#47 — Amber Kanwar: Investing and the Active vs. Passive Debate

Our guest this episode is Amber Kanwar, host of the “In the Money” Podcast and former BNN Bloomberg anchor who has spent over a decade covering financial markets and interviewing hundreds of portfolio managers, CEOs, political leaders and major newsmakers across North America.

In this episode, Dave and Amber explore the world of investing and the ongoing debate between active and passive strategies. They discuss whether active managers can truly beat the market, whether retail investors should pay attention to the daily moves of the stock market and whether strategies like private equity are right for everyday Canadians.They also discuss why women remain underrepresented in finance, the differences in investing behaviour between men and women, and what lessons investors can learn from their mistakes.

It’s a wide-ranging conversation filled with thoughtful insights on investing, markets and the future of the economy.

Show Notes

(00:00) Intro & Disclaimer

(00:55) Intro to Amber Kanwar

(04:08) How Amber’s First-Ever Article Become Front Page News at The Globe and Mail

(08:38) Leaving BNN Bloomberg to Start a Media Company

(13:45) The Debate: Active vs. Passive Investing

(19:38) Hard-Hitting Interviews and Past Performance Metrics

(21:05) Is Private Equity a Good Investment for Retail Investors?

(25:39) Learning From Investing Mistakes

(27:30) Why Are Women Underrepresented in Finance?

(28:30) Investing Differences Between Men and Women (on Average)

(32:38) The Difficulty of Investing Based on Macro Forecasts

(37:56) Outperformance in Small- and Mid-Cap Companies

(40:46) AI and the Impending Loss of Entry-Level Jobs

(43:04) Real Estate Trends

(45:14) Regulation and Business Formation in Canada

(48:14) Talent Retention Challenges for Canadian Businesses 

(50:00) Could Passive Investing Break the Market?

(54:58) Conclusion