The Plutonomix Podcast: There are always two sides to every issue, both of which have merit

The Plutonomix Podcast: There are always two sides to every issue, both of which have merit

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The Plutonomix Podcast: There are always two sides to every issue, both of which have merit episodes

  • Risk & Reward: Where and How to Invest in Today’s Environment

    In this week’s episode of the Plutonomix Podcast, Barnaby Levin and Laurie Kamhi continue their conversation on “Risk & Reward,” discussing (again) the importance of understanding what risk means for you. They suggest, when it comes to defining "Risk," how it might be better to think in terms of "Acceptable" versus "Un-Acceptable" and, given the current market environment, share some thoughts where and how to invest.  

    TIMESTAMPS

    • [01:43] Understanding risk and the misleading nature of "Beta" and "Standard Deviation"
  • [05:29] Assessing risk in the global economy
  • [08:41] Exploring investment opportunities in a low-interest rate environment
  • [10:34] Bond market yields and forming good financial habits
  • [12:11] Investment strategies for financial security
  •  

    RESOURCES

    • What I Think I Know by Barnaby Levin
  • The Illusion of Knowledge by Howard Marks
  • Closing Technique of the Week: The Ben Franklin Close
  • CNBC: The Fed has not made a compelling case for taming inflation by crushing demand, says Judy Shelton
  • Stanley Druckenmiller says he'd be 'stunned' if a recession doesn't happen in 2023
  • Contact Barnaby
  • Contact Laurie
  • 16 min
  • Risk & Reward

    In this week’s episode of the Plutonomix Podcast, Barnaby Levin and Laurie Kamhi talk about the need to redefine "Risk & Reward." After sharing some of the more traditional definitions, they explain how emotional considerations are just as important as monetary ones because both are critical to our well-being.

    TIMESTAMPS

    • [00:01] Intro
  • [01:24] “Low Risk” no longer IS
  • [03:10] “Fear Of Missing Out”
  • [07:24] Financial planning and Expected Rates of Return
  • [09:32] Gen Z and Millenials: work-life balance
  • [10:57] Outro
  •  

    RESOURCES

    • What I Think I Know by Barnaby Levin
  • The Illusion of Knowledge by Howard Marks
  • Closing Technique of the Week: The Ben Franklin Close
  • CNBC: The Fed has not made a compelling case for taming inflation by crushing demand, says Judy Shelton
  • Stanley Druckenmiller says he'd be 'stunned' if a recession doesn't happen in 2023
  • Contact Barnaby
  • Contact Laurie
  • 14 min
  • What’s Happening with Bitcoin?

    In this week’s episode of the Plutonomix Podcast, Barnaby Levin and Laurie Kamhi talk about the current state of crypto and what the future could hold for Bitcoin. They discuss the events leading up to the recent FTX crash; the demise of Sam Bankman-Fried; and the importance of due diligence while rebuilding trust in Bitcoin and the Blockchain  network. 

    TIMESTAMPS

    • [00:01] Intro
  • [01:04] What has happened with Bitcoin?
  • [04:19] Commingling explained
  • [11:23] Sam Bankman-Fried and the FTX bankruptcy
  • [12:40] Disclosure and limits to borrowing
  • [14:20] Outro
  •  

    RESOURCES

    • What I Think I Know by Barnaby Levin
  • The Illusion of Knowledge by Howard Marks
  • Closing Technique of the Week: The Ben Franklin Close
  • CNBC: The Fed has not made a compelling case for taming inflation by crushing demand, says Judy Shelton
  • Stanley Druckenmiller says he'd be 'stunned' if a recession doesn't happen in 2023
  • Contact Barnaby
  • Contact Laurie
  • 16 min
  • The Midterm Elections: Do They Matter

    In this episode of the Plutonomix Podcast, it's Laurie's turn to talk about the importance of the upcoming, midterm elections on November 8th and what outcomes may already be priced into the stock and bond markets. She explains what economists are truly concerned about and -- regardless of the election outcomes -- compares predictions for the coming year to historical moments and why (as Barnaby suggested last time) the stock market often prefers a stalemate   

    TIMESTAMPS

    • [00:01] Intro
  • [01:19] The importance of the upcoming midterms
  • [03:50] Inflation, Stagflation and the threat of a Wage-Price Spiral
  • [06:37] De-globalization and current supply chain disruptions 
  • [10:21] Reposition yourself with long-term money
  • [12:50] Outro
  •  

    RESOURCES

    • What I Think I Know by Barnaby Levin
  • The Illusion of Knowledge by Howard Marks
  • Closing Technique of the Week: The Ben Franklin Close
  • CNBC: The Fed has not made a compelling case for taming inflation by crushing demand, says Judy Shelton
  • Stan Druckenmiller says he'd be 'stunned' if recession doesn't happen in 2023
  • Contact Barnaby
  • Contact Laurie
  • 15 min
  • What I Think I Know

    In this episode of the Plutonomix Podcast, Barnaby Levin talks about forecasts and (given people's natural inclination to base their decisions on Assumptions) whether they can ever be of any value. Either way, he discusses the impact forecasts do have on investing and, in the end, asks whether the Fed or the upcoming, Mid-Term Election is more important, longer term.

