Wealth Actually

  We’re back with another “Wealth, Actually” podcast.  This time I got to speak with John Farr, a man who blended his love of movies with the world of movie house restoration.  John Farr has helped restore one historic cinema (The Avon in Stamford) and did it again for the BEDFORD PLAYHOUSE in Bedford, NY.  Boasting a half-century love of great film and a career in advertising, John guides smart audiences to smart films through his website – BEST MOVIES BY FARR. Quick bio- what was your background? Ties to Bedford, career in advertising to interest in movies and that industry . . . Best Movies by Farr . . . tell us how this came to be and what it is. How did you go from being in advertising to becoming urban planner / real estate developer / media mogul? Concept of movie theater as cultural center for a town Brief history of the theater and the closing in 2015.   History of Bedford Playhouse – opened in 1947, It survived my frequent attendance! from 1980 on . . .  What happened in 2015?   Experience with the Avon Theater in Stamford, Jacob Burns in Pleasantville, how did that translate to Bedford? How did you get the various stakeholders around a reinvigorated concept?  How did you meet Ken Horn and how did he get involved? Groundswell and Description of process post-2015. Challenges. What can we look forward to in 2019 and beyond.   What are some of the interesting features that we should be on the lookout for? Favorite movies generally:  Hitchcock, Notorious, Vertigo, Cary Grant Oscar picks How do we stay in touch with the Playhouse, Best Movies by Farr and your other exploits? www.bestmoviesbyfarr.com www.bedfordplayhouse.org Twitter: @BedfordPlayHse Instagram:  @bedfordplayhouse Some additional notes on the history of the Bedford Playhouse: The Bedford Playhouse is a former movie theater located in Bedford, New York which first opened its doors back in April 1947 to much fanfare. It operated continuously in the village for close to seventy years. It had a state of the art sound system and projection, “modern” air conditioning and an exterior designed to blend in with the historic village of Bedford. The owner and designer, Joseph H. Stearns, was a resident of Pound Ridge. In 1983, the theater was divided into two smaller theaters, and much of its majesty and historic nature was lost. In early 2015, the theater closed. A grass roots organization was formed under the leadership of Bedford resident John Farr, with the goal of transforming it into a not-for-profit arts house cinema, cultural center, and community hub. Over $8 million has been raised since then and construction of the new facility began in Spring, 2017. https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT

I recently spoke with kick-butt entrepreneur, Storey Jones.  She is an expert on divorce and family planning and has founded a company around her expertise.  I’ll let her bio from her startup DTOUR.LIFE tell the story: INTRODUCTION “Been there. Done that. Survived and thrived. In 1998 Storey Jones married a technology entrepreneur. By 2001 his company had executed a successful IPO and then an accounting scandal brought everything crashing down leaving her in a highly complex seven-year legal quagmire that included every unimaginable financial and emotional challenge including a protracted high-conflict divorce and custody battle. Though she lost everything including her home, possessions, savings & retirement, she gained a purpose. She recognized the glaring chasm between the human experience of divorce and the legal system; she developed a new business model as a divorce consultant to assist men and women in becoming far more informed, prepared and supported as they navigate their own unique processes. She also worked closely with divorce legal teams to help their clients be better prepared participants in their own divorce. After 12 years as a divorce consultant in the San Francisco Bay area, Storey has now leveraged that experience to build the first holistic end-to-end platform for divorce to bring innovation and technology to an outdated system. She is determined to change the experience by providing education and smart efficiency with expansive day-to-day tools that are designed so both clients and professionals can seamlessly work on and understand the same financial and other case-related data. dtour.life is designed from the ground up to fundamentally redefine this life transition for both spouses and professionals. Prior to founding Lemon Tree Advisors and dtour.life, Storey was president of Addis, a bay area brand strategy and design firm where for 13 years she was integral to its growth and vision. Storey now lives in New York City with her teenage son; she has a B.A. from Colgate University.” We covered an enormous amount of ground and I’m excited for you to hear her story: Tell us a little bit about your background and help us understand how you came to start dtour.life “I have a business background and when I found myself quite suddenly and surprisingly in the middle of a highly complex, expensive and protracted divorce at a young age. I realize now how naïve I was, and through my process, I was horrified at the system, the inefficient process and the lack of accountability of the professionals. It was one of those classic “If only I knew then what I know now,” and I couldn’t bear to think of anyone else going through it with the blind faith in the system that I had, so I developed a divorce consultancy to work with families. I had a consultancy for about 10+ years in the SF Bay area. Then, during those years, with a front row seat to the day-to-day workflow process, I had my second epiphany when I realized what was actually the root cause of so much of the massive cost and protracted timelines…that is what led me to develop and found dtour.life…)” How does the process of divorce typically play out?  