The Rational Reminder Podcast

• 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, and Hard to Be Human. Ted brings a rare combination of experience in both finance and cognitive psychology, having helped introduce index investing to Canada before turning his attention to how human thinking itself often misleads us. Ted shares inside stories from his time at CIBC—how he tried to make the bank an indexing leader in the late 1990s, the pushback he faced, and why he still believes so deeply in indexing today. Then, the conversation turns to human cognition: why our brains evolved for simplicity, certainty, and emotion, and how those traits can sabotage both our portfolios and our peace of mind. From "greedy reductionism" and "certainty addiction" to emotional overreaction and competing selves, Ted unpacks the five cognitive design flaws that make it hard to be human—and how metacognition and mindfulness can help us overcome them. Key Points From This Episode:   (0:04) Introduction to the Rational Reminder Podcast and hosts. (0:18) Cameron's story about rediscovering The Power of Index Funds and reconnecting with Ted Cadsby. (2:21) How Ted brought index investing to CIBC and tried to make the bank a leader in indexing. (5:58) Why assessing active managers taught Ted about randomness, noise, and the illusion of skill. (8:42) The moment Ted "saw the light" on indexing—and why randomness, not market efficiency, is the real obstacle for active managers. (12:54) How Ted tried to implement index investing at CIBC and the cultural resistance he faced. (15:05) The goals of The Power of Index Funds (1999) and how he tied indexing to human behavior. (18:49) How his indexing push created internal conflict at CIBC and ultimately led to his departure. (23:23) The influence of John Bogle and Vanguard on Ted's mission to bring indexing to Canada. (26:59) Why he's still passionate about indexing, and what worries him about private equity. (31:44) How human cognition and philosophy led him from finance to exploring how we think. (34:46) The "Big Five" cognitive design flaws that shape human decision-making:  1. Greedy reductionism – our urge to oversimplify complex systems.  2. Certainty addiction – craving the feeling of knowing, even when we're wrong.  3. Emotional hostage-taking – overreacting and ruminating.  4. Competing selves – inner conflicts between present and future selves.  5. Misguided search for meaning – overextending our need for purpose. (44:11) Why modern life amplifies these flaws and how System 1 (automatic) and System 2 (deliberate) thinking play into it. (48:00) The human superpower: metacognition—our ability to think about thinking. (49:57) How mindfulness and a "meditative stance" help us use metacognition daily. (53:57) Why knowing your biases isn't enough—emotional regulation is the real challenge. (56:27) How to recognize triggers for deeper reflection and System 2 thinking. (1:00:34) How systems thinking and better questions can combat our reductionist tendencies. (1:05:57) Why our addiction to certainty fuels overconfidence and poor decisions. (1:08:43) How humility, probabilistic thinking, and skepticism can make us wiser investors and humans. (1:11:39) When to listen to emotions—and when to treat them as cognitive red flags. Links From Today's Episode: Meet with PWL Capital: https://calendly.com/d/3vm-t2j-h3p Rational Reminder on iTunes — https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-rational-reminder-podcast/id1426530582. Rational Reminder Website — https://rationalreminder.ca/  Rational Reminder on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/rationalreminder/ Rational Reminder on X — https://x.com/RationalRemindRational Reminder on TikTok — www.tiktok.com/@rationalreminder Rational Reminder on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/ Rational Reminder Email — [email protected] Felix — https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/ Benjamin on X — https://x.com/benjaminwfelix Benjamin on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminwfelix/ Dan Bortolotti — https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/ Dan Bortolotti on LinkedIn — https://ca.linkedin.com/in/dan-bortolotti-8a482310 Cameron Passmore — https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/ Cameron on X — https://x.com/CameronPassmore Cameron on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronpassmore/ Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)  

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• 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 concepts that every investor should understand before diving deep into portfolio construction or market theory. Drawing from Ben's original "Investing 101" presentation and years of client experience, the trio lay out why investing matters, how inflation shapes your future, what stocks and bonds really represent, and why a disciplined, evidence-based approach beats prediction and luck every time. They unpack core ideas like financial independence, risk versus volatility, global diversification, and market efficiency, then connect them to practical tools like ETFs and Vanguard's asset allocation funds. Key Points From This Episode:   (0:00:24) Why this episode revisits "Investing 101"—inspired by a listener still unsure how to begin. (0:05:03) Why investing matters: inflation erodes purchasing power, investing fights back. (0:06:33) The math of compounding: how a 7% return versus 2% changes your retirement entirely. (0:10:57) Saving