Shows
Conservatory ChatThe Yo-yo EffectWhat’s up with these huge swings in the markets?Well, (obviously) it’s currently the tariffs. Lately, traders approved of the temporary lifting of the most onerous tariffs on everybody but China. Then, they disliked the tariffs on the delicate chips and the computer assembly sector of the Chinese economy. Next, they applauded when those were lifted. In direct and nearly immediate response, they drove the markets up, down, and up again.In the longer run, both traders and investors depend upon certainty. It’s much easier for us investors to stick to our long-t...2025-04-2101 min
WINA Morning NewsReynolds Hutchins2025-04-1014 minConservatory Chat2025 1st Quarter Investment ReportAfter two years of stellar returns, the U.S. investment markets have decided to give back some of their recent gains. The risk of a slowdown in consumer spending and the uncertainty over trade wars and tariffs have created some market jitters that are raining on the bull market parade.What's going on? To begin with, it's fair to question whether U.S. companies, in aggregate, were truly 40% more valuable at the start of this year than they were just two short years ago. Sometimes markets get ahead of themselves, bidding the price-to-earnings ratio up to nearly 30—wh...2025-04-0404 min
The James Altucher ShowLiving Better for Less: Chris Hutchins on Life-Changing HacksA Note from James:Jay, remind me, I've gotta send this episode to my kids because I cannot believe what that guy just told us. Chris Hutchins, he has the "All the Hacks" podcast and so many interesting things at his website, allthehacks.com. But I don't like the word life hack. A lot of that stuff is just BS.But this was legit—from buying gold bars at Costco to making money off gift cards. He has so many weird, interesting financial and life hacks that can genuinely help you make a living and im...2025-04-041h 16
Creator ScienceHow you can plan for growth in 2025We are almost a quarter through 2025. This is a good time to look against your goals for the year, take stock, and say, how are things tracking a quarter through the year? Do I need to refocus, redirect, and reallocate to hit these goals I set earlier in the year? Or, in some cases, maybe your goals have changed. I typically judge the health of my business on revenue and profitability. And for a little behind-the-scenes, I'm taking some big bets in the business this year and investing a lot of dollars into those bets. ...2025-03-1858 min
WINA Morning NewsReynolds Hutchins2025-03-1312 min
Hollywood Raw PodcastNew Gene Hackman Death Theory, Jay Z Not Holding Back Against Accuser, Jax Taylor Drug Addiction RevealIn this week's engaging episode of the Hollywood Raw podcast, hosts Dax Holt and Adam Glyn tackle the Raw Rundown, highlighting the top 10 stories that have been making headlines in the entertainment world. Kicking off the episode, the duo discusses the buzz surrounding the Oscars, including the impact it has on the news cycle and how it overshadows other celebrity stories. Dax shares his thoughts on the recent Best Picture winner, while Adam reflects on the excitement surrounding award season.The conversation takes a turn as they delve into the heartfelt news of Dolly Parton losing her...2025-03-071h 08Conservatory ChatNever Time to PanicWith the unprecedented restructuring wave going on across the federal government, unorthodox personnel management, appointment of candidates with controversial backgrounds in the departments they’re running and a wave of tariffs the like of which the world hasn’t seen since the 1930s, it’s easy to imagine that something might go wrong with the U.S. economy in the fairly near future. People are calling their financial advisors asking whether they should retreat to the safety of putting their money under the mattress—or, in the extreme, in a house in the woods with Krugerrands hidden in the floorboa...2025-03-0603 min
Talking Narratives: Films. TV shows. Music. CultureMF DOOM and Ecstasy (of the group Whodini) remembered with Jay and Captain KeithJay and Captain Keith have a discussion about two great MC's who has both made great contributions to hip-hop. R.I.P to MF Doom and the Ecstasy from the Golden age Brooklyn based hip hop group Whodini!