There are four fundamental layers to divorce: Emotional Financial Children Post-Divorce Lifestyle   Who are the advisers that surround this process?  Traditionally, everyone believes they just need a lawyer, is that still true? Are there other advisors to be considered? I prefer a team model, and at first that might sound expensive, but in fact, it is the most efficient and cost-effective model. Every case has a unique set of factors be It the psychological dynamic between the spouses, the complexity of a financial issue, the ownership of a business, difficult child emotional or schedule issues, etc.   As we discussed earlier, divorce is this huge lifestyle arc that affects every single aspect of your life. It so far exceeds simply the legal issues that I encourage everyone to think a little differently about their own situation and what they actually need, and then, how to manage that. What makes this an industry ready to disrupt?   (Or modernize/transform) Many, many factors, but let me start with what I feel are the key reasons why it is not only imperative, but a fact that this industry MUST be disrupted Technologically starved Paper-based system Simplistic level, all about paper Faxing/pdfs Cost and the Systemic issues breaking families Families have evolved to two-income and they cannot afford it We have to streamline it Millennials Will not tolerate Millennial Lawyers will require digital What are the factors that make it so brutal?  We hear all these horrific stories about divorce, so what are the key factors that contribute to it being so difficult? The honest answer is that it is different for everyone. There are unique family-specific issues and there are systemic issues. I consider myself an expert in the human experience of divorce, and what I learned early on is that while there are certainly patterns, every family has a unique set of pain points be it the emotional, the financial, the children, the extended family, the grandfather clock, etc. At the heart of every divorce is the relationship between the two spouses. That dynamic and those behaviors will do a lot to drive the process and then unfortunately, the system takes over. Systemic issues that contribute to the brutality of divorce include the confusion of what to do, how to do it, the enormous cost, the manner in which lawyers conduct themselves, etc. And we think “fair” exists, but everyone has a different version of fair and it can be gut-wrenching to be handed a response to a motion, an evaluation, a support calculation, a judgment, whatever it might be and have it be polar opposite of what you feel is fair and just. What does dtour.life do to help?  Can this be used by both spouses?  Who is the audience and can this be used by both spouses?  How do people see the savings and efficiency? When you launch new technology you have to identify where you believe you can make the biggest difference, immediately.  So in our initial release we have focused on aspects of the day-to-day workflow that we feel is at the core of the inefficiency, inaccuracies cost and protracted timelines. Dtour.life is designed for multiple audiences so that it can have a comprehensive and dimensional impact. It is designed for all spouses and all professionals so that the stakeholders on the team be it the lawyer, the lawyer’s paralegal, the mediator, the financial experts, etc., can have access to the data, real time. And, we are working with corporations to make it available to their employees as an employee benefit due to the disastrous effects divorce have in the workplace. And, we are making t available to all legal aid and pro bono groups for free because we want to support those families in need and the lawyers who give of their time. What’s next/How has the entrepreneurship side of things been? The most difficult product or service to introduce to the market is something new. It is easy to market and sell another form of what we already know. If this was a platform geared to spouses in the middle of or already divorced, we would have more users than we would know what to do with, for one reason. They know exactly what the process is like and value the features. But we are selling to spouses who right now are considering the move, likely haven’t admitted it to anyone, and are just finding the courage to call a lawyer. And, we are selling to family law attorneys and professionals who already have a system, inefficient, if you ask me, but a system that they are loathe to change. Corporations have been very interested in this, but they move at a snails pace, so as with any new technology, we are educating the market, we are designing new and improved features and UX every day, and our team is 100% dedicated to making a difference and this will make a difference. How do we find out more? How do we keep track of your progress? Dtour.life! We keep it updated with new feature announcements and press, and we have an ever-expanding knowledge center with content for anyone who wants to learn more about any aspect of divorce.     https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT  

