Financial Decoder

Latest Episodes:

How Can You Maximize Your Charitable Giving? Nov 29, 2021

Show notes

Throughout the holiday season, you might encounter dozens of appeals for charity. If you decide to give, or if you donate throughout the year, how can you maximize the impact of your gift? In this episode, Mark talks with Sam Kang, president of Schwab Charitable, a nonprofit organization established with the support of The Charles Schwab Corporation to make charitable giving simpler and more tax-efficient.

They discuss direct cash gifts, donor-advised funds, qualified charitable distributions, and other ways of giving—and which types of investors can benefit from each approach.

You can learn more about the science behind why helping others makes us feel good on the “Happiness” episode of Choiceology with Katy Milkman.

Subscribe to Financial Decoder for free on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.

Financial Decoder is an original podcast from Charles Schwab. For more on the series, visit Schwab.com/FinancialDecoder.

If you enjoy the show, please leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts.

Important Disclosures

Investors should consider carefully information contained in the prospectus or, if available, the summary prospectus, including investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Please read it carefully before investing.

The information provided here is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered an individualized recommendation or personalized investment advice. The investment strategies mentioned here may not be suitable for everyone. Each investor needs to review an investment strategy for his or her own particular situation before making any investment decision.

All expressions of opinion are subject to change without notice in reaction to shifting market conditions. Data contained herein from third-party providers is obtained from what are considered reliable sources. However, its accuracy, completeness or reliability cannot be guaranteed. Supporting documentation for any claims or statistical information is available upon request.

Examples provided are for illustrative purposes only and not intended to be reflective of results you can expect to achieve.

Investing involves risk including loss of principal.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results and the opinions presented cannot be viewed as an indicator of future performance.

Schwab Charitable™ is the name used for the combined programs and services of Schwab Charitable Fund™, an independent nonprofit organization. Schwab Charitable Fund has entered into service agreements with certain affiliates of The Charles Schwab Corporation.

A donor's ability to claim itemized deductions is subject to a variety of limitations depending on the donor's specific tax situation. Consult your tax advisor for more information.

This information does not constitute and is not intended to be a substitute for specific individualized tax, legal or investment planning advice. Where specific advice is necessary or appropriate, Schwab Charitable recommends consultation with a qualified tax advisor, CPA, Financial Planner or Investment Manager.

Because environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies exclude some securities, ESG-focused products may not be able to take advantage of the same opportunities or market trends as products that do not use such strategies. Additionally, the criteria used to select companies for investment may result in investing in securities, industries or sectors that underperform the market as a whole.

Diversification, asset allocation, and rebalancing strategies do not ensure a profit and do not protect against losses in declining markets. Rebalancing may cause investors to incur transaction costs and, when a nonretirement account is rebalanced, taxable events may be created that may affect your tax liability.

Professionally managed accounts are available only through independent investment advisors with Schwab Advisor Services™, a business segment of The Charles Schwab Corporation serving independent investment advisors and includes the custody, trading, and support services of Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. While donors may recommend an advisor, Schwab Charitable must approve the recommendation. Advisors must meet certain eligibility requirements and adhere to Schwab Charitable fee and investment guidelines. You may request a copy of the investment guidelines by calling us at 800-746-6216.

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How Can You Be a More Confident Investor? Nov 15, 2021

Show notes

In assessments that show women to be less financially literate than men, is that gap due to a lack of knowledge or a lack of confidence? One recent study revealed that women tend to disproportionately respond “do not know” to questions measuring financial knowledge, but when this response is unavailable, the gap closes substantially.

In this episode, Mark tells the story of Monique Currie—a highly successful basketball player in college and the WNBA. Despite all her talent and achievements, Currie has noted how women basketball players tend to be less confident than their male counterparts.

Lacking confidence when it comes to complex tasks, such as investing in a diversified portfolio or mapping out a financial plan, can seem intimidating to anyone of any gender, but are there strategies that can help you overcome some forms of underconfidence?

Mark speaks with Laura McDowell, a regional director at Schwab. Laura is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, a Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA), and an Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF). They discuss changing demographics, why some people suffer from impostor syndrome, and how to empower the next generation of women investors.

You can read more about the study that shows women are often more knowledgeable in financial matters than they think in this working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Subscribe to Financial Decoder for free on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.

Financial Decoder is an original podcast from Charles Schwab. For more on the series, visit Schwab.com/FinancialDecoder.

If you enjoy the show, please leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts.

Important Disclosures

Examples provided are for illustrative purposes only and not intended to be reflective of results you can expect to achieve.

Investing involves risk including loss of principal.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results and the opinions presented cannot be viewed as an indicator of future performance.

Apple Podcasts and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Google Podcasts and the Google Podcasts logo are trademarks of Google LLC.

Spotify and the Spotify logo are registered trademarks of Spotify AB.

