WCI #456: Alternative Investments with Larry Swedroe

8 snips

Jan 29, 2026

Larry Swedroe, author and investment researcher known for evidence-based investing. He tackles AI valuation and whether today’s tech surge is a bubble. He argues for value, international exposure, and patience. He breaks down alternatives—from real estate and reinsurance to crypto and private credit—and explains why some illiquid strategies can work and which to avoid.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Pickleball, Injury, And Daily Research Routine

Larry plays pickleball every day and tore his right rotator cuff recently.
He still spends hours daily reading academic papers and writing accessible summaries for investors.

ADVICE

Don’t Invest In Cryptocurrencies

Avoid investing in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ether; Larry sees no logical valuation case.
Judge strategies by decision quality, not short-term outcomes.

INSIGHT

Gold’s Mixed Track Record Versus Alternatives

Gold can perform as a safe haven but has long periods of poor real returns.
Larry prefers alternatives like reinsurance and private credit as more reliable diversifiers.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Today we're diving into all the stuff everyone seems to be arguing about lately: AI and whether it is actually a bubble, why nobody wants small value, international, or bonds anymore, and what to say to the growing crowd of S&P-500-only investors. We also break down the world of alternative investments in a way that is simple and actually useful, from real estate and crypto to reinsurance, annuities, peer-to-peer loans, commodities, and all the messy complexity in between. And of course, we talk about your new book Enrich Your Future. It is a packed episode, so settle in and enjoy.

Today's episode is brought to us by SoFi, the folks who help you get your money right. Paying off student debt quickly and getting your finances back on track isn't easy, but that's where SoFi can help — they have exclusive, low rates designed to help medical residents refinance student loans—and that could end up saving you thousands of dollars, helping you get out of student debt sooner. SoFi also offers the ability to lower your payments to just $100 a month* while you're still in residency. And if you're already out of residency, SoFi's got you covered there too.

For more information, go to https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/Sofi SoFi Student Loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. Additional terms and conditions apply. NMLS 696891.

The White Coat Investor Podcast launched in January 2017, and since then, millions have downloaded it. Join your fellow physicians and other high income professionals and subscribe today! Host, Dr. Jim Dahle, is a practicing emergency physician and founder of The White Coat Investor blog. Like the blog, The White Coat Investor Podcast is dedicated to educating medical students, residents, physicians, dentists, and similar high-income professionals about personal finance and building wealth, so they can ultimately be their own financial advisor-or at least know enough to not get ripped off by a financial advisor. We tackle the hard topics like the best ways to pay off student loans, how to create your own personal financial plan, retirement planning, how to save money, investing in real estate, side hustles, and how everyone can be a millionaire by living WCI principles.

Website: https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com YouTube: https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/youtube Student Loan Advice: https://studentloanadvice.com TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewhitecoatinvestor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewhitecoatinvestor Twitter: https://twitter.com/WCInvestor Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewhitecoatinvestor Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/whitecoatinvestor Online Courses: https://whitecoatinvestor.teachable.com Newsletter: https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/free-monthly-newsletter

00:00 WCI Podcast #456 03:43 Larry Swedroe Interview 08:17 AI MAG7 Bubble 24:36 Investing in Real Estate 38:28 Investing in Crypto? 42:06 Investing in Reinsurance 54:27 Investing in Private Credit 01:04:44 Optimizing vs. Satisficing 01:07:32 Larry Swedroe's "Enrich Your Future"