Money For the Rest of Us

Latest Episodes:

What Causes Hyperinflation and What To Do To Prepare For It Feb 19, 2020

Show notes

What factors lead to hyperinflation, why it is so devastating, how hyperinflation can be overcome and what can individuals do to be prepared for hyperinflation.

Topics covered include:

What causes inflation and how do central banks manage it.
How the causes of hyperinflation differ from more normal levels of inflation.
What is the biggest challenge of living in a country with hyperinflation.
How Zimbabwe and other countries were able to overcome hyperinflation and how Venezuela is slowly taking steps to combat hyperinflation.
Why Zimbabwe is again experiencing high inflation.
How individuals can protect against inflation.
What individuals can do to prepare for hyperinflation in case it comes.

Thanks to Netsuite and Policygenius for sponsoring the episode.

For show notes and more information on this episode click here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coronavirus and the Financial Impact of Pandemics Feb 05, 2020

Show notes

How pandemics have impacted the economy and financial markets. Where does the coronavirus rank in severity compared to other pandemics. What portfolio changes, if any, should investors make in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Topics covered include:

Definition of a pandemic
The worst pandemics in the 20th and 21st centuries
What are the factors in determining the severity of the coronavirus' impact
What are the economic ramifications of the coronavirus.
How did financial markets perform during previous pandemic episodes.
Are there portfolio changes investors should make in response to the coronavirus

Thanks to Policygenius and LinkedIn Jobs for sponsoring the episode.

For show notes and more information on this episode click here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Money Is Debt Jan 29, 2020

Show notes

How most money, such as currency, bank deposits, money market mutual funds, and repurchase agreements, is really short-term debt, often backed by other debt. As a result, money is subject to runs when investors lose confidence and don't want to own it. That can lead to financial crises.

Topics covered in this episode include:

How counterfeiting currency works.
Why most money is debt backed by debt.
How a loss of confidence in money leads to bank runs and other financial crises.
How demand for U.S. Treasuries as collateral is keeping interest rates low even though the U.S. federal budget deficit is growing.
Why the Federal Reserve is considering capping interest rate yields on U.S. Treasuries and what are the risks of doing so.
What can individuals do to protect themselves against financial crisis caused by runs on banks and financial securities.

Thanks to Vistaprint for sponsoring the episode. Use promo code: "david" to get free shipping. Also thank you to The Bouqs Company for sponsoring the show. Use promo code: "david" to get 25% off.

For show notes and more information on this episode click here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We Are All Financially Vulnerable Jan 22, 2020

Show notes

How to protect against financial hardship and assist others who are struggling financially.

Topics covered include:

Why are so many families leaving Central America and seeking to enter the United States.
How have U.S. immigration patterns changed.
Why immigration leads to higher economic growth.
Why unsheltered homelessness is increasing around the world and what strategies have been effective in reducing homelessness.
What can individuals do to assist the homeless and others who are in financial distress.

Note: The original audio file stated that "oftentimes they [the ayslum seekers] wouldn't ever show up for their court case." That is an inaccurate statement. Most asylum seekers attend their court hearing. The audio has been modified to remove the inaccuracy.

Thanks to The Bouqs Co. for sponsoring the episode. Use code: david. Also thanks to Policygenius for being a long-time sponsor of the show.

For show notes and more information on this episode click here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Why You Should Care About Carry Trades Jan 15, 2020

Show notes

How investors make money with carry trades, how central banks encourage such trades, and what are the dangers to financial markets and the economy when carry trades get too big.

Topics covered include:

What are the attributes and examples of carry trades.
Why do carry trades exist even though investors can suffer massive losses.
What was Volmageddeon and Francogeddan.
How central banks are the largest carry traders and their actions encourage even more carry trades.
Why carry trades are deflationary and lead to systemic risk.
What should individual investors do about carry trades and how to take advantage of carry crashes.