     

    TIMESTAMPS

    • [00:01] Intro
  • [01:02] Do forecasts really help?
  • [04:10] Cognitive dissonance
  • [06:27] The impact on investing
  • [13:10] What could happen with Mid-term elections
  • 14:34] Outro
  •  

    RESOURCES

    • What I Think I Know by Barnaby Levin
  • The Illusion of Knowledge by Howard Marks
  • Closing Technique of the Week: The Ben Franklin Close
  • CNBC: The Fed has not made a compelling case for taming inflation by crushing demand, says Judy Shelton
  • Stanley Druckenmiller says he'd be 'stunned' if recession doesn't happen in 2023
  • Contact Barnaby
  • Contact Laurie
  •  
  • 17 min
  • Tara 2, Investing in Farmland

    In this episode of the Plutonomix Podcast, Barnaby Levin continues his and Laurie's discussion on land on his own, while she's traveling. He recaps the history and transfer of ownership between farmers and institutions and why (in this case) it's important for government to get more involved, so we don't lose control of our own food and water supply to other nations. He also talks about the pros and cons of farm-related investments.

     

    TIMESTAMPS

    • [00:01] Intro
  • [02:06] Ownership transfers from farmers to institutions
  • [05:51] The Pros and Cons of investing in farmland and other, farm-related industries
  • [08:38] The solution lies in innovation
  • [09:18] Outro
  •  

    RESOURCES

    • Gone With The Wind Scene: Land Is The Only Thing That Lasts
  • U.S. corn-based ethanol worse for the climate than gasoline, study finds
  • VanEck Agribusiness ETF
  • Invesco DB Agriculture Fund
  • Pick-and-Shovel Play
  • Contact Barnaby
  • 11 min
  • Tara (or, Land as an Investment)

    In this episode of the Plutonomix Podcast, Laurie Kamhi and Barnaby Levin begin with a reminder of the pending collapse of our Social Security and Medicare systems. They recommend a few, incremental actions they hope we'll take as a Country and some things in which to invest -- turning, today, to farming and farmland, where they first address some key issues for context. 

    TIMESTAMPS

    • (00:01)  Intro
  • (03:59)  Roots of an Uprising
  • (05:02)  Who owns our Farmland
  • (06:03)  Investing in Farmland – is it worth it
  • (07:31)  The Problem with Ethanol
  • (09:15)  Risks of Foreign Ownership
  • (10:42)  Other than CFIUS...
  • (11:53)  Outro 
  •  

    RESOURCES

    • Adopt-A-Safta
  • 2021 Farmland Value Survey - Iowa State University
  • Gone With The Wind Scene: Land Is The Only Thing That Lasts
  • Environmental outcomes of the US Renewable Fuel Standard
  • The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)
  • Contact Barnaby
  • Contact Laurie
  • 14 min
  • Aging isn’t “The End” -- it’s A Beginning

    In this episode of the Plutonomix Podcast, Laurie Kamhi and Barnaby Levin continue their discussion on the Aging of the Baby Boomers. This week, they discuss the financial impact that 10,000 "Boomers" reaching retirement age, every day until 2030, will have and what they see as opportunities, as a Country and as Investors.

     

    TIMESTAMPS

    • [00:01] Intro
  • [01:59] Easy steps, like Congress deferring retirement age
  • [03:30] Retirees can help solve social challenges
  • [06:18] Planning for retirement
  • [09:33] Another area of interest: farming and farmland
  • [11:18] Investing in certain venture capital and non-profit organizations
  • [12:04] Outro
  •  

    RESOURCES

    • Adopt-A-Safta
  • Contact Barnaby
  • Contact Laurie
  • 14 min
  • Aging in America

    In the next two episodes of the Plutonomix Podcast, Laurie Kamhi and Barnaby Levin focus on the critical consequences of one of the country's more-important, demographic trends: the Aging of the Baby Boomers. This week, they discuss some of the problems and challenges this transition will pose. 

     

    TIMESTAMPS

    • [00:01] Intro
  • [02:34] Are the Baby Boomers ready for retirement?
  • [06:06] Elderly Americans who need a caregiver today
  • [09:54] a Green Card and path to Citizenship, for foreign students after they graduate
  • [11:29] Outro
  •  

    RESOURCES

    • The Aging of America: Will the Baby Boom Be Ready for Retirement? by William G. Gale
  • Contact Barnaby
  • Contact Laurie
  • 14 min
  • What to Do (when ”Shift” happens)

    In this episode of the Plutonomix Podcast, Laurie Kamhi and Barnaby Levin continue their conversation about what's going on in the world around us, discussing what to do when "shift" happens. They share how to discern the "facts," amidst all the claims and statements being made, with advice that follows the Carpenter’s Rule: measure twice, cut once.

     

    TIMESTAMPS

    • [00:01] Intro
  • [02:09] Look forward, not backward
  • [06:10] The best cure for high prices
  • [11:27] Outro
  •  

    RESOURCES

    • What you're not hearing about what caused today's inflation, and where it's going by Donald L. Luskin
  • Trading Places
  • The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
  • The Plutonomix Podcast: Future Trends
  • Contact Barnaby
    • Contact Laurie
    14 min

About The Plutonomix Podcast: There are always two sides to every issue, both of which have merit

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to the Plutonomix Podcast, with Barnaby Levin. Some Perspectives on Wealth & Investing (generally) in 10 minutes or less.

The word “Plutonomics” means the “Study of Wealth” and it is our Mission to educate; to help Clients think about their goals and how they might benefit from working with an Advisor to achieve them.  But more importantly, it’s to make sure our listeners understand both the Pros and Cons of any issue so they can make Informed Decisions and increase the odds of finding the “right” answer, for them.

You see, it’s not who’s “Right” or “Wrong” but, knowing there are NO “unbiased” opinions – and that “Where you Stand depends on where you Sit” – the challenge to making good Decisions is to start by questioning one’s Assumptions and breaking free of our “prejudices,” because the truth usually lies somewhere in between.