The Rational Reminder Podcast
চ্যানেল বিস্তারিত
The Rational Reminder Podcast
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.
সাম্প্রতিক এপিসোড
416 টি এপিসোড
Episode 394: Equal Weight vs. Market Cap Weight Index Funds
Equal-weighted index funds sound like an elegant solution to some of today's biggest investor anxieties: high market concentration, elevated valuation...
Episode 393: Engineering Financial Outcomes
What if financial planning were approached the same way engineers design aircraft, medical treatments, or complex systems—with clearly defined objecti...
Episode 392: The Rise of ETF Slop
ETFs were once almost synonymous with low-cost, sensible investing. But that era is changing fast. In this episode, Ben Felix, Dan Bortolotti, and Ben...
Episode 391: How Assumptions Shape Financial Planning Outcomes
Financial planning is built on assumptions — about markets, inflation, longevity, human behaviour, and even the questions clients bring into the room....
Episode 390: The "AI Bubble" and Stock Market Concentration
In this first episode of 2026, we sit down for a deep dive into one of the hottest concerns coming from clients and listeners lately: Is the U.S. stoc...
Episode 389: How the Rational Reminder Podcast is Made
In this special year-end episode, Ben and Cameron turn the spotlight inward for a behind-the-scenes look at the Rational Reminder podcast. They're joi...
Episode 388: AMA #11 - Your Parents' Advisor, 100% Equity Portfolios, and Investing $10 Billion
In this special year-end AMA, the full PWL crew — Ben Felix, Cameron Passmore, Ben Wilson, and Dan Bortolotti — sit down together for the first time o...
Episode 387: Lessons from The Wealthy Barber (2025)
In this episode, the team digs into the newly updated 2025 edition of The Wealthy Barber — Dave Chilton's iconic Canadian personal finance book that h...
Episode 386: Is anyone doing dd? with Aravind Sithamparapillai
What happens when alternative investments shift from niche products to the industry's go-to value proposition? In this episode, we're joined by financ...
Episode 385: A Case Study on Pension Benefits vs. Commuted Values
In this episode, we feature two conversations that highlight PWL's culture, values, and intentional approach to advice. We first sit down with Trevor...
Episode 384: Mamdouh Medhat - A Profitability Retrospective, and Private Fund Performance
In this episode, we're joined by Mamdouh Medhat, VP and Senior Researcher at Dimensional Fund Advisors, for an exceptionally deep, exceptionally nerdy...
Episode 383: AMA #10 - Dollar cost averaging & mutual funds vs. ETFs
In this episode of Rational Reminder, Ben Felix, Cameron Passmore, and Ben Wilson return with a classic AMA format—answering listener questions that d...
Episode 382: Ted Cadsby - The Power of Index Funds, and Being Human
In this episode, Ben, Cameron, and Dan are joined by Ted Cadsby, former executive at CIBC, author of The Power of Index Funds, Closing the Mind Gap, a...
Episode 381: Investing 101
In this special Investing 101 episode, the Rational Reminder hosts—Ben Felix, Dan Bortolotti, and Ben Wilson—team up to revisit the fundamental concep...
Episode 380: John Y. Campbell - Fixing Personal Finance
What if capitalism itself is confusing your personal finance decisions? In this week's episode, Harvard economist John Y. Campbell joins us to unpack...
Episode 379: AMA #9: Covered Call ETFs, Currency Hedging, and Bond Misconceptions
In this AMA episode of the Rational Reminder Podcast, Ben Felix and Dan Bortolotti return to answer listener questions across a wide range of topics—f...
Episode 378: Learning from Market History
In this episode, we are joined by Mark Higgins, an award-winning author and institutional investment advisor, to discuss the power and importance of s...
Episode 377: Investing in Your Health
Your health may well be the most important investment you ever make, and the earlier you start, the better your outcomes are likely to be. In this epi...
Episode 376: Climbing The Wealth Ladder
Are your financial decisions evolving as your wealth grows? In this episode of the Rational Reminder Podcast, we welcome back Nick Maggiulli to unpack...