early and often: habit formation beats late-life catch-up. (0:11:53) The trade-off between saving more and taking more investment risk. (0:14:04) Utility theory and the psychology of saving when young. (0:16:39) Marginal utility: when more money no longer adds happiness or purpose. (0:20:47) Stocks and bonds explained: ownership versus lending and the role of each. (0:23:11) The Japan story: a cautionary tale about chasing past winners. (0:26:49) Narrative investing: why investors love stories and get burned by them. (0:30:19) Market capitalization weighting—how global prices tell you what to own. (0:33:42) The stock market is not the economy: why news headlines mislead investors. (0:37:14) The power of diversification: why most individual stocks fail—and a few drive all returns. (0:41:56) Bonds, volatility, and inflation risk—why "safe" assets aren't risk-free. (0:44:41) Building your mix: matching volatility tolerance with long-term goals. (0:45:10) The behavioral challenge: risk is only useful if you can stay invested. (0:48:08) Active management as gambling: adding unrewarded noise to your portfolio. (0:51:43) The paradox of skill: why markets punish even brilliant active managers. (0:55:51) Efficient markets and Eugene Fama: the evidence that prices already reflect all information. (1:00:20) How small fees compound into big losses over decades. (1:03:07) The behavioral hurdle of indexing: trusting a system with "no one at the wheel." (1:04:54) The real value of financial advice: behavior, discipline, and holistic planning. (1:07:24) Implementing the plan: how asset allocation ETFs simplify everything. (1:11:41) Rebalancing and emotion: why automation protects investors from themselves. (1:14:24) Paying a bit more for simplicity: why 0.10% in fees can be worth it. Links From Today's Episode: Meet with PWL Capital: https://calendly.com/d/3vm-t2j-h3p Rational Reminder on iTunes — https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-rational-reminder-podcast/id1426530582. Rational Reminder Website — https://rationalreminder.ca/  Rational Reminder on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/rationalreminder/ Rational Reminder on X — https://x.com/RationalRemindRational Reminder on TikTok — www.tiktok.com/@rationalreminder Rational Reminder on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/ Rational Reminder Email — [email protected] Felix — https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/ Benjamin on X — https://x.com/benjaminwfelix Benjamin on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminwfelix/ Dan Bortolotti — https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/ Dan Bortolotti on LinkedIn — https://ca.linkedin.com/in/dan-bortolotti-8a482310 Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)  

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• 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 his new book, Fixed: Why Personal Finance Is Broken and How to Make It Work for Everyone, co-authored with Tarun Ramadorai. John argues that the financial system—while essential—is failing ordinary people through complexity, hidden costs, and misplaced incentives. Drawing on decades of research in household finance, he explains why products are too expensive, advice too conflicted, and decisions too difficult, and how policy and design can fix it. Key Points From This Episode:   (0:04) Introduction – Rational Reminder's focus on sensible investing and decision-making. (1:46) Why Canadian finance feels broken: complexity, branding, and lack of competition. (4:53) Introducing John Y. Campbell and his new book Fixed. (5:43) The role of the financial system in everyday life: smoothing income, enabling investment, and managing risk. (7:14) The two main problems in modern finance—products are too complicated and too expensive. (9:17) Why financial decisions are so hard: our brains didn't evolve for math, and temptation bias wins. (11:36) How far financial literacy education really helps—and its limits for inequality. (14:26) The "corruption of capitalism": how capitalists exploit consumer confusion and misperceived value. (18:15) Cross-subsidies: how the mistakes of the poor often subsidize the wealthy. (21:05) Competition only works when consumers can compare price and quality. (22:15) Financial innovation—when technology helps vs. when it deceives. (24:24) Conflicts of interest in advice: why "trusted" advisors often don't act in clients' best interests. (26:26) Why loyal, long-term bank customers often get worse deals. (27:20) The illusion of opting out: why avoiding finance (or choosing crypto) is "jumping out of the frying pan into the fire." (30:24) The global emergency-savings problem—why volatility hits the poor hardest. (32:26) Is college worth it? Returns, costs, and who actually benefits. (35:47) How to think rationally about buying versus renting a home. (38:16) Housing in retirement—why reverse mortgages make sense but are misunderstood. (40:25) Mortgage mistakes: not shopping, not refinancing, and the racial gap that results. (44:41) Using utility theory to make better insurance and investment choices. (46:55) Principles for investing in stocks: participate, diversify, minimize fees, and ignore short-term noise. (48:24) How real investor behavior deviates from these principles—chasing returns and confusing investing with gambling. (51:17) Insurance mistakes: overinsuring small risks, underinsuring big ones. (54:11) How much to save for retirement—and how most people fall short. (55:40) Lifecycle