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Should You Invest in a SPAC? Nov 01, 2021

Show notes

Special purpose acquisition companies (or SPACs) aren’t entirely new, but they’ve made headlines in 2020 and 2021. SPACs take funds from investors in order to buy or merge with another company. They’re sometimes called “blank check” companies because it’s as if investors are giving the companies a blank check to buy whatever sort of business they want. Until a merger is announced, investors in a SPAC don’t know exactly what they’re buying or trading.

In this episode, Mark Riepe interviews Schwab’s chief investment strategist, Liz Ann Sonders. Mark and Liz Ann discuss how SPACs work, how SPACs compare to the traditional IPO process, and whether they are right for you as an investor.

Subscribe to Financial Decoder for free on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.

Financial Decoder is an original podcast from Charles Schwab. For more on the series, visit Schwab.com/FinancialDecoder.

If you enjoy the show, please leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts.

Important Disclosures:

Whether you are investing in a SPAC by participating in its IPO or by purchasing its securities on the open market following an IPO, you should carefully read the SPAC’s IPO prospectus as well as its periodic and current reports filed with the SEC pursuant to its ongoing reporting obligations.

Examples provided are for illustrative purposes only and not intended to be reflective of results you can expect to achieve.

Investing involves risk including loss of principal.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results and the opinions presented cannot be viewed as an indicator of future performance.

Indexes are unmanaged, do not incur management fees, costs and expenses and cannot be invested in directly. For more information on indexes please see www.schwab.com/indexdefinitions.

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How Can You Set Better Goals? Jul 12, 2021

Show notes

Financial planning is an ongoing, iterative process. But it always starts with identifying and defining goals. Why are you saving money? When do you plan to retire? How much do you spend now? Are you saving for college? The more specificity that can be added to each goal, the more likely it is to be achieved.

No matter your stage in life, whether you are just starting out saving and investing or are well into your working years with a plan already in place, you need to evaluate your goals regularly. Our circumstances in life often change—and so should our plans.

In this episode, Mark speaks with Cindy Scott. Cindy is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and wealth advisor with Schwab in Westlake, Texas. She shares several stories of real investors who have faced challenges when setting or defining their goals.

Financial Decoder is an original podcast from Charles Schwab. For more on the series, visit Schwab.com/FinancialDecoder.

If you enjoy the show, please leave a ★★★★★ rating or review on Apple Podcasts.

Important Disclosures:

Examples provided are for illustrative purposes only and not intended to be reflective of results you can expect to achieve.

Investing involves risk, including loss of principal.

Diversification and rebalancing of a portfolio cannot assure a profit or protect against a loss in any given market environment. Rebalancing may cause investors to incur transaction costs and, when rebalancing a non-retirement account, taxable events may be created that may affect your tax liability.

This information does not constitute and is not intended to be a substitute for specific individualized tax, legal, or investment planning advice. Where specific advice is necessary or appropriate, Schwab recommends consultation with a qualified tax advisor, CPA, financial planner, or investment manager.

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How Can You Protect Your Portfolio Against Inflation? Jun 14, 2021

Show notes

Since the financial crisis of 2008, the Federal Reserve has engaged in a great experiment: They are testing whether massive amounts of new money can heal the damage from macroeconomic catastrophes, such as the financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. For years, investors have asked persistent questions about the likelihood of high inflation and how to help protect a portfolio against it.

In this episode, Mark speaks with Kathy Jones, Schwab’s chief fixed income strategist. They discuss the history of inflation in the U.S. economy—including the gold standard and the key players at the Federal Reserve—as well as hyperinflation and recent fears of rising prices.

Financial Decoder is an original podcast from Charles Schwab.

To learn more, visit Schwab.com/FinancialDecoder.

If you enjoy the show, please leave a ★★★★★ rating or review on Apple Podcasts.

Important Disclosures:

Examples provided are for illustrative purposes only and not intended to be reflective of results you can expect to achieve.

Investing involves risk including loss of principal.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results and the opinions presented cannot be viewed as an indicator of future performance.

Fixed income securities are subject to increased loss of principal during periods of rising interest rates. Fixed income investments are subject to various other risks including changes in credit quality, market valuations, liquidity, prepayments, early redemption, corporate events, tax ramifications and other factors. Lower rated securities are subject to greater credit risk, default risk, and liquidity risk.

Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) are inflation-linked securities issued by the US Government whose principal value is adjusted periodically in accordance with the rise and fall in the inflation rate. Thus, the dividend amount payable is also impacted by variations in the inflation rate, as it is based upon the principal value of the bond. It may fluctuate up or down. Repayment at maturity is guaranteed by the US Government and may be adjusted for inflation to become the greater of the original face amount at issuance or that face amount plus an adjustment for inflation.

Apple Podcasts and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Google Podcasts and the Google Podcasts logo are trademarks of Google LLC.

Spotify and the Spotify logo are registered trademarks of Spotify AB.

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