The Rational Reminder Podcast
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The Rational Reminder Podcast
A weekly reality check on sensible investing and financial decision-making, from three Canadians. Hosted by Benjamin Felix, Cameron Passmore, and Dan Bortolotti, Portfolio Managers at PWL Capital.
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430 episodi
Episode 408: Elroy Dimson – Investing & Optimism
In this episode, we are joined by Elroy Dimson, Professor of Finance at Cambridge Judge Business School and co-creator of the Dimson-Marsh-Staunton (D...
Episode 407: Michael Kothakota - The Shape of Financial Planning
In this episode, we are joined by Michael Kothakota for a deeply technical and thought-provoking conversation on interdependent integrative financial...
Episode 406: When Massive Private Companies Go Public
In this episode, the Rational Reminder team unpacks the mechanics and implications of mega IPOs like SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic potentially enterin...
Episode 405: Timothy Edwards - Inside S&P DJ Indices
What if the decades-long debate between active and passive investing wasn't really a debate—but a data problem?
In this episode, Ben Felix and C...
Episode 404: The Finance Paper that Changed Everything
What if the way we think about investing—and expected returns—was fundamentally incomplete?
In this episode, Ben Felix and Dan Bortolotti take a...
Episode 403: Patrick Adams - When Stock Crashes Matter for Long-Term Investors
What if your biggest investment risk isn't the stock market—but your own income?
In this episode, we are joined by Patrick Adams, a PhD candidat...
Episode 402: The Problem with Private Markets
In this episode, we unpack the growing tension in private markets—private equity, private credit, and private real estate—and examine whether their lo...
Episode 401: Eduardo Repetto & Caitlin Ebanks - Opening the Avantis CAGE
What if factor investing in Canada became as simple—and affordable—as buying a single ETF?
In this episode, we are joined by Eduardo Repetto, CI...
Episode 400: The Evolution of Index Fund Investing
In this special 400th episode, the Rational Reminder hosts reflect on 50 years of index investing and the profound impact it has had on financial mark...
Episode 399: James Choi - Portfolio Theory in a Spreadsheet
In this episode, we welcome back James Choi, Professor of Finance at the Yale School of Management, to unpack one of the most important—and misunderst...
Episode 398: Tom Hardin - Ethics, Financial Crime, and Redemption
In this episode, we sit down with Tom Hardin, also known as "Tipper X," the former hedge fund analyst who became one of the most prolific informants i...
Episode 397: Hendrik Bessembinder - Constant Leverage & Measuring Investor Outcomes
In this episode, we welcome back return guest Hank Bessembinder for a deeply analytical conversation spanning leveraged ETFs, volatility, and the futu...
Episode 396: Theresa Ebden - Protecting Investors at the OSC
In this episode of the Rational Reminder Podcast, we are joined by Theresa Ebden, Vice President of the Investor Office at the Ontario Securities Comm...
Episode 395: Charles Chaffin - The Psychology of Financial Planning
Ben Felix and Braden Warwick are joined by Dr. Charles Chaffin, a leading voice in financial psychology, to explore why investors so often act against...
Episode 394: Equal Weight vs. Market Cap Weight Index Funds
Equal-weighted index funds sound like an elegant solution to some of today's biggest investor anxieties: high market concentration, elevated valuation...
Episode 393: Engineering Financial Outcomes
What if financial planning were approached the same way engineers design aircraft, medical treatments, or complex systems—with clearly defined objecti...
Episode 392: The Rise of ETF Slop
ETFs were once almost synonymous with low-cost, sensible investing. But that era is changing fast. In this episode, Ben Felix, Dan Bortolotti, and Ben...
Episode 391: How Assumptions Shape Financial Planning Outcomes
Financial planning is built on assumptions — about markets, inflation, longevity, human behaviour, and even the questions clients bring into the room....
Episode 390: The "AI Bubble" and Stock Market Concentration
In this first episode of 2026, we sit down for a deep dive into one of the hottest concerns coming from clients and listeners lately: Is the U.S. stoc...
Episode 389: How the Rational Reminder Podcast is Made
In this special year-end episode, Ben and Cameron turn the spotlight inward for a behind-the-scenes look at the Rational Reminder podcast. They're joi...
