The Plutonomix Podcast: Proz & Conz - A Study of Wealth & Investing

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

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

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

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
•  

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

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

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

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

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

Shift Happens

In this episode of the Plutonomix Podcast, Laurie Kamhi and Barnaby Levin discuss one of the core tenets of financial planning: the fact that things change. They explain why it’s important to anticipate and monitor the world around us, so we can learn to adapt quickly when they do. And they share a few books that can help build the mindset to do so.

 

TIMESTAMPS

• [00:01] Intro
• [02:24] Two impactful books
• [03:16] When do we know Change is coming?
• [05:13] Begin with the End in Mind
• [10:06] Be ready for change
• [12:06] Outro

 

RESOURCES

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
• Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson
• Extraordinary Popular Delusions and The Madness of Crowds by Charles MacKay
• Reminiscences of a Stock Operator by Edwin Lefèvre
• Contact Barnaby
• Contact Laurie