This is a special “Wealth Actually” podcast.  I spoke with an author and educator that has had a major impact on financial literacy and wealth management.  He is also a terrific guy to boot!  Over the course of our discussion, While I felt like I was nodding my head in agreement a lot (that’s the whoosh near the microphone), My guest’s nuanced views on wealth and his consistent and deep writing taught me a lot about the importance of great advice, clear thinking and long-term planning. Jonathan Clements is the founder and editor of HUMBLEDOLLAR.COM. He’s also the author of eight personal finance books, including his latest, “From Here to Financial Happiness.”  Born in England and educated at Cambridge University, Jonathan spent almost two decades at The Wall Street Journal in New York, where he was the newspaper’s personal finance columnist. He also worked for six years at Citigroup as Director of Financial Education for the U.S. wealth management business.  You can find him on on Twitter (@ClementsMoney) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ClementsMoney) FROM HERE TO FINANCIAL HAPPINESS Background: Tell us a little bit about your background How did your career evolve? How did writing become a part of it? “From Here to Financial Happiness . . . in 77 Days” Where did the need for this book come from? “Just because it’s not complicated doesn’t mean it’s easy!” The Power of Compounding- why it’s vital. I’m impressed with the structure of the book and breaking down self-improvement steps in a series of days.  How did you decide on that? Enjoyed the saving for retirement section.  It has to happen first even though it’s a liability that is farthest away. What works and what doesn’t when trying to teach financial discipline to people whose After tax, After fee, After Inflation (spending); why is it so hard for wealth managers to frame things in these terms? Estate planning – necessary for everyone Friendly debate . . . whole life insurance as a way to save for LTC (instead of LTC insurance);  The emergence of HSA’s . . . Where should you expect an advisor to add value?  Robo-advice, tax advice, sounding board, investment performance State of the wealth management industry . . . fee compression, business models, the role of the advisor, consolidation, service standards Humble Dollar- terrific blog on investing and general financial literacy- what can we do as a country to help make people make better decisions? Contact How can we get a hold of “From Here to Financial Happiness.” How do we find out more about your other writings? How do we keep track of your whereabouts? To find my book, “Wealth, Actually”, click below! https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1/dp/1619618605/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1539574775&sr=1-2&keywords=wealth+actually  

“MUNICIPAL BONDS: THE ORIGINAL IMPACT INVESTMENT?” For this first WA episode, I spoke with Matt Posner the Director of the Impact Coalition.  We attack a bunch of topics centered around the emergence of the municipal bond markets’ increased relevance in the impact investing world.  Matt is helping to coordinate through the efforts of the Impact Coalition. THE IMPACT COALITION (www.theimpactcoalition.com) is working with the largest underwriters, investors, and state and local governments to build a new language to analyze public infrastructure projects. The Coalition allows market practitioners to have a universally recognized Social Rate of Return on projects that improve the daily lives of our communities, and as a result, lower the costs for those that are raising funds for the public good. Matt has spent the last 15 years analyzing the intersection of public policy, financial markets and state and local governments. Prior to the Impact Coalition, Matt was Head of Market Strategy for a venture-backed start-up aiming to modernize public finance through technological advances, called Neighborly. During his tenure there, the firm successfully raised a Series A round and started an asset-management firm with a focus on socially responsible investing. It was during this time that Matt dove into the impact space and realized its true potential to help make positive community changes around the world. Prior to Neighborly, Matt started a consulting and research firm, Court Street Group, which provides weekly analysis of public finance along with several municipal bond market veterans. He is an Advisor to that company and writes for them. He began his career writing about Nuclear Energy and was a Managing Director at a boutique public finance research firm, Municipal Market Advisors. Matt has testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance on infrastructure finance problems facing the country and spent years educating staff in the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, the U.S. Treasury Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission, among others, on public policy and market implications. Matt has been quoted on his views and published in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Bloomberg News, The Bond Buyer, the Municipal Finance Journal, and the Government Finance Officers Association’s Government Finance Review, among others. Matt doesn’t lack for international experience!  He spent most of his childhood abroad in Senegal, The Gambia, Bolivia and Peru. He is a graduate of Georgetown University with degrees in Government and History. The format of our discussion is below. Questions Background: Tell us a little bit about your background How did your career evolve? The Impact Coalition: What problem was it formed to solve?  