Erika Toth from BMO joins Dan for a discussion about the inner workings of ETFs and some of the misunderstandings surrounding these products. Then Dan considers whether the traditional method of building indexes according to company size is fla

25 - Dr. Steve Wendel on Investor Success

Jul 9th, 2019 50m 20s

Psychologist Steve Wendel of Morningstar shares his experience on the behavioural challenges all investors face. Then Dan considers the pros and cons of using a one-fund solution compared with a portfolio built from individual ETFs. For complet

24 - Mind Your Money Gaps with Preet Banerjee

May 21st, 2019 50m 39s

Preet Banerjee—blogger, author, media darling, aficionado of fine whisky, and doctoral candidate—joins us to discuss his research on the financial industry in Canada and his outlook for the future of investing. Dan tries to keep it together whi

23 – Ask the Spud Edition

Apr 22nd, 2019 40m 33s

Dan and Amanda answer questions from listeners on topics such as the risk of index funds shutting down, days you should avoid trading ETFs, and whether wealthy investors should hold more than traditional stock and bond portfolios. For complete

22 - How Smart is Your Beta?

Feb 20th, 2019 50m 31s

John West of Research Affiliates explains smart beta, one of the most important ETF trends. Then Dan considers whether the last few years of strong stock returns has been a “rising tide that lifted all boats.” We round things off with a tribute

21 - Larry Swedroe on Investing in Retirement

Dec 20th, 2018 37m 14s

Larry Swedroe joins us to discuss his latest book on the challenges of investing in retirement. Then Dan warns about speculators who are held up as “success stories.” Finally, he offers advice for a reader looking to free himself from mutual fu

20 - One-Stop ETF Shopping

Nov 9th, 2018 58m 44s

Dan chats with one of the architects of Vanguard’s popular new asset allocation ETFs, which offer a simple one-fund portfolio for index investors. Then Dan questions whether investing courses are focusing on the right lessons. Finally, he answe

18 - Boots on the Ground With Rob Carrick

Oct 6th, 2018 43m 47s

The Globe and Mail’s Rob Carrick talks about his 20-year career in financial journalism and how he manages to stay relevant to his readers. Then Dan takes issue with the idea that screening for individual stocks is like building a “personal ind

17 - Keeping It Real with Ben Rabidoux

Oct 6th, 2018 45m 12s

Real estate analyst Ben Rabidoux joins Dan to discuss home ownership as an alternative to a traditional portfolio. Then Dan questions why investors would be attracted to ETFs that try to emulate hedge funds. Finally, he encourages Couch Potato

16 - Common Sense With Ben Carlson

Oct 6th, 2018 36m 56s

Dan talks investing with Ben Carlson, author of the book and blog A Wealth of Common Sense. Then he explains why candlesticks and death crosses are tools for the dumb money. In Ask the Spud, Dan answers a reader question about whether you need

15 - The Value of Simple

Oct 6th, 2018 54m 58s

Dan chats with John Robertson, author of The Value of Simple, about the trade-offs between cost and complexity in investing. Then we take an in-depth look at a new family of Vanguard ETFs that allow you to build a one-fund portfolio. For comple

14 - How to Make Millions in Bitcoin (Not Really)

Oct 6th, 2018 48m 23s

Ready to add bitcoin to your ETF portfolio? Dan explains why this is probably a terrible idea. In the interview segment, Dan is joined by financial planner and author Shannon Lee Simmons to discuss her new book, Worry-Free Money. Finally, he an

13 - Here Come the Robots

Oct 6th, 2018 47m 30s

Robo-advisors are changing the investment landscape in Canada. To learn more about this trend, Dan speaks with Prof. Pauline Shum-Nolan of York University about the future of online ETF portfolio management. Then we answer a listener’s question

12 - Robert Shiller: CAPE Crusader

Oct 6th, 2018 44m 11s

Dan and Prof. Robert Shiller (one of whom has won a Nobel Prize) talk about efficient markets, forecasting stock returns, and the Canadian housing market. Then Dan challenges a new book that promises to save investors from major drawdowns, and

11 - Fighting Evil with Index Funds

Oct 6th, 2018 47m 21s

Dan talks to Mike Foy of JD Power about the research firm’s recent survey of DIY investors who use online brokerages. He then challenges a magazine article that claims index funds might be an economic evil. Finally, Dan and Amanda comfort an in

10 - MoneySense, We Hardly Knew Ye

Oct 6th, 2018 45m 54s

Dan is joined by David Thomas, former editor-in-chief of MoneySense, to discuss how the magazine has evolved into a digital brand. Then Dan considers whether Canadians need international diversification in their portfolios, and whether it makes

9 - Finding Common Ground

Oct 6th, 2018 34m 11s

Dan chats with Tom Bradley of Steadyhand Investment Funds about how the ‘active vs. passive’ debate often misses the key point: that both active investors and Couch Potatoes need to focus on the same things: low cost, broad diversification and

8 - Couch Potato with a Conscience

Oct 6th, 2018 51m 55s

Tim Nash, the Sustainable Economist, joins Dan to discuss socially responsible investing and whether it’s compatible with indexing. Then Dan consoles the hedge fund manager who lost his million-dollar bet with Warren Buffett. Finally, Dan and A

7 - Making Sense of Bonds