investing: why target-date funds are good but could be better. (57:56) Why annuities make sense, and how better framing could make them more popular. (59:30) Technology's double edge: lower costs but higher temptation and discrimination. (1:02:17) Lessons from crypto: why stablecoins matter and what regulators should learn. (1:05:26) From nudge to shove: how governments should actively design simpler, safer products. (1:10:02) Where regulation goes too far—and why governments shouldn't run finance directly. (1:13:10) Priority areas for reform: retirement accounts, transaction accounts, and insurance. (1:14:49) The four design principles for a better system: simple, cheap, safe, easy. Links From Today's Episode:   Meet with PWL Capital: https://calendly.com/d/3vm-t2j-h3p Rational Reminder on iTunes — https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-rational-reminder-podcast/id1426530582.  Rational Reminder Website — https://rationalreminder.ca/  Rational Reminder on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/rationalreminder/ Rational Reminder on X — https://x.com/RationalRemind Rational Reminder on TikTok — www.tiktok.com/@rationalreminder Rational Reminder on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/ Rational Reminder Email — [email protected] Benjamin Felix — https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/ Benjamin on X — https://x.com/benjaminwfelix Benjamin on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminwfelix/ Cameron Passmore — https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/ Cameron on X — https://x.com/CameronPassmore Cameron on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronpassmore/   Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

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• 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—from covered call ETFs and dividend tax credits to currency hedging, bond mechanics, leverage, and career reflections. They open with a striking quote from Harvard economist John Campbell on how markets cater to perceived benefits rather than real ones—a perfect setup for their recent discussions on the rise of covered call ETFs.   Key Points From This Episode: (0:59) John Campbell's quote on capitalism's tendency to meet perceived rather than rational needs—and how that perfectly describes the financial industry. (3:44) Covered calls as the perfect example: products that respond to investor demand for yield, not what's actually in their best interest. (4:49) Dan compares income-chasing in covered call ETFs to Apple's marketing genius—except in finance, the benefits flow mostly to issuers, not investors. (5:48) Why dividend bias was relatively harmless, but the covered call craze is not—and how new ETFs "multiply like rabbits." (7:46) Ben's analysis: in every example studied, covered call investors ended up with less wealth than those holding the underlying equities. (8:13) The hidden trade-off: holding covered call ETFs is like keeping 25–30% of your portfolio in cash for a decade. (9:33) Lighter interlude: Dan teases Ben about his lentil (and later cabbage) lunches. (9:59) First AMA question: Are domestic dividend tax credits already priced into stock valuations? (Short answer: partially, depending on investor composition.) (12:13) Why even if tax benefits are "priced in," Canadians with favorable tax rates still come out ahead. (15:58) Hedging currencies in commodity economies like Canada and Australia—when it helps, when it hurts, and why there's no perfect answer. (18:48) Dan explains why unhedged portfolios can actually be less volatile for Canadians and why most hedging is imprecise and costly in practice. (20:03) Behavioral perspective: splitting the difference between hedged and unhedged can be the "strategy of least regret." (21:06) Bonds demystified—why falling prices during rising rates affect funds and individual bonds equally. (22:22) Understanding duration: bond ETFs are designed to stay at a target maturity, while individual bonds age toward zero duration. (26:03) How rising yields actually improve financial plans by boosting future expected returns. (29:08) Choosing the right bond fund duration based on your time horizon and liabilities. (33:39) Are recent bond losses an anomaly? Ben and Dan explain how decades of falling rates created unrealistic expectations. (36:21) The role of unexpected rate changes in bond volatility—and why central banks don't control long-term yields. (38:01) Market-cap weighting: why it remains the most defensible way to allocate across countries and sectors. (41:48) What's changed their thinking after six years of Rational Reminder—from Scott Cederberg's asset allocation data to the behavioral power of homeownership. (45:13) The Horizons/Global X ETF debate: how swap-based, corporate-class structures create tax efficiency—and why that efficiency could vanish. (50:42) Why PWL avoids these products: potential hidden tax liabilities and lack of transparency for clients. (54:31) Borrowing to invest: Ben outlines why leverage works in theory—but Dan explains why most investors shouldn't touch it. (57:25) New "modest leverage" ETFs (125% exposure) as a more behavioral-friendly version of borrowing to invest. (1:00:36) Fulfillment and frustration in finance: helping people achieve peace of mind vs. seeing deception still rampant in the industry. (1:03:09) Five years of Vanguard's all-in-one ETFs (like VEQT): how they've delivered exactly what they promised and reshaped DIY investing in Canada. (1:07:47) Why these "one-ticket" portfolios remain the biggest innovation in Canadian investing—and why global diversification matters more than ever. (1:08:50) Revisiting bonds in retirement: what to expect when they don't offset stock volatility, and how to rethink risk management beyond yield-chasing.   