The Blunt Dollar

Jonathan Nurick, Co-founder and CIO of DivGrow, blends dividend research, behavioral finance, and long-term compounding. He discusses the 30x-in-30-years framework and why 12% returns are realistic. He explores how dividends act as a feedback signal, why boring businesses often win, and how designing emotional systems and simple reporting helps investors stay the course.

Vikram Josyula, a portfolio strategist who uses machine learning and regime-detection to adapt portfolios, discusses detecting regime shifts early and why predicting cycles often fails. He covers rolling correlations, behavioral traps in factor interpretation, crowding and unwind signals, AI as analytic 'jet fuel', and designing portfolios to survive drawdowns.

What if your bank didn’t just serve you but actually knew you? In this episode, I sit down with Driss Temsamani, Head of Digital at Citi, who’s not just leading a transformation. He’s reimagining what a financial institution can be.Driss has an incredible story. He immigrated to the US from Morocco at 17 with just $ 200 in his pocket and went on to help shape the infrastructure of global banking. Today, he’s pioneering the concept of the agentic bank, a vision for how AI and intelligent systems will reshape finance from the inside out.Here’s what we cover in the episode:💡 How a learning disability and an old Atari computer unlocked a lifelong passion for technology🌍 The leap of faith that took him from Casablanca to Fort Lauderdale and changed his life🏦 What the agentic bank is and how it’s redefining banking as we know it🤖 Real-world examples of AI agents in treasury and client servicing, and what’s coming next🔮 Why blockchain and AI must come together to build the next generation financial infrastructureIf you're into big ideas, digital banking, and raw stories of resilience and reinvention, this one is for you.Oh, and if you haven't already... subscribe to The Blunt Dollar for more raw and honest finance conversations.New episodes drop every other week! Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.And last, but not least, don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignacio-ramirez-moreno-cfa/Enjoy the episode!Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Listeners should consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions.

Sefian Kasem, Global Head of ETF and Indexing Investment Specialists at HSBC with a PhD in mathematical finance, talks ETFs as the building blocks of portfolios. He reframes the active vs passive debate. He covers ETF uses for tactical allocation, the rise of faith-based and thematic ETFs, and how Europe is innovating its ETF market.

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Lucy Walker, fintech founder, former fund researcher, and boardroom powerhouse, for a deep dive into the future of fund research and distribution. Lucy shares the story behind building AM Insights, a sleek mobile-first platform born out of frustration with clunky legacy systems. We talk entrepreneurship, sales effectiveness, and the community she built almost by accident, that’s now 400 plus women strong.🔹 From managing £1B to founding AM Insights: why Lucy left institutional comfort for startup chaos🔹 The painful inefficiencies of traditional fund research tools and what AM Insights is doing differently🔹 What makes a great fund salesperson today (hint: it’s not a long deck or a bottle of red)🔹 How personalization and AI are transforming how fund selectors work🔹 Building “Women in Distribution”: How a single LinkedIn post sparked a thriving community of women in financeIf you’re into fintech innovation, fund selection, and honest career pivots in asset management, this one’s for you.Oh, and if you haven't already... subscribe to The Blunt Dollar for more raw and honest finance conversations.New episodes drop every other week! Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.And last, but not least, don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignacio-ramirez-moreno-cfa/Enjoy the episode!Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Listeners should consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions.

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Phil Rosen, a former Business Insider reporter turned media entrepreneur, whose journey from literary fiction to launching one of the fastest-growing finance newsletters in the game is anything but typical.Phil is the cofounder of Opening Bell Daily, a high-impact financial newsletter read by investors around the world and syndicated by Inc. Magazine and Bloomberg Terminals. He also hosts Full Signal, a show that breaks down market trends and interviews top thinkers in finance and tech.We discuss the tectonic shift in financial media, how AI is reshaping content creation, and what it takes to build a sustainable voice in a noisy digital world.✅ From Business Insider to building an independent media empire 📈✅ Why volume still wins and how to scale without burning out 🔥✅ Legacy media’s trust problem and the rise of individual brands 🧱✅ How AI is changing the game and how Phil uses it daily 🤖✅ Storytelling, stoicism, and simplifying finance for real people 📚If you like media disruption, creator-led finance, and sharp takes on the future of content, this one’s for you.Oh, and if you haven't already... subscribe to The Blunt Dollar for more raw and honest finance conversations.New episodes drop every other week! Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.And last, but not least, don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignacio-ramirez-moreno-cfa/Enjoy the episode!Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Listeners should consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions.