MF Doom/Daniel Dumile (July 13, 1971 – October 31, 2020), best known by his stage name MF Doom or simply Doom (both stylized in all caps), was a British-American rapper and record producer. Noted for his intricate wordplay, signature metal mask, and "supervillain" stage persona, Dumile became a major figure of underground hip hop in the 2000s. After his death, Variety described him as one of the...2025-02-1625 minConservatory ChatHome Insurance CrisisThe catastrophic wildfires in Los Angeles represent a terrible human tragedy, and for many homeowners, it will become an awful financial tragedy too, as thousands will discover that there’s a big gap between what their homes are worth and what they’ll get from insurance companies to rebuild on top of the ash.It’s also worth noting that they’re not alone. A recent article in Bloomberg News says that an estimated 17 million U.S. homes – roughly 19% of total housing – are significantly underinsured against damage from floods and wildfires alone. The total gap between their market value...2025-02-0602 min
The Emily ShowNY Times Sued & Lawsuit Trilogy. Alec Baldwin Sues Prosecutors. Jay-Z’s Lawyer Getting Spicy.Alec Baldwin is suing Kari Morrissey and others involved in the Rust case. The lawsuit stems from Baldwin claiming he was wrongly prosecuted for the accidental shooting death of Helena Hutchins on the set of Rust. The case was dismissed due to prosecutorial misconduct. Baldwin is suing for violation of his civil rights, conspiracy, malicious abuse of process, defamation and other causes of action.Attorney Alex Spiro represents both Baldwin and Jay-Z. The judge in the Jay-Z case has had enough of his antics, who has asked him to tone down his inflammatory language, ad hominem attacks...2025-01-1330 minConservatory Chat2024 Annual Investment ReportThe U.S. investment scene, in aggregate, churned out another unusually positive investment experience this past year, with 20+ percent gains heaped on top of 2023's historically unusual gains.The experts who follow these matters say that ebullient investor expectations rest on the idea that artificial intelligence will improve the economy, help companies achieve unusual productivity gains, and ultimately lead to higher values across the board. This, of course, is unproven speculation, but there are other reasons to be optimistic. The inflation rate has retreated to historical norms, and the Federal Reserve Board seems inclined to cut interest...2025-01-0802 minWINA Morning NewsReynolds Hutchins2024-12-1312 minConservatory ChatBooming GoldLegendary investor Warren Buffet, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, was asked about investing in gold, and he was perplexed by the question. His response was that gold (unlike investments in stocks and bonds) doesn’t build value in the economy, doesn’t generate annual dividends or interest, and generally relies on finicky investor sentiment to move its price (and value) up or down. He wondered what one would do with a nest egg in gold other than admire the sheen and periodically polish it.But gold investors today are pretty happy with their returns – 29% in the first three quarte...2024-11-2503 minWINA Morning NewsReynolds Hutchins2024-11-1411 min
MORE THAN JUST AN INTERVIEWS1 E36 Diddy's Arrest, T.I. Son Get's Arrested, Is Jay-z SafeEditorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.comIn this episode, the hosts discuss the recent arrest of Sean Combs (Diddy) and the implications of his actions, particularly in relation to the lawsuit filed by Cassie. They explore Diddy's history with legal issues, the dynamics of domestic violence, and the responsibilities of high-profile individuals in the Black community. The conversation delves into the complexities of the legal system, the impact of celebrity culture, and the societal issues surrounding human trafficking. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/more-than-just-an-interview/donations Hosted on Acast. See ac...2024-10-3048 minConservatory ChatThe Fed’s Other LeverWhen it comes to the economy, the Fed Funds Rate is one of its most closely watched and talked about factors driving the conversation. Pundits endlessly opine, while economists pour over the tea leaves that are the Federal Reserve’s minutes and press conferences. From all this, it would be natural to assume that this is the only lever that the Fed is pulling when it wants to raise or lower the temperature of economic activity.But there is another equally important handle: the Fed balance sheet. Whenever the Fed wants to give the economy a kick in...2024-10-2402 minConservatory ChatROI on InfrastructureWe’ve been hearing about how America has underinvested in its infrastructure for decades, and how the new Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act is supposed to turn that around. Some of us have looked with envy at the amazing rapid-rail system that connects every part of the Chinese countryside, and Los Angeles residents are (or should be) envious of New York City’s subway system. But many taxpayers might be wondering: where would that infrastructure money best be spent?According to Justin Marlowe, a research professor at the University of Chicago, three types of infrastructure investment deliv...2024-10-2102 minConservatory Chat2024 3rd Quarter Investment ReportThe rarest of economic events is the so-called “soft landing,” where a robust economy (and long-time bullish markets) are gradually cooled without triggering a recession and bear market. We might be witnessing such a phenomenon today, though nobody will quite say we're out of the woods yet.As has been the case for most of 2024, the U.S. markets seem to be testing new highs every week or so, in a smooth ride with little volatility. That is not normal, but there aren't any clear signs of a storm on the horizon. Manufacturing activity continues to be stro...2024-10-0702 minConservatory ChatChildless TrendsAgainst all odds and expectations, the number of women who either choose not to have children or, for other reasons, do not, has become a major political issue. This raises the question – are more women today choosing to go childless versus their parents’ or grandparents’ generations?The answer appears to be yes. A survey found that the number of women of prime child-bearing age who were not having children rose by 4.7 million, compared with fertility patterns before the Great Recession. Going back to 1950, the births per woman peaked at around 3.5 in 1953, meaning the average woman in America at tha...2024-09-2302 minConservatory ChatFamous Market TimersQuick – name the world’s greatest market timer in all history.This is a question I often raise with investors who want to act on their impulse to get out of the market at the first sign of a hiccup or put all their money into AI stocks for fear of missing out.The typical reaction is a blank stare. Now we can debate the greatest tennis players or the pantheon of great chess players throughout history. Everybody can cite statistics about the greatest hitters in the history of Major League Baseball, and you can have...2024-09-1701 min
Creator ScienceDan Misener – How to ACTUALLY grow your podcast (and measure its success)Dan Misener is the co-founder of the podcast growth agency, Bumper. Prior to co-founding Bumper, Dan served as Director of Audience Development at Pacific Content, where he worked with brands like Slack, Adobe, Charles Schwab, Ford, Dell Technologies, Morgan Stanley, Red Hat, and Atlassian. Before that, he spent a decade working in public radio at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, where he was involved in their earliest podcasting efforts.He also hosts and produces the independent live event and podcast series Grown Ups Read Things They Wrote As Kids. The series has won several industry awards...2024-09-171h 00Conservatory ChatDollar DeclineDo you have any leftover euros from your last vacation in Europe? You might want to hold onto them.The U.S. dollar is declining in value compared with a basket of international currencies. The greenback has fallen 5% in the last two months and now sits at a 13-month low.Should we be alarmed? Probably not. Other nations go to economic war over trying to devalue their currencies compared with the others around the world. A strong currency means that the products of companies based in that country will be priced higher in countries they...2024-09-1002 minConservatory ChatOlder Cars, Thriftier DriversThere are two kinds of car owners in this world: the people who buy a new car every few years, and the people who continue driving their older cars until the transmission drops out onto the pavement. A recent study shows that a growing number of people are shifting from the former to the latter, and the trend has been going on for a while. In 1977, only 16.9% of cars on the road were at least 10 years old. Today that figure is just under 45%.What's going on? There are several factors at play. One is the increased durability...2024-08-2301 minConservatory ChatDebt ConcernsThe U.S. is experiencing a new epidemic: bankruptcies. Filings are up 28% from this time last year, for a total of 45,592 over the past 12 months. Commercial Chapter 11 filings, meanwhile, increased 40% to 542 – meaning the contagion is not just confined to individuals who have maxed out their credit cards. Small businesses have seen their total filings increase by 60%.The main cause of the bankruptcy wave seems to be consumer debt, which is now above $5 trillion in total (counting credit card debt, student and auto loans) – a milestone that has never been reached in American history. Household debt, which includes mort...2024-08-1501 minConservatory ChatInherited IRA Distribution RulesYes, folks, our government just keeps making our lives simpler and simpler by the day.There was a time, back before 2020, when the rules covering people who inherited traditional IRA accounts were simple. Before the SECURE Act was passed, people could spread out their distributions from these inherited retirement accounts over their lifetime, using a simple mortality table. (No, not completely simple, but…) These were the famous “stretch” provisions, which made it possible to reduce the annual tax bite on the amount received.Then SECURE forced the IRA inheritors to take all the money out within...2024-08-0803 minConservatory ChatPrivate Equity & Your HealthWe’re starting to see private equity firms make short-term investments in companies across the business landscape. At best, they’re looking to make a quick buck; but at worst, they’re looting the companies they “invest” in and leaving others holding the bag. One recent example is the Red Lobster bankruptcy, which closed locations nationwide and laid off 36,000 workers. A private equity firm called Golden Gate Capital essentially financed a takeover by selling the real estate (formerly owned by Red Lobster) of 500 Red Lobster restaurants for $1.5 billion, and the purchasing company then charged premium lease prices from the restaurant...2024-07-3003 minConservatory Chat2024 2nd Quarter Investment ReportThe markets seem to be testing new highs every week or so. But the first thing you’ll notice, if you look closely at the numbers, are the more modest returns experienced in the second quarter compared with the first. The commentators and pundits interpret that as the markets “running out of steam.” However, the early part of the year might be more accurately described as a period of over-enthusiasm, with investors worrying over the possibility of “missing out.”The chief worry as we enter the third quarter is that much of the equity returns are coming from a sma...2024-07-0204 minConservatory ChatState Tax RankingsSeveral U.S. states have become attractive destinations for retirees since they don’t charge state income taxes. Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming fall into this thrifty category. New Hampshire would but the state does charge a flat 4% tax on interest and dividend income.So those states are the cheapest places to live, from a tax standpoint, right? When you look at the bigger picture, there are thriftier places to live, tax-wise. Why? Because you also have to consider property taxes and state sales and excise tax into the equation.When you...2024-06-2101 minConservatory ChatSocial Security FixesIt seems like every news cycle includes an article about how the Social Security trust fund is about to run out of money. “About” may be somewhat of a misnomer. Estimates vary, and change as the economy goes through its ups and downs, but the latest estimate suggests that the trust fund will run out of money by 2035, in 11 years.That doesn’t mean that a decade or so down the road we will witness the abrupt termination of Social Security benefits for seniors who qualify. The program receives its revenues from two sources: the money paid in by w...2024-06-1304 min
Podcast Marketing Trends Explained: Data-Driven Podcast Growth StrategiesInside the Growth Strategies of Two of The Smartest Podcasters AliveMichael Jordan, Simone Biles, Wayne Gretzky. Every so often, someone comes along who is playing the game at a whole different level. And when it comes to podcasting, we've got two of them. Jay Clouse and Chris Hutchins each host hugely successful shows. And this special episode, we're getting inside the minds of these two creators to understand the thought process, experiments, and personalities behind the downloads (not to mention some serious revenue). 📊 What did you think of this episode? Click to cast your vote:🤩 Nailed It!🙂 Solid🥱 Meh😒 Do better2024-04-301h 26
Creator ScienceChris Hutchins – A master of podcast growth and building relationships.Chris Hutchins is an avid lifehacker, a financial optimizer, and he's the host of the top-ranked podcast, All The Hacks, where he shares his quest to upgrade his life without having to spend a fortune.Chris has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and CNBC. Previously, Chris was the head of new product strategy at Wealthfront after they acquired his company, Grove. Before that, he was an investor at Google Ventures, and cofounded Milk, which Google acquired. And he is also a member of my community, The Lab.Chris goes fast...2024-01-091h 24Conservatory ChatDownturn OpportunitiesLet’s talk about opportunities in a downturn.While we can’t predict a market downturn in advance, we certainly can be prepared for one. With the market recently in the doldrums, now may be a good time to review the opportunities we