The Rational Reminder Podcast
Kanalaren Xehetasunak
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.
Atal Berriak
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80 Years of Financial Knowledge in 53 Minutes | #422 (Bill Bernstein)
In this episode, we welcome back William Bernstein to discuss the final book of his longtime friend Jonathan Clements, Money and Me. Bill reflects on...
Barry Ritholtz: "90% of financial products are crap" | #421
Barry Ritholtz returns to the Rational Reminder podcast to discuss the biggest mistakes investors make—and why avoiding them may matter more than find...
Answering Your Financial Questions | #420
In this Ask Me Anything episode, Ben Felix, Ben Wilson, and Louai Bibi tackle a wide-ranging collection of listener questions spanning investing, reti...
The State of Retirement Research | #419 (Jean-Pierre Aubry)
In this episode, we are joined by Jean-Pierre Aubry, Associate Director of Retirement Plans and Finance at the Center for Retirement Research at Bosto...
"I Sold 50% of My Portfolio. What Now?" | #418 (AMA)
In this AMA episode, Ben Felix, Dan Bortolotti, and Ben Wilson tackle a wide range of practical investing questions submitted by listeners. They begin...
A Financial Plan For Your Entire Life | #417 (Dr. Paul Kaplan)
In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Paul Kaplan, economist, CFA charterholder, former Director of Research at Morningstar Canada, and co-author of L...
Is VEQT Costing You? (& Other Questions) | #416
In this AMA episode, Benjamin Felix, Dan Bortolotti, and Ben Wilson tackle a wide range of listener questions covering portfolio construction, diversi...
Shannon Lee Simmons: How To Stop Feeling Broke | #415
In this episode, we are joined by Shannon Lee Simmons—Certified Financial Planner, Chartered Investment Manager, bestselling author, and founder of th...
Answering Your Financial Questions | #414
In this episode, Ben Felix and Ben Wilson tackle a wide range of listener questions covering portfolio construction, home-country bias, currency expos...
How Canadian ETFs Actually Work | #413 (Morley Conn)
In this episode, we are joined by Morley Conn, Director of Sales and Strategy, ETF Services at Scotia Global Banking and Markets, for a deep dive into...
Ben Carlson: Investing at All-Time Highs | #412
In this episode, we are joined by Ben Carlson, Director of Institutional Asset Management at Ritholtz Wealth Management and author of Risk & Reward, f...
Market Simulations & Financial Planning | #411 (John Yang)
In this episode, Ben Felix and Braden Warwick unpack the surprisingly complex world of expected return modeling and why it matters so much for retirem...
Economist: The State of Investing in 2026
In this episode, we are joined by Shelly Antoniewicz, Chief Economist at the Investment Company Institute (ICI), for a data-rich exploration of the mo...
Episode 409: Investment Banker - What Private Equity Doesn't Tell You
In this episode, we are joined by Jeff Hooke, former investment banking, private equity, and private debt executive turned academic critic of alternat...
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...