Why do we need a new language for public infrastructure? What does it do? Who is a part of it? Various issues in the Municipal Space Vast number of public issues Some universal language, some language particular to state law Problems with indexing Intensive manual reading and credit analysis Predicting interest rates Different levels of information Emerging technology AI, ML Active v. Passive Management How would the IC’s work help the RIA community? What is there problem in dealing with clients fixed income needs? Fixed income ignored? Difficult to tell the fixed income story? Difficult to tell the ESG story?  Municipals:  The Original Impact Investment? Munis simply a tax free income play or something more? Tech issues International Investing community Confused by lack of universal vernacular around public infrastructure Interest in infrastructure- unsure about “impact” Little experience in munis- Americans have long retail history- don’t understand the disconnect Grappling with increasing interest rates? Better to go with high dividend equity infrastructure on after tax basis? Contact How do we keep track of the Impact Coalition’s progress?  (www.theimpactcoalition.com) How do we keep track of your whereabouts? Some quick news which you all probably guessed: the Frazer Rice podcast has been rebranded “Wealth, Actually” to align with my new book on the issues around wealth management.  And don’t forget about “Wealth, Actually” the book: https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT

https://frazerrice.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Frazer-Rice-FB-Live.mp4 Thanks to David Grasso, Scott Richmond and the team at Bookstr for having me on their Facebook Live channel.  It’s always a pleasure to discuss “Wealth, Actually.” A link to the book is here and don’t forget to leave comments on the Amazon site. https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT

Here is something that is a little bit new!  I was interviewed on my new book “Wealth, Actually by Josh Jalinksi on his Financial Quarterback show on 710 WOR ad on #iheartradio.  We discussed estate planning, family dynamics, investing and a host of tools that could helpful in making good decisions about wealth.  Thanks again, Josh! To buy “WEALTH, ACTUALLY” on AMAZON, click BELOW . . . Feel free to leave Amazon Reviews (hopefully good ones!).  They help the algorithm. https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT      

With the 2018 midterm elections around the corner, I spoke with Ben Phillips about the impact of policy on the investment world. Ben Phillips serves as the CIO of EventShares, overseeing research and portfolio management for the U.S. Policy Alpha ETF (PLCY). Mr. Phillips previously worked for Goldman Sachs Asset Management, where he had portfolio management responsibilities across several multi-sector total return funds. Prior to GSAM, he held senior investing roles at Providence Equity Partners and Lord Abbett. Mr. Phillips is a CFA charterholder and received an MBA and BSBA in Finance from the University of Missouri. Mr. Phillips works in the firm’s New York office. Background: How do you think about investing at Eventshares? (What is the effect of Policy on the markets) Government affects everything.  How do you break this down and organize your thinking? Once your themes are established how do you implement your findings into good investment ideas? Onto the 2018-2019 political environment: First, what do we make of the general political environment and the effect of Trump? Second, what is the current thinking on the midterms? Onto the specific policy themes that affect investments: Policy themes outlined by Ben: Trade: “Trade continues to be the biggest potential headwind to the market. We expect headline volatility to linger, as markets attempt to decipher if Trump is bluffing on tariffs. While negotiations play out, we prefer to hold U.S. focused companies with minimal foreign currency exposure.” Immigration: “Border arrests trended down in 2017 after Trump assumed office pledging an immigration crackdown. However, 2018 border arrests are increasing as the administration doubles down on its agenda and strengthens border enforcement. We expect this to impact U.S.-Mexico relations and be a defining issue in the midterm elections.” Trucking: “Electronic logging devices (ELDs) continue to be implemented, which we believe will slow trucker productivity. In our view, ELDs are compounding a driver shortage, which will force trucking companies to increase compensation and turn down freight. We prefer to own asset-light companies with exposure to the spot freight market, as well as companies involved in the intermodal and rail markets.” Defense: “The FY 2019 appropriations process is underway in Washington D.C. We continue to expect companies involved in the defense industry to grow their revenues over the upcoming years due to the long lead time of defense contracts and the added tailwind from foreign demand. In our view, aircraft manufacturers and shipbuilders are best positioned to benefit from increased spending.” Refining Spreads: “The U.S. energy boom continues to redefine the energy market. Drilling companies in the Permian Basin are extracting record amounts of oil, but pipeline capacity issues mean not all of it is moving out of the area. Trucking shortages (see above) are exacerbating