Enterprising Investor

In Episode #367, Psychologist and behavioral finance expert Dr. Daniel Crosby helps unlock investor behavior by explaining the four primary psychological tendencies that affect investment decision making and discussing how advisers can build rules-based behavioral portfolios for their clients.

In Episode #366, Brian Portnoy, CFA, explains wealth is "funded contentment." It is the ability to underwrite a meaningful life however one chooses to define that. Being rich is having "more." In this episode, Dr. Portnoy discusses his latest book, The Geometry of Wealth, explains what drives a more meaningful life, and shares how financial advisers should be coaches who can help their clients underwrite a life of meaning.

In Episode #366, Professor Mihir Desai talks about his book "The Wisdom of Finance - discovering humanity in a world of risk and return."

In Episode #365, we take a brief look at the US-China trade wars, to elections in India, and the ongoing Brexit debate. Never has there been a time when markets seem so closely connected with so many large-impact events unwinding.

In Episode #364, we walk about the difference between risk and uncertainty, and what implication does this difference have for decision making? This distinction is important in finance where pricing and investment decisions often use complex models that use assumed distribution to encapsulate risk. In reality, however, it can be argued that the future is inherently one of uncertainty and cannot be captured via a probability distribution and that a heuristic approach to decision making might be optimal. This leads to the proposition that less is more and that a heuristic approach, using less information, can produce better outcomes than a complex model dependent on numerous assumptions.

In Episode #363, Mithu Storoni, an eye surgeon who holds a PhD in Neuro-ophthalmology and author of the book "Stress-Proof," explains that chronic stress is changing the structure of the brain, thinning the part that carries the seat of sophisticated decision making and this is a problem for investors today because we have to compete with artificial intelligence (AI).

In Episode #362, Marko Papic, chief political strategist and senior vice president at BCA Research, discusses a variety of geopolitical risks, including the rise and implications of populism, the biggest threat to the single market in Europe, what's happening in China, and whether US President Donald Trump will be re-elected in 2020. He also provides investors an update on geopolitical risks to watch in 2019.

In Episode #361, we talk with Ken Sena and Bryan Healey, co-founders of Aiera, an adaptive, deep-learning platform designed to enhance active fundamental investment strategies. Aiera is also short for "artificially intelligent equity research analyst."

In Episode #359, Caitlin Long, a Wall Street veteran who has been a blockchain evangelist since 2014 and bitcoin since 2012, discusses bitcoin, blockchain myths versus reality, cryptocurrencies, why the world needs more systemic thinkers, how Satoshi Nakamoto solved the "Byzantine Generals Problem", and more.

In Episode #358, BlackRock's chief equity strategist, Kate Moore, tells viewers what she is counseling clients, offers advice on building a portfolio that is adequately defensive, and shares her outlook on China, among other things. She also discusses traits that make for the best investors and "the number one thing" that has contributed to her career success.