SKEPTIC’S GUIDE TO INVESTING
Straight Talk for All, Nonsense for None
About - Our podcast looks to help improve investing IQ. We share 15-30 minutes on finance, market and investment ideas. We bring experience and empathy to the complex process of financial wellness. Every journey is unique, so we look for ways our insights can help listeners. Also, we want to have fun😎
Your Hosts - Meet Steve Davenport, CFA and Clem Miller, CFA as they discus the latest in news, markets and investments. They each bring over 25 years in the investment industry to their discussions. Steve brings a domestic stock and quantitative emphasis, Clem has a more fundamental and international perspective. They hope to bring experience, honesty and humility to these podcasts. There are a lot of acronyms and financial terms which confuse more than they help. There are many entertainers versus analysts promoting get rich quick ideas. Let’s cut through the nonsense with straight talk!
Disclaimer - These podcasts are not intended as investment advice. Individuals please consult your own investment, tax and legal advisors. They provide these insights for educational purposes only.
Episodes
122 episodes
AI Euphoria Or Early Peak
We question whether AI hype has outrun fundamentals while mapping a practical plan to stay invested. We dig into energy limits, data center pushback, circular demand, debt signals, selective stock picking, and tax-smart ways to lock in gains.
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13:55
Tariffs Fade From Center Stage
Markets don’t fear tariffs because they’re ideological. They fear tariffs because they’re unpredictable, blunt, and expensive at the point where businesses actually pay: the border. We dig into 2025’s tariff surge, why the legal footing always ...
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15:58
Investing Through The International Merry-Go-Round
Headlines promised breakthroughs; markets priced stalemates. We step onto the so‑called international merry-go-round and examine how Ukraine, Gaza, and Taiwan shaped 2025’s volatility—then we connect the dots to where risk and return may actual...
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24:15
Peak Trump Or Just A Pause
Power peaks when attention outpaces achievement. That’s the lens we bring to a brisk year-end audit of 2025, asking whether the “big beautiful bill,” tariff bursts, and a flurry of executive actions represented durable progress or a loud crest ...
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17:27
Peak Powell Or Just Good Policy
Markets don’t move on speeches alone; they move on credibility. We take you inside a fast-moving 2025 where Jerome Powell faced political heat, weighed softening labor data, and used Jackson Hole to set a disciplined path toward rate cuts witho...
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19:14
Trade Temptations Versus Security Guarantees
We pull apart the hype around Russia–US talks, question the assumption that business deals can buy peace, and map what a credible ceasefire and security guarantee would require. We also test oil-price myths and outline where investors might act...
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26:42
How A First-Gen Story Shapes Modern Wealth Advice
We trace Jooliana’s path from a childhood lesson about money and opportunity to a career helping advisors grow, exit well, and serve families with integrity. Along the way we unpack long-term investing, women-led leadership, client succession, ...
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50:47
Thankful Investing: Wellness, Tech, And Resilience
Gratitude can be a powerful investing edge. We open with what matters most—health, family, and the gift of time—and show how a calmer life widens the gap between impulse and action. That space lets us think in seasons, not seconds: read more de...
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26:01
Trust, Data, And The Long View
Markets don’t break because of a single headline—they bend under the weight of what we choose to trust. We dig into where confidence belongs right now, from focused bets on innovation to the steady ballast of cash and gold. Along the way, we sp...
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28:07
Tariffs On Trial
A courtroom showdown over tariffs just forced the biggest question in trade policy: who gets to tax Americans in the name of national interest? We sat down to parse a marathon Supreme Court argument and why the Justices sounded skeptical of usi...
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25:03
New York’s Left Turn And The Future Of Markets with Frazer Rice
We unpack what Mamdani's win signals for New York’s markets and whether capitalism is shifting toward protectionism and cronyism rather than socialism. We weigh crime, taxes, housing, and transit funding against ratings risk, capital mobility, ...
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47:25
Fed Cuts, Markets React, Doubts Rise
A surprise rate cut without fresh data sounds bold on the surface, but the real story lives in the yield curve the Fed doesn’t control. We unpack why trimming the short end won’t guarantee cheaper mortgages or easier financing, how long-term yi...
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28:29
Hitting Five Trillion Is Hard; Staying There Is Harder
Five trillion is a headline; the harder story is what comes next. We dig into NVIDIA’s historic market cap, the AI hardware and software flywheel behind it, and the reality that scale turns leaders into targets. From Blackwell-class GPUs to eco...
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23:13
China Has Magnets, Your Portfolio Has Anxiety
If the world’s most powerful magnets can move turbines and EVs, what might happen when their supply chain starts to seize up? We take you inside the rare earths story—why these elements are abundant in the ground yet scarce in your portfolio—an...
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31:17
Gold’s Surge, Fear, And Strategy
We unpack gold’s surge, why central banks—especially China—are buying, and how to balance conviction with risk. We share how we trimmed, built a cash buffer, and considered collars to cut downside while staying in the trade.• Central ba...
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23:24
Government Equity Stakes: Crossing a Line?
The U.S. government's unprecedented move to take a 10% ownership stake in Intel raises serious questions about the appropriate boundaries between government and private enterprise in American capitalism.• Government equity ownership in ...
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40:16
OCIO: Aradhana Kejriwal on Markets
Aradhana Kejriwal shares insights on her work as an Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) and discusses how women are reshaping the investment landscape with their growing control of wealth and unique perspectives on risk.• OCIOs f...
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41:38
Private Markets in Retirement Accounts: A Skeptical Analysis
We delve into the controversial topic of allowing private equity, real estate, debt, and even cryptocurrency into 401k retirement accounts, offering a skeptical analysis of this potential shift in retirement planning.• Government is wil...
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14:42
Rethinking Retirement: The Closed-End Fund Strategy
Retirement investing has lost its way. While Wall Street fixates on asset growth and total return, millions of retirees struggle with a fundamental question: how do I generate reliable income without depleting my savings?Steve Selengut,...
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58:32
The Frothy Fourth: What's Ahead for Markets
The financial markets are running hot as we head into Q4 2025, but are we witnessing sustainable growth or dangerous froth? In this thought-provoking episode, Clem Miller and Steve Davenport tackle the pressing question on many investors' minds...
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37:59
Alternatives, Women, and Wealth: Megan Smith
Women are consistently outperforming men in investment returns—by about four basis points—yet they're starting later and investing less. This fascinating paradox lies at the heart of our conversation with financial services veteran Megan Smith,...
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42:28
Building Financial Futures with Gene Natali, CFA
Gene Natali, CFA, joins us to discuss his mission to solve America's financial literacy crisis through his innovative platform Troutwood and his bestselling book "The Missing Semester." We explore how technology can scale financial education an...
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32:19
Money Masters: Integrity in Wealth Management
Joe Sroka of NovaPoint Capital shares his journey from West Point graduate and military officer to financial advisor, explaining how military discipline informs his investment approach for clients.• From buying savings bonds during mili...
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41:10