Episodes

The Department of Labor recently rolled out new rules requiring advisors to act in their clients’ best interest on retirement accounts. We explain some of the reasons why these new rules were needed and how ETFs stand to benefit. Also, Jamie Anderson, Managing Principal at Tierra Funds, spotlights the Tierra XP Latin America Real Estate ETF (LARE).

ETFs have been called the next generation mutual funds. What are ETFs, how exactly do they compare to mutual funds, and how do you select the right ones for your portfolio? Nate, Conor, & Jason explain the basics and offer some helpful tips.

You likely are no longer settling for listening to music on cassette tapes, instead enjoying the vast benefits of digital music. Are you settling by investing in mutual funds instead of ETFs? Nate & Jason explain. Also, MarketGrader’s Carlos Diez and Brady Lipp spotlight the Barron’s 400 ETF.

Buy and hold? Traditional active management? A rules-based approach? Nate, Conor, & Jason explain the pros and cons of three popular investment strategies and offer important keys to success regardless of your approach.

Eric Balchunas, Senior ETF Analyst at Bloomberg, discusses his new book “The Institutional ETF Toolbox“, which seeks to help all investors better understand and utilize ETFs. Nate & Jason also offer some perspective on the U.S. stock bull market turning seven years old.

Brad Loncar, Head of Loncar Investments, joins us in studio to spotlight the index behind the Loncar Cancer Immunotherapy ETF (CNCR) and discuss the innovation occurring in cancer treatment. Nate and Conor also explain why ETFs can be an excellent way to access the biotech space in general.

Ben Fulton, ETF industry pioneer & CEO of Elkhorn Investments, talks about the early days of ETFs and the continued innovation since. Ben also spotlights the Elkhorn S&P 500 Capital Expenditures ETF (CAPX) and the Elkhorn FTSE RAFI U.S. Equity Income ETF (ELKU). Nate & Conor explain how you can get paid to own ETFs.

Investment costs are one of the few things you can control in investing. We examine new research from Morningstar on the relationship between the cost and performance of the funds you invest in. Tadas Viskanta, Founder & Editor of Abnormal Returns, offers his perspective on the importance of investor behavior and the proliferation of ETFs.

In a world with negative interest rates, how do you begin to make sense of the investment landscape? Nate & Conor explore the concept of negative rates and offer some takeaways for investors. Kevin DiSano, Chief Portfolio Strategist at IndexIQ, also discusses negative rates and highlights several ETFs to consider in this environment.

Institutional investors continue to increase their use of ETFs. We explain the reasons why and what you can learn from these professional investors. Also, PureFunds CEO Andrew Chanin spotlights ETFs covering cyber security, mobile payment technologies, and big data.

Dave Mazza, Head of Research for SPDR ETFs at StateStreet Global Advisors, spotlights the recently launched SPDR FactSet Innovative Technology ETF (XITK). Nate and Conor also discuss the latest buzz coming out of ETF.com’s Inside ETFs conference, the industry’s largest event.

When market turmoil hits, some investors naturally begin reevaluating their investment advisor. We discuss five key questions to ask before hiring a new advisor, as outlined in the Kansas City Business Journal. We also answer our listener question of the month and explain the merits of a momentum-based risk management strategy.

With stocks struggling to begin the year, we evaluate the state of the U.S. economy with the help of Michael Strain, Deputy Director of Economic Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. We also discuss The Economist Magazine’s latest Big Mac Index and spotlight a pair of WisdomTree currency-themed ETFs.

2015 was another banner year for ETFs, with investors putting more money into ETFs than the flows into index funds, active mutual funds, and hedge funds combined! We explain the significance. Wes Gray, CEO & Chief Investment Officer at Alpha Architect, also spotlights their new momentum-focused ETFs.

At the beginning of every new year, so-called experts run rampant with financial market predictions. We explain the allure of such predictions and examine their track record of accuracy. We also spotlight the recently launched Pacer AutoPilot Hedged European Index ETF (ticker PAEU), which offers a unique twist on currency hedging.

We revisit some of our favorite guest interviews from the second half of 2015 including Morningstar’s Ben Johnson on active versus passive management, ETF.com’s Matt Hougan on the continued rise of ETFs, and Vanguard’s Ed Saracino on bonds and bond ETFs.

Tushar Yadava, Investment Strategist at iShares, looks back on the year that was in stocks and looks ahead to 2016. Nate & Conor also discuss recent ETF fee reductions from iShares and spotlight the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG).

Jeremy Schwartz, Director of Research at WisdomTree, breaks down the decision of whether or not to hedge currency exposure in your international stock positions. Nate & Conor also spotlight the WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity ETF (ticker DXJ).

Jimmy Houlehan, CPA & Partner with Boan, Connealy, & Houlehan, joins us in studio to talk year-end tax planning moves. Nate & Conor also explain why ETFs can offer greater tax efficiency than mutual funds.

Nate & Jason discuss key items to tackle before year-end to keep your investments and finances on track. Sean O’Hara, Director of Pacer Financial, spotlights the Pacer lineup of ETFs including the Trendpilot 750 ETF (PTLC).

Alpha Architect’s Jack Vogel, one of the authors of “DIY Financial Advisor“, discusses key investor takeaways from his new book including why you should be wary of “investment experts”. Nate & Jason also spotlight the ValueShares International Quantitative Value ETF (ticker IVAL).

Ed Saracino, Senior Investment Analyst at Vanguard, discusses navigating bonds in today’s challenging environment and also spotlights several Vanguard bond ETFs. Nate & Conor explain the differences between investing in individual bonds, bond mutual funds, and bond ETFs.

We answer your ETF questions including on ‘ETFs of ETFs’ and low volatility ETFs. Neil Macneale, owner of the 2-for-1 Index which powers the USCF Stock Split ETF (TOFR), explains stock splits and why he believes investors can benefit from them.

Leading ETF research firm ETF.com recently published a list of the 15 most important ETFs. Nate & Jason discuss these ETF industry game changers. Kevin Kelly, Chief Investment Officer at Recon Capital Partners, also spotlights the NASDAQ 100 Covered Call ETF (QYLD).