on Twitter @LizThomasStrat.

Notable mentions in the episode:

(02:58) The market’s problems are complex, but the answers can be simple

(07:32) Investor psychology - how can individual investors manage their emotions?

(15:50) Reliable resources for individual investors

(20:50) One of the most common mistakes individual investors make

(23:19) The status of real estate investing

(31:09) How to weather a bear market storm

(34:41) Liz’ takeaways from the interview 

Recommended reading:

Additional resources:

This podcast should be used for informational purposes only and not deemed as a recommendation. Our Automated investing is via SoFi Wealth LLC, and is a registered investment advisor. Our Active investing is via SoFi securities LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest® platforms, please visit www. SoFi.com/Legal.

©2024 Social Finance, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Should you buy or rent? When will home prices go down? Where is housing most affordable? To get insight on these questions, SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy and Host Liz Thomas welcomes back Dr. Skylar Olsen, the Chief Economist at Zillow. Dr. Olsen discusses how supply shortages, high mortgage rates, and changing demographics are affecting not just home prices, but rental markets, and how the housing market is evolving in the post-pandemic years. The two talk regional variations, the impact of short-term rentals, and where things go from here.

For more, read Liz’s column every Thursday at On The Money by SoFi, sign up for the SoFi Daily Newsletter, and follow Liz on Twitter @LizThomasStrat.

Notable mentions in the episode:

(00:00) Introduction to The Important Part

(00:31) Diving into the Housing Market

(01:34) Interview with Dr. Skylar Olsen

(02:22) Current Housing Market Trends

(05:45) Impact of Mortgage Rates

(19:22) Regional Housing Market Insights

(24:26) The Role of Short-Term Rentals

(28:10) Zillow's Market Heat Index and Zestimate

(33:00) Lightning Round 

(35:42) Key Takeaways and Conclusion

Recommended reading:

Additional resources:

This podcast should be used for informational purposes only and not deemed as a recommendation. Our Automated investing is via SoFi Wealth LLC, and is a registered investment advisor. Our Active investing is via SoFi securities LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest® platforms, please visit www. SoFi.com/Legal.

©2024 Social Finance, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

With the first half of 2024 behind us, host and SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy Liz Thomas lays out what she expects to see in the second half. This episode, Liz addresses listener questions, covering themes like: what isn’t getting the attention it should, how historical trends are getting disrupted this cycle, and the market sectors that could be poised to do well.

For more, read Liz’s column every Thursday at On The Money by SoFi, sign up for the SoFi Daily Newsletter, and follow Liz on Twitter @LizThomasStrat.

Notable mentions in the episode:

(00:00) Intro

(05:05) Biggest surprise so far, this year?

(08:04) Is the market bucking the trends of history?

(11:29) What would make Liz more bullish?

(13:03) Investment ideas for the second half of 2024

(16:28) Liz’s biggest contrarian pick

(18:47) Does the 60/40 still work? 

(22:18) How much should you allocate in one spot?

(25:55) How to handle short time horizon in a recession

(28:05) How does the election factor in?

(30:36) Liz’s Takeaways

Recommended reading:

• Liz’s Mid-Year Outlook: Aging Gracefully

Additional resources:

This podcast should be used for informational purposes only and not deemed as a recommendation. Our Automated investing is via SoFi Wealth LLC, and is a registered investment advisor. Our Active investing is via SoFi securities LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest® platforms, please visit www. SoFi.com/Legal.

©2024 Social Finance, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Early retirement. Financial freedom. For many, these are goals that can feel aspirational and unattainable. But are they really out of reach? SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy Liz Thomas sat down with entrepreneur and Personal Finance Club founder Jeremy Schneider to talk about what it takes to build wealth at any level. According to Jeremy, accumulating wealth is more straightforward than you may think. In this episode, he shares actionable steps that anyone can take to help accelerate their journey towards financial freedom.

For more, read Liz’s column every Thursday at On The Money by SoFi, sign up for the SoFi Daily Newsletter, and follow Liz on Twitter @LizThomasStrat.