Links From Today's Episode: Meet with PWL Capital: https://calendly.com/d/3vm-t2j-h3p Rational Reminder on iTunes — https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-rational-reminder-podcast/id1426530582. Rational Reminder Website — https://rationalreminder.ca/ Rational Reminder on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/rationalreminder/ Rational Reminder on X — https://x.com/RationalRemind Rational Reminder on TikTok — www.tiktok.com/@rationalreminder Rational Reminder on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/ Rational Reminder Email — [email protected] Benjamin Felix — https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/ Benjamin on X — https://x.com/benjaminwfelix Benjamin on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminwfelix/ Dan Bortolotti — https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/ Dan Bortolotti on LinkedIn — https://ca.linkedin.com/in/dan-bortolotti-8a482310   Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

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• 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 studying US financial history. Mark brings his wealth of knowledge as a financial historian to the show as he shares the value of studying financial history, the role the financial system plays in the overall success of the US, and the impact Alexander Hamilton made on the country. We unpack government debt, the concerning levels of it in America, and the impact of having a central bank before discussing what happens, historically, when a bank is unregulated. Mark describes some early warning signs of a bubble, touches on the historical origins of flawed financial practices, and shares some important lessons we can learn from the history of the US financial system. Hear all about alternative asset classes, evergreen funds, and red flags in the private market. Finally, our guest tells us how he defines his own personal and professional success. This conversation sheds light on the history of finance in the USA and how we can learn from it, so be sure to tune in now!   Key Points From This Episode: (0:00:00) An introduction to Mark Higgins and an overview of today's topics of discussion.  (0:04:16) The value of studying financial history and the role the financial system plays in the USA as a whole.  (0:06:33) Why Alexander Hamilton stands out in US financial history and the importance of government debt.  (0:09:29) Mark discusses the concerning debt levels in America and the impact of having a central bank. (0:12:29) What happens when banking is unregulated, and key themes across major US financial depressions. (0:16:48) Some early warning signs of a bubble and the problematic nature of speculation and comparison.  (0:19:42) Historical parallels for crypto and meme stocks and the historical origin of flawed practices in the investment industry.  (0:24:27) Mark shares some of the most important lessons we can learn from US financial history and what we may have to relearn in the future.  (0:27:41) Alternative asset classes, why so much has been allocated to them in recent history, and how modern portfolio theory is abused in the promotion of alternative investments.  (0:33:56) Mark shares his thoughts on 'evergreen funds', why they are so flawed, and their effects.  (0:39:51) The biggest red flags in private markets today and what he thinks will happen if retail starts taking up private assets.  (0:43:03) How often Mark sees institutions being sold alternatives, and why trustees of these institutions have to be different.  (0:49:23) Mark tells us how he defines success in his life on a personal and professional level.     Links From Today's Episode: Meet with PWL Capital: https://calendly.com/d/3vm-t2j-h3p Rational Reminder on iTunes — https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-rational-reminder-podcast/id1426530582. Rational Reminder Website — https://rationalreminder.ca/  Rational Reminder on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/rationalreminder/ Rational Reminder on X — https://x.com/RationalRemindRational Reminder on TikTok — www.tiktok.com/@rationalreminder Rational Reminder on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/ Rational Reminder Email — [email protected] Felix — https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/ Benjamin on X — https://x.com/benjaminwfelix Benjamin on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminwfelix/ Cameron Passmore — https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/ Cameron on X — https://x.com/CameronPassmore Cameron on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronpassmore/ Mark Higgins on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhiggins/    Books From Today's Episode: Investing in US Financial History: Understanding the Past to Forecast the Future — https://enlightenedinvestor.com/  Security Analysis — https://www.amazon.com/Security-Analysis-Principles-Benjamin-Graham/dp/007141228X  Pioneering Portfolio Management — https://www.amazon.com/Pioneering-Portfolio-Management-Unconventional-Institutional/dp/1416544690    Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).

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