Episode 388: AMA #11 - Your Parents' Advisor, 100% Equity Portfolios, and Investing $10 Billion
In this special year-end AMA, the full PWL crew — Ben Felix, Cameron Passmore, Ben Wilson, and Dan Bortolotti — sit down together for the first time o...
Episode 387: Lessons from The Wealthy Barber (2025)
In this episode, the team digs into the newly updated 2025 edition of The Wealthy Barber — Dave Chilton's iconic Canadian personal finance book that h...
Episode 386: Is anyone doing dd? with Aravind Sithamparapillai
What happens when alternative investments shift from niche products to the industry's go-to value proposition? In this episode, we're joined by financ...
Episode 385: A Case Study on Pension Benefits vs. Commuted Values
In this episode, we feature two conversations that highlight PWL's culture, values, and intentional approach to advice. We first sit down with Trevor...
Episode 384: Mamdouh Medhat - A Profitability Retrospective, and Private Fund Performance
In this episode, we're joined by Mamdouh Medhat, VP and Senior Researcher at Dimensional Fund Advisors, for an exceptionally deep, exceptionally nerdy...
Episode 383: AMA #10 - Dollar cost averaging & mutual funds vs. ETFs
In this episode of Rational Reminder, Ben Felix, Cameron Passmore, and Ben Wilson return with a classic AMA format—answering listener questions that d...
Episode 382: Ted Cadsby - The Power of Index Funds, and Being Human
In this episode, Ben, Cameron, and Dan are joined by Ted Cadsby, former executive at CIBC, author of The Power of Index Funds, Closing the Mind Gap, a...
Episode 381: Investing 101
In this special Investing 101 episode, the Rational Reminder hosts—Ben Felix, Dan Bortolotti, and Ben Wilson—team up to revisit the fundamental concep...
Episode 380: John Y. Campbell - Fixing Personal Finance
What if capitalism itself is confusing your personal finance decisions? In this week's episode, Harvard economist John Y. Campbell joins us to unpack...
Episode 379: AMA #9: Covered Call ETFs, Currency Hedging, and Bond Misconceptions
In this AMA episode of the Rational Reminder Podcast, Ben Felix and Dan Bortolotti return to answer listener questions across a wide range of topics—f...
Episode 378: Learning from Market History
In this episode, we are joined by Mark Higgins, an award-winning author and institutional investment advisor, to discuss the power and importance of s...
Episode 377: Investing in Your Health
Your health may well be the most important investment you ever make, and the earlier you start, the better your outcomes are likely to be. In this epi...
Episode 376: Climbing The Wealth Ladder
Are your financial decisions evolving as your wealth grows? In this episode of the Rational Reminder Podcast, we welcome back Nick Maggiulli to unpack...
Episode 375: Covered Calls: A Devil's Bargain
In this episode, Ben and Dan take a deep dive into covered call strategies—popular ETFs often marketed on their eye-catching distribution yields. Whil...
Episode 374: The Underperformance of Target Date Funds
In this episode, we're joined by David C. Brown, Associate Professor of Finance at the University of Arizona, for a deep dive into the mechanics, perf...
Episode 373: Asset Allocation in Practice
What if choosing your asset allocation was as personal as your life story—and as consequential as your retirement? In this episode, we are joined by P...
Episode 372: Elie Hassenfeld - (Approximately) Optimal Philanthropy
In this episode, we are joined by Elie Hassenfeld, Co-Founder and CEO of GiveWell to discuss how data, transparency, and moral trade-offs can guide ch...
Episode 371: Banks Sell Products, Not Advice
In this episode, Ben Felix and Cameron Passmore take a critical look at the Canadian banking system's mutual fund advice model. A newly released study...
Episode 370: Dave Chilton (The Wealthy Barber): Timeless Financial Advice
What if the most impactful financial advice isn't about picking the right investment—but about understanding human behaviour, simplifying your life, a...
Episode 369: The Most Important Quotes in Investing
In this episode of the Rational Reminder Podcast, Ben Felix and Dan Bortolotti celebrate the show's 7th anniversary with a conversation centered aroun...