Notable mentions in the episode:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:18) Getting a new company off the ground straight out of college

(05:10) A great business needs more than a great idea

(12:57) Transitioning to investing with a large lump sum

(16:37) How to get a jumpstart on financial freedom

(20:45) The story behind the Personal Finance Club

(23:28) Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good

(28:08) Is retirement the wrong thing to focus on in the near-term?

(32:14) First steps towards living below your means

(35:43) The Word

(36:29) The Investor’s Bookshelf

(37:34) The “Aha” Moment

(38:40) The Important Part

Additional resources:

Recommended reading:

This podcast should be used for informational purposes only and not deemed as a recommendation. Our Automated investing is via SoFi Wealth LLC, and is a registered investment advisor. Our Active investing is via SoFi securities LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest® platforms, please visit www. SoFi.com/Legal.

©2024 Social Finance, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

By 2030, it’s expected two-thirds of the wealth in the United States will be controlled by women. So why is investing currently such a male-dominated industry? What do women new to investing need in order to feel confident entering the market? SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy Liz Thomas sits down with Cary Carbonaro, bestselling author and Senior Vice President and Director of Women and Wealth with ACM Wealth, to uncover the most important things women need to know about investing, what it takes to get started, and unique traits that give women investors their edge.

For more, read Liz’s column every Thursday at On The Money by SoFi, sign up for the SoFi Daily Newsletter, and follow Liz on Twitter @LizThomasStrat.

Notable mentions in the episode:

(00:00) Introduction

(04:03) Why do men feel more confident about investing?

(07:02) By 2030, women will control two thirds of the nation’s wealth. How is the industry adapting?

(11:47) Over the long-term, markets are always up and to the right.

(13:21) Cracking the code on building confidence

(22:43) Getting beyond the ABCs of investing

(26:18) Today’s investing landscape is new to everyone

(29:12) What resources can you trust?

(30:24) 3 things to avoid when investing

(31:35) There’s money in my account - now what?

(34:35) The Investor’s Bookshelf

(36:46) Women of Wall Street

(37:50) The Word

(39:08) The Important Part

Additional resources:

Recommended reading:

• Women and Investing in 2024: Breaking Down the Barriers

This podcast should be used for informational purposes only and not deemed as a recommendation. Our Automated investing is via SoFi Wealth LLC, and is a registered investment advisor. Our Active investing is via SoFi securities LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest® platforms, please visit www. SoFi.com/Legal.

©2024 Social Finance, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The topic of planning for retirement can evoke a wide range of responses from anxiety to avoidance (and everything in between), yet it’s arguably one of the most critical ingredients to a person’s overall financial wellbeing. How to make a plan, when to start saving, and how to navigate the retirement path are all questions we’ll be faced with at one point or another. Andrew Heiges is the Director, Head of Retirement Income, Managed Accounts, and Financial Wellness at T. Rowe Price, and brings key insights from years of experience working within the field. On this episode, Andrew joins SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy Liz Thomas to discuss what financial wellness really means, what’s missing from the retirement conversation, and how we should be thinking about saving. 

For more, read Liz’s column every Thursday at On The Money by SoFi, sign up for the SoFi Daily Newsletter, and follow Liz on Twitter @LizThomasStrat.

Notable mentions in the episode:

(00:00) Intro

(01:56) What exactly goes into financial wellness?

(05:33) Saving is more about the habit than the dollar amount 

(10:44) How has retirement planning evolved over the last few decades?

(14:42) How should fees factor into choosing retirement accounts?

(18:46) Which comes first: paying off debt or saving for retirement? 

(20:21) Does a bearish period matter for your retirement account?

(22:16) Your time horizon goes beyond your retirement date

(27:10) Retiring from a career to pursue a dream job

(29:01) The Hot Minute

(30:40) Liz’s Takeaways

Additional resources:

Recommended reading:

This podcast should be used for informational purposes only and not deemed as a recommendation. Our Automated investing is via SoFi Wealth LLC, and is a registered investment advisor. Our Active investing is via SoFi securities LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest® platforms, please visit www. SoFi.com/Legal.