the issue, causing some drillers to sell at the local Midland spot price to refining companies. The refining companies may then be able to capture the spread by selling the oil at WTI or Brent benchmark prices.” Financial Deregulation: “The Trump administration continues to focus efforts on dismantling the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which is responsible for consumer protection in the financial sector. In our view, this will continue to benefit specialty finance companies, non-traditional lenders, and select regional banks.” Healthcare: “The Affordable Care Act (ACA) continues to be a long-tail policy. After years of fighting the ACA, Republicans appear slightly more willing to expand Medicaid and Medicare, but only under their terms. While risk reduction payments were recently in the headlines after a New Mexico court ruling, we don’t believe they will be stopped under the ACA. In our view, these two items will help stabilize the insurance exchanges and insurer business models.” “The Trump administration also released its drug pricing plan during Q2 2018. In our view, the plan does little to impact drug prices or pharmaceutical company business models.” Midterm Volatility: “Campaign season will kick into high gear during Q3 2018. We expect the political environment to be highly charged. In our view, it’s too early to call midterms as control over the recent Supreme Court vacancy and immigration will be contentious items. Plus, Donald Trump is a master campaigner who gets his base.” Following up with Ben: How can we keep track of your policy thoughts and their impact on the markets: WWW.EVENTSHARES.COM How do we find out more about Eventshares? How do we keep track of your writings? ***This podcast is a educational discussion about the impacts of governmental policy on investments.  It is neither an advertisement, nor an endorsement for Eventshares.***

In Podcast #25, I was able to speak with Bill Yoh, the author of “OUR WAY”. https://www.amazon.com/Our-Way-Life-Story-Spike-ebook/dp/B0786QGZ6K/ In the book, Bill tells the story of Spike Yoh, the driving force behind Day & Zimmermann with un-sugarcoated candor. An embattled son becomes a patriarch. An untested employee becomes a CEO. A husband becomes a caregiver. A student becomes a teacher, and ultimately a student. Spike Yoh’s life story paints a vivid picture of the profound and very human forces that shape leadership. From a troubled childhood that would have propelled most into a cycle of broken relationships and self-doubt, he rewrote the rules of his own life, and in the process built his father’s company into a billion-dollar enterprise. Author, Bill Yoh serves as a speaker, biographer and strategist, helping other family business owners navigate the opportunities and challenges that inevitably arise when personal and professional lives intersect. As a third-generation owner of Day & Zimmermann, his family’s 43,000-employee, century-old family business, Bill has a rare and personal view of the complex and human dynamics behind today’s multi-generational family businesses. INTRO Background: Tell us a little bit about your background How did your career evolve? How did writing become a part of it? How did the story and the principles of Spike Yoh become a focus? Day and Zimmerman Tell us a little about where Day & Zimmermann came from and what they do Recount some of the fulcrum moments of Spike’s leadership Importance of the motto Difficulties that were surmounted Successes celebrated Involvement with the community (and family) and its importance to corporate mission How did Spike first begin to involve the family in the decision-making around the family and the wealth? What worked and what didn’t? What moments in his life may have informed some of the choices made? Process of succession of the business Operational Succession v. Ownership succession How was the future management of the business chosen? Tradition v. Qualification?  Inside v. outside? Tenure v. new blood? Direction- growth v. income?  Focus v. Diversification? Public v. Private? How were family members chosen within that context? Aptitude, Ability, Interest, Capacity, Temperament Stories around successes and issues here How was ownership succession chosen? Every one equal or each according to need, none of the above? Was there structure around the wealth to try to prevent bad habits/encourage good ones? How did you surround yourself with advice around that?  You obviously had formal advice (legal, banking, accounting etc . . .).  But did you have a shadow cabinet or a set of like-minded executives with similar experiences that you could lean on for their advice?  How was the board involved? Was philanthropy part of the equation? How were decisions made within the family?  How was the process of socialization/buy-in? Other shareholders? How were the other stakeholders incorporated in the decision-making? (employees, customers, vendors, community)? Familytics What are the issues you see with families with succession issues What are best practices that you have seen with your family and others that can apply? What are the various tools and communication practices that can be useful in helping families on that journey? How does FAMILYTICS work? Contact How can we get a hold of “Our Way”? AMAZON How do we find out more about Familytics FAMILYTICS How do we keep track of your whereabouts? BILL YOH, AUTHOR OUTRO- https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/