Thanks to Robinhood and NetSuite for sponsoring the episode

For show notes and more information on this episode click here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is GDP the Best Measure of Happiness and Well-being? Jan 08, 2020

Show notes

What factors determine the well-being of an individual or nation and why gross domestic product is an inadequate measure of prosperity.

Topics covered include:

Evidence many Americans are poorer than before the Great Recession.
Why life expectancy in the U.S. is falling.
How satisifiedare U.S. citizens.
What is GDP and why is the U.S. Bureau of Economics developing a new methodology
What are the flaws with GDP and why does it fall short in measuring well-being.
Which countries around the world are the most and least happy and what are the factors that contribute to that happiness.
Why were U.S. founding fathers worried about too many luxuries.
How the U.S. in the 19th century followed the same manufacturing model that China does today.

Thanks to Policygenius and LinkedIn for sponsoring the episode.

For show notes and more information on this episode click here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Four Forces That Will Shape the Next Decade Dec 18, 2019

Show notes

How climate change, money, trust and technology will interact to impact financial markets and the economy in the coming decade.

Topics covered include:

Why we change much more over a decade's time than we predict.
What is the best approach for transitioning to a new career.
What have stocks and bonds returned over the past decade and what are reasonable return expectations for the decade ahead.
Examples of how the impact of climate change is being priced into financial transactions.
Why Ray Dalio thinks the world has gone mad and the system is broken.
Why uncertainties regarding the creation, use and borrowing of money will be reflected in interest rates.
How trust and technology will impact global trade and productivity growth.

Thanks to Cove and Sleep Number for sponsoring the episode.

For show notes and more information on this episode click here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Travel and the Trust Economy Dec 11, 2019

Show notes

How is it the global economy still functions even though most individuals do not trust brands, public institutions or each other.

Topics covered in this episode include:

The low level of interpersonal trust around the world
What is social capital and how it facilitates a trust economy.
What are the incentives that encourage individuals and businesses to produce goods and services rather than steal from each other.
How does trust impact economic growth.
Does traveling harm or help local residents.

Thanks to Masterworks and LinkedIn for sponsoring the episode.

For show notes and more information on this episode click here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Why All Retirees Should Consider an Income Annuity Dec 04, 2019

Show notes

How a safety-first retirement approach using income annuities is more predictable and takes less money than depending entirely on your investment portfolio to fund your retirement.

Topics covered include:

The difference between a safety-first and probability-based approached to retirement.
How income annuities work.
Why setting a sustainable retirement withdrawal rates requires planning for below average market returns and above average life expectancy.
How using an income annuity and other guaranteed income to fund basic living expenses means not having to set a sustainable withdrawal rate.
How long can retirees expect to live.
Why most retirement portfolios are not as liquid as retirees think.
Why are retirees hesitant to use income annuities and how to overcome the fear of doing so.

Thanks to Policygenius and Vistaprint for sponsoring the episode. Use code David50 for Vistaprint.

For show notes and more information on this episode click here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You Have Permission to Spend Nov 20, 2019

Show notes

Two Money For the Rest of Us podcast listeners are struggling with spending money. The first listener is 22 and lives in Canada. He feels as if his money is going everywhere such as saving for a house, car, and retirement, but very little goes to things he enjoys.

The second listener is 46 with a $2 million net worth, but in his case, he finds he doesn’t enjoy spending money on himself. He is willing to spend money on his wife and two children, but he still finds himself feeling tight, fearful and worried about money and his business, even though he has plenty of wealth and is close to his goal of financial freedom.

In this podcast episode, we consider the standard to use to determine how much to spend on ourselves.

Topics covered include:

The most difficult part of figuring out how much is enough.
What is the Voluntary Simplicity movement and how it can help us decide where to spend our money.
What is the difference between comforts and luxuries.
What is the difference between joy and pleasure.
What is a simple filter we can use to determine where to spend money.

Thanks to Masterwork and NetSuite for sponsoring the episode.

For show notes and more information on this episode click here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.