©2024 Social Finance, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Steve Young is most well known for his NFL accolades, but since his retirement from the 49ers he’s built another type of empire as Partner, Chairman and Co-founder of private equity firm, HGGC. In this episode, SoFi's Head of Investment Strategy Liz Thomas sits down with Steve to discuss his career transition into business, what it takes to evaluate a new investment, and what alternatives can bring to the game.

For more, read Liz’s column every Thursday at On The Money by SoFi, sign up for the SoFi Daily Newsletter, and follow Liz on Twitter @LizThomasStrat.

Notable mentions in the episode:

(00:00) Intro

(02:58) Transitioning from football into business

(07:38) Succeeding by harnessing vulnerability 

(10:47) Steve’s advice for new investors? Be a forever student

(14:29) Private Equity vs. Public Market Investing

(17:02) Investment evaluation starts with the people in charge

(21:39) Don’t just chase the success story

(23:00) How do you know when an investment has failed?

(25:52) The fine art of portfolio construction 

(29:16) Where do alternatives fit into the equation? 

(31:24) The Hot Minute

(33:40) Liz’s Takeaways

Additional resources:

Recommended reading:

This podcast should be used for informational purposes only and not deemed as a recommendation. Our Automated investing is via SoFi Wealth LLC, and is a registered investment advisor. Our Active investing is via SoFi securities LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest® platforms, please visit www. SoFi.com/Legal.

©2024 Social Finance, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

For the past year, the “looming recession” has been top of mind for people both inside and out of the world of business. What’s in store for the economy in 2024? Newedge Wealth’s Chief Investment Officer, Cameron Dawson joins host and Sofi’s Head of Investment Strategy, Liz Thomas, to share her outlook on the year. The two cover consumer trends, what signs of recession they’re looking out for, and what they expect to see from the Fed.

For more, read Liz’s column every Thursday at On The Money by SoFi, sign up for the SoFi Daily Newsletter, and follow Liz on Twitter @LizThomasStrat.

Notable mentions in the episode:

(00:00) Intro

(01:54) The biggest surprises of 2023

(06:51) The real economic impact of expectations

(10:46) Does Cameron foresee a soft landing?

(15:55) If there’s so much cash, why are credit balances at all-time highs?

(19:11) When will inflation be in the rearview?

(24:20) What to expect from the Fed

(28:01) Consumer sentiment - “Watch what they do, not what they say”

(32:20) The 60/40 - alive or dead?

(35:43) When will money markets lose their allure?

(39:13) The Hot Minute

(42:13) Liz’ Takeaways

Additional resources:

Recommended reading:

This podcast should be used for informational purposes only and not deemed as a recommendation. Our Automated investing is via SoFi Wealth LLC, and is a registered investment advisor. Our Active investing is via SoFi securities LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest® platforms, please visit www. SoFi.com/Legal.

©2024 Social Finance, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

As the new year starts off, host and SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy Liz Thomas speaks directly to listeners’ concerns about the year to come. Is the recession behind us? I’ve got money ready to put to work - what do I do with it? How high is too high for a debt load? With her trademark frankness and a career’s worth of insight, Liz answers all these questions and more.

For more, read Liz’s column every Thursday at On The Money by SoFi, sign up for the SoFi Daily Newsletter, and follow Liz on Twitter @LizThomasStrat.

Notable mentions in the episode:

(00:00) Introduction

(04:00) Where is inflation headed in 2024?

(08:50) What to look out for with debt this year

(15:10) What sectors to keep an eye on in 2024

(21:15) Is Liz still bearish?

(25:01) Where’s a good place to put your money in 2024?

Additional resources:

Recommended reading:

This podcast should be used for informational purposes only and not deemed as a recommendation. Our Automated investing is via SoFi Wealth LLC, and is a registered investment advisor. Our Active investing is via SoFi securities LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest® platforms, please visit www. SoFi.com/Legal.

©2024 Social Finance, Inc. All Rights Reserved.