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down for the third time with Lucy Baldwin, Global Head of Research at Citi, to unpack what it really takes to lead one of the largest and most influential research platforms in the world. With a career spanning Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, and Credit Suisse, Lucy offers a candid, thoughtful look at how research, leadership, and markets are evolving in an era defined by AI, information overload, and constant disruption. Together, we explore how great research is built, how to think independently in a consensus driven industry, and why curiosity, structure, and storytelling matter more than ever.💡 What the day-to-day life of a Global Head of Research actually looks like at a truly global institution🤖 How AI is reshaping equity research, analyst productivity, and competitive advantage across industries📊 The balance between speed and depth in research in a world that demands instant insights🎯 What separates great analysts from good ones, and how to build real differentiation with clients🚀 Career advice for young professionals navigating finance in a rapidly changing job marketIf you like conversations about markets, research, leadership, and the future of finance, this one’s for you.Oh, and if you haven't already... subscribe to The Blunt Dollar for more raw and honest finance conversations.New episodes drop every other week! Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.And last, but not least, don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignacio-ramirez-moreno-cfa/Enjoy the episode!Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Listeners should consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions.

John Haslett is not your typical finance COO. As cofounder of Graphite Asset Advisory, John brings a rare blend of risk discipline, storytelling flair, and market intuition that sets him apart in the world of discretionary fund management. Named a Top 10 LinkedIn Voice in South African finance, John has built a firm that has never lost a single client or team member in over a decade. In this episode, we dive deep into how he did it and what it means to truly play the long game in both markets and life.🔍 From auditing structured finance in the 2008 crisis to building a human centered investment firm🧠 How behavioral risk, not just portfolio theory, drives Graphite’s asset allocation📈 Why both value and growth managers are outperforming and what it signals for active investing🤖 The creative power of AI in finance and John's process behind the Green and Bear It letter🏉 What rugby, deadlifting, and raising a daughter taught him about long term thinkingIf you are into resilience, market psychology, and the future of asset management, this one is for you.Oh, and if you haven't already... subscribe to The Blunt Dollar for more raw and honest finance conversations.New episodes drop every other week! Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.And last, but not least, don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignacio-ramirez-moreno-cfa/Enjoy the episode!Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Listeners should consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions.

Karl Rogers, CIO at Elkstone and former prop trader in commodities and US electricity, builds investment platforms and teaches finance. He recounts trading in oil and power and explains how that experience reshaped his approach. He challenges forecasting, defends scenario-based portfolio construction, and explores behavioral armor, alternatives to 60/40, and practical steps to avoid panic selling.

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, we sit down with Andrew Spence, founder and CEO of Aspen, one of the UK’s fastest-growing model portfolio service (MPS) providers.From his early career in marine engineering to a life-altering health scare that reshaped his outlook, Andrew shares the pivotal moments that led him to build Aspen with a clean slate and a mission to add real value to wealth management.We dive into how Aspen challenges the "me too" nature of the MPS industry, why most risk profiling is broken, and how goal-based investing can reshape the advisor-client conversation.Key topics covered:🔧 How engineering principles and a brush with mortality inspired Aspen’s no-nonsense, tech-forward approach to portfolio management🧠 Why the current risk profiling system fails both advisors and clients, and what a better framework could look like🌦️ Inside Aspen’s flagship Four Seasons portfolio and the thinking behind modular strategies like core versus satellite investing💰 A candid breakdown of the false binary between low-cost index funds and high-fee managers, and what real value should mean in MPS🤖 The impact of AI on wealth management and why the advisor’s human role is still irreplaceable for nowIf you’re interested in goal-based investing, fixing broken financial frameworks, and building things that truly matter, this one’s for you.Oh, and if you haven't already... subscribe to The Blunt Dollar for more raw and honest finance conversations.New episodes drop every other week! Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.And last, but not least, don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignacio-ramirez-moreno-cfa/Enjoy the episode!Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Listeners should consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions.