The Rational Reminder Podcast

Mar 20 2025 371 ep. 59 mins 5.2k
The Rational Reminder Podcast artwork

A weekly reality check on sensible investing and financial decision-making, from three Canadians. Hosted by Benjamin Felix, Cameron Passmore, and Dan Bortolotti, Portfolio Managers at PWL Capital, and Mark McGrath, Associate Portfolio Manager at PWL Capital.

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Episode 349 – AMA #4

Mar 20 2025 82 mins  
In this episode, Ben, Dan, and Mark tackle another Ask Me Anything (AMA) session, covering a wide range of investing and financial planning topics. They begin with a highly requested debate on factor investing versus market cap-weighted portfolios and unpack the theory, research, and practical considerations behind both strategies. Ben explains why he prefers factor tilts when mana

Episode 348 - Andrew Barclay (StatCan): Measuring Inflation

Mar 13 2025 67 mins  
Is the government manipulating inflation data? Why do so many people feel like their personal costs are rising faster than official inflation numbers suggest? In this episode of the Rational Reminder Podcast, we dive deep into one of the most debated and misunderstood economic topics: inflation. Today, we are joined by Andrew Barclay, an economist and senior analyst in the Consumer

Episode 347 - The Case for Index Funds

Mar 06 2025 76 mins  
Are index funds the best investment strategy for most investors? In this episode of Rational Reminder, Benjamin Felix, Dan Bortolotti, and Mark McGrath explore why low-cost index funds should be the primary investment strategy for most people. They explain how index funds evolved from a niche concept to a widely accepted strategy and outline their six key benefits. Learn about the

Episode 346 - Hendrik Bessembinder: Why It's So Hard to Beat the Market

Feb 27 2025 63 mins  
Did you know that just a handful of stocks drive nearly all of the stock market’s long-term gains? In this episode, we sit down with Hendrik Bessembinder to discuss his groundbreaking research on why most stocks fail to outperform Treasury bills and how a small fraction of stocks generate the most long-term market returns. Hendrik is a Professor in the Department of Finance at Ar

Episode 345 - AMA #3

Feb 20 2025 74 mins  
As we continue to answer your questions from our most recent AMA, Ben, Mark, and Dan begin today’s episode with Bitcoin and how its value as an investment has changed over the years. Then, after briefly explaining how to find short clips of this podcast online, we discuss why many companies choose not to list directly on the TXS, how to implement factor investing without factor E

Episode 344 - Michael Mauboussin: The One Job of an Equity Investor

Feb 13 2025 64 mins  
What if the key to successful investing is about understanding how market expectations, intangible assets, and even your own biases shape the outcome? In this episode, Cameron sits down with Michael Mauboussin, a renowned expert in investment strategies and behavioural finance, to explore how the evolving dynamics of investing influence valuation, investor decision-making, and mark

Episode 343 - How to Choose an Asset Allocation

Feb 06 2025 76 mins  
Choosing an asset allocation is a crucial investment decision, as it determines expected returns and risk exposure. During this episode, we uncover what this means, exploring topics such as why risk may not always be the best assessment method. We unpack the three factors that John Grable’s risk profiling framework considers: behavioural loss tolerance, the ability to take risk (

Episode 342 - Matthew Ringgenberg: When Do Anomaly Returns Happen?

Jan 30 2025 41 mins  
Today we are joined by the Professor of Finance at the University of Utah, Matt Ringgenberg to discuss everything related to anomaly returns. Matt’s research – mainly centred on the actions of short sellers – has been published in all the major journals including the Journal of Finance, the Journal of Financial Economics, and the Review of Financial Studies. We begin with the

Episode 341 - PWL’s Next Chapter

Jan 23 2025 63 mins  
PWL Capital is undergoing an exciting change that will help the company bring a greater positive impact to the Canadian Wealth Management space and serve more clients effectively. In this episode, Ben Felix and Cameron Passmore welcome Mike Sullivan, co-founder of OneDigital, to share the inside story behind PWL Capital's recent decision to join forces with OneDigital. With nearly

Episode 340 - Ben Mathew: The Lifecycle Model vs. Safe Withdrawal Rates (SWR)

Jan 16 2025 82 mins  
What drives the best financial planning decisions? In this episode, Ben Felix and Mark McGrath sit down with Ben Mathew, a PhD in economics from the University of Chicago and author of Economics: The Remarkable Story of How the Economy Works. The discussion explores the lifecycle model of economics, a powerful yet underutilized framework for financial planning, and contrasts it wit