Today we were able to speak with Leslie Danks Burke. She is a public advocate and the Founder and President of  TRAILBLAZERS PAC :  a political action committee dedicated to finding and supporting candidates for local political office beyond typical party ideology and structure. Based in Horseheads, NY, Leslie’s goal is to improve the quality of candidates and the political discourse in this country, one municipality at a time.   Their mission statement states: “Trailblazers PAC reconnects citizens with democracy by moving politics out of the back room and onto the front porch. We educate candidates on building an honest donor relationship with their own voters. We invest in candidates for local office who take action for clean government.” She is here to help us make sense of the current political environment, its impact on the current political apparatus, and the direction of grass root campaigns going forward QUESTIONS Background Where are you located? Work Background Interest in politics Frustrations with the System Consensus between parties being thwarted Quality candidates scared off by a poor process Lack of new ideas / good ideas thwarted Entrenched interests Impact of money Issues The Impact of Trump on the Political Industrial Complex Big gov’t v. small gov’t Changes in the media and distortions in “story distribution” Gerrymandering / obstructionist voting laws and other distortions Lobbying interests Schisms in voters along income, education and cultural fault lines The pull of better economics (and weather!) in other states How do you establish consensus-common ground The Opportunities for Positive Change What does Trailblazers seek to do? What type of races are interesting What geography? Is there an ideology? Improving candidate quality/interparty dialogue? Predictions for the future How do we keep track of your progress? TRAILBLAZERSPAC.COM FACEBOOK.COM/TRAILBLAZERSPAC @TRAILBLAZERSPAC @LDANKSBURKE   https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/

On Podcast #23, we have Eiland Glover, founder of Kowala. He helps us sort through the cryptocurrency noise, sets out the problems to be solved, and challenges us to think about cryptocurrencies in the future. Eiland Glover is the CEO and Cofounder of KOWALA, creator of the world’s first autonomously stabilizing cryptocurrency: kUSD. Eiland has spent his career creating systems and companies at the intersection of finance, technology, education, game theory, and human psychology.  He is a firm believer that new technologies must be consciously designed and utilized to empower humans. In 2012, Eiland learned about Bitcoin and wondered why this amazing technology had not become ubiquitous. He co-created Kowala based on his belief that a decentralized stable coin is necessary for the mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies. As a lead up to our discussion, we referred to broader issues that affect cryptocurrencies: Outgrowth of the use of blockchain to add integrity in peer to peer transfers of digital information (and, more specifically, value) That has led to the development of cryptocurrencies which have exploded in popularity in recent years most acutely in the last year. Bitcoin, Ether, Dash, Ripple and many others have stormed the headlines as the curious have sought ways build on the promise of crypto currencies (and maybe get rich quick as well!) However as we have seen in recent weeks, volatility, hacking and generally uncertainty have become a bigger part of the crypto currency picture KOWALA’S kUSD VIDEO PREVIEW https://player.vimeo.com/video/252176369 QUESTIONS Eiland’s background and how he got interested in the space. A quick history of cryptocurrencies and their function and how we got to this point. Bitcoin, et al- how did we go from intellectual exercise to solve integrity issues in peer to peer information transfer to intangible value transfer? Obstacles of mass adoption of cryptocurrency What does the business person who would like to embrace cryptocurrecy as a method of payment need to be worried about? What does the casual cryptocurrency investor need to be worried about? What does the consumer who would like to pay in cryptocurrency need to worry about? (wait for?) Stable coin – its vital role in next phase of development in blockchain and cryptocurrency sector Speed of transfer- How do you get the distributed ledger participants to ratify block transactions faster so that commerce can flow more smoothly? Security of coin storage and value transfer- how does one minimize hacking, theft, double counting, broken hard-drives, lost passwords etc . . . Non-volatile store of wealth?  What is the value in being pegged to a country-backed currency?  Why not just be in the currency itself? Will countries cut out the middle man? And employ crypto currency features in their own currencies?  Would that work? Tipping point for adoption: will it be when it is common place to buy real estate with it?  Candy bars? Used as wages? – Different stable coins models, other coins compare to Kowala Which ones are out there?  What makes them good or bad? Digital coins melded to different state-backed currency? What happens if the USD goes haywire?  Can that be a source of volatility? How do miners help kUSD?  As important parts of the blockchain ratification process, how do you keep them happy? -How do we stay in touch with you, KOWALA, and kUSD? (THERE IS NO INVESTMENT ADVICE IN THIS PODCAST OR POST) https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/