Episode 375: Covered Calls: A Devil's Bargain
In this episode, Ben and Dan take a deep dive into covered call strategies—popular ETFs often marketed on their eye-catching distribution yields. Whil...
Episode 374: The Underperformance of Target Date Funds
In this episode, we're joined by David C. Brown, Associate Professor of Finance at the University of Arizona, for a deep dive into the mechanics, perf...
Episode 373: Asset Allocation in Practice
What if choosing your asset allocation was as personal as your life story—and as consequential as your retirement? In this episode, we are joined by P...
Episode 372: Elie Hassenfeld - (Approximately) Optimal Philanthropy
In this episode, we are joined by Elie Hassenfeld, Co-Founder and CEO of GiveWell to discuss how data, transparency, and moral trade-offs can guide ch...
Episode 371: Banks Sell Products, Not Advice
In this episode, Ben Felix and Cameron Passmore take a critical look at the Canadian banking system's mutual fund advice model. A newly released study...
Episode 370: Dave Chilton (The Wealthy Barber): Timeless Financial Advice
What if the most impactful financial advice isn't about picking the right investment—but about understanding human behaviour, simplifying your life, a...
Episode 369: The Most Important Quotes in Investing
In this episode of the Rational Reminder Podcast, Ben Felix and Dan Bortolotti celebrate the show's 7th anniversary with a conversation centered aroun...
Episode 368: Jim Rowley & Andy Maack - Implementing Index Funds at Vanguard
What if index funds weren't as "passive" as you think? In this episode of the Rational Reminder, we are joined by Jim Rowley, Global Head of Investmen...
Episode 367: AMA #8 + Insurance Needs Analysis with Louai Bibi
What if early RRSP withdrawals aren't always the tax-smart move they're made out to be? In this special AMA edition of the Rational Reminder podcast,...
Episode 366 - Avoiding Investment Scams
What happens when your favourite financial educator's identity is hijacked by scammers? In this episode, Ben and Cameron pull back the curtain on a di...
Episode 365 – Rob Carrick's Eight Lessons Learned in 27 Years of Covering Personal Finance
In this episode, we welcome back Rob Carrick—one of Canada's most trusted personal finance journalists—for his third appearance on the Rational Remind...
Episode 364 – Martijn Cremers: Is the Conventional Wisdom on Active Management Wrong?
In this episode, we're joined by Martijn Cremers, Dean of the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame and co-author of the groundb...
Episode 363 - The (Underappreciated) Risk of Individual Stocks
What if holding just a few "winning" stocks is riskier than it seems? In this episode, Ben and Cameron explore the hidden dangers of concentrated port...
Episode 362 – AMA #7
What if the hardest part of investing isn't building a portfolio—but sticking to it? In this AMA edition of the Rational Reminder podcast, Ben Felix a...
Episode 361: Alex Edmans - Finding "The Truth" in Economics, Finance, and Life
Today, Ben plays lone host for the first time as we welcome Alex Edmans to the show. Alex is a Professor of Finance at London Business School as well...
Episode 360 – Gerard O'Reilly: The Components of Net Returns
What if "just buying the market" isn't the end of the story? In this episode, we are joined by Gerard O'Reilly, Co-CEO and Co-CIO of Dimensional Fund...
Episode 359 - The Most Controversial Topics in Personal Finance
For the first time as a host combination, Ben, Dan, and Cameron sit down to discuss the most controversial topics in personal finance. We begin with i...
Episode 358 – Dr. Eli Beracha: Renting versus Buying a Home
Dr. Eli Beracha has recently been recognized by The Journal of Real Estate Literature as the world's third best in research productivity, and today, w...
Episode 357 – AMA #6
Cameron joins Ben for his first AMA as we bring you the sixth edition of our Listener Questions and Investing Lessons mini-series. Diving right in, Be...
Episode 356 – Abby Davisson: How to Make Decisions About Money and Love
How do we make the most important decisions in life with intention rather than impulse? In this episode, we are joined by Abby Davisson to unpack her...
Episode 355 – Do Index Funds Incur Adverse Selection Costs?
Marco Sammon joins Ben and Dan to unpack his latest paper, 'Index Rebalancing and Stock Market Composition', beginning with how Marco's work (co-writt...