can exploit when others rush for the door. The first one to come to mind is tax-loss harvesting; that is, selling positions that have gone down below one’s cost, booking a loss for tax purposes, and then buying a similar (though not identical) investment that is probably also on sale due to the...2023-11-2702 minConservatory ChatPrioritiesA dinner guest at my home last evening inquired as to whether I invested clients’ money in hedge funds. Their thinking was that institutions like large endowments invest in them, so that must be where the really big money is made.I explained that large endowment funds invest only a tiny fraction of their money in things like hedge funds; and that the bulk of their money is invested in safe investments in stocks and bonds backed by strong and prosperous businesses.Lots of times folks equate investing with making money – first and foremost. It’s easy...2023-10-2503 min
Squawk PodCongress Aims at Venture Capital: Curbing Chinese Competition 10/19/23Co-founder of Silver Lake, co-chair of Brookings, and chairman of North Island Glenn Hutchins discusses the geopolitics at play in the Israel-Hamas War, including what’s at stake for global actors at the Saudi Arabia Investors Conference next week. He also shares his reasoning on why so far, the conflict has had little impact on the markets. The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party has sent letters to American venture capital firms including Sequoia, asking them to list investments in groups developing AI, machine learning, chips and quantum that are based or have “significant operations” in China. Rep. Raj...2023-10-1929 min
The Misery MachineThe Case of Aiden Hutchins + Hannah GrinerThis week, Drewby and Yergy head down to Florida to discuss the case of Aiden Hutchins and his half-sister, Hannah Griner. Aiden was supposed to live with his father, Nick Hutchins, here in Maine... But when his ex-wife, Brandy Hutchins, refused to turn the little boy over, Nick headed to Florida to bring his son home. However, when he arrived, Brandy and the kids were nowhere to be found. Shortly after, the Polk County Sheriff's Department received a tip that led them to a trailer where Brandy was hiding out with Aiden and Hannah in tow. However, when deputies...2023-09-2912 minConservatory ChatTech Gold RushDid you miss the latest market gold rush? In the 1967 movie The Graduate, the one word was “plastics.” Today it’s two words: “artificial intelligence.” Where is this latest El Dorado of the equities market? Well, in the stock of firms like Upstart Holdings (up 393% this year alone), C3.ai (255%), Nvidia (220%), Palantir Technologies (177%), and Meta Platforms (170%). How could anyone have missed this?Well, let’s take the example of the firm C3, which reports just $266 million of annual revenues on a market capitalization of $3 billion. The term “fool’s gold” might come to mind.To be fair, the...2023-09-2602 minConservatory ChatFed Funds RateThe U.S. Federal Reserve Board once again last month raised the so-called Fed Funds Rate that our central bank charges lending institutions on overnight loans. Who cares?What we hear in the press centers on speculation as to how the Fed economists and governors are thinking in terms of further rate hikes, and what the impact will be (or not be) on inflation and the prospects of a recession. But why should we non-economists care about this rate? Well, perhaps the most direct impact on us is the return we enjoy on short-term savings, veh...2023-08-2302 min
Time To Say GoodbyeNotes from Martha’s Vineyard, North Korea, and K-reality TVHello from a Cessna! This week, it’s just us, on a grab-bag anthropological journey. [2:55] First, Jay unpacks his recent trip to Martha’s Vineyard and what he learned about the academic elite on a panel about affirmative action. [23:35] Next, we discuss Season 4 of “Love After Divorce”, in which Korean-American divorcees shack up and speak subpar Korean. [42:30] Then we catch up on the sad saga of former NFL player Michael Oher, who has claimed that the film purportedly based on his life, “The Blind Side,” misrepresented his story and unethically enriched his white "adoptive" family. [55:10] Last, we talk about th...2023-08-231h 08Conservatory ChatRetirement Rules of ThumbYou may have heard of the 4% rule in retirement. Basically, it means that you should be able to safely take out and spend 4% of your retirement portfolio in the first year of retirement, then increase that dollar amount by the inflation rate for the next 30 years, and you should be able to count on that income no matter what the markets do.Notice all the “shoulds” here. This “rule” was formulated by a financial planner named Bill Bengen back in the mid-1990s when he became curious about Money Magazine’s advice that retirees could take 10% out of their p...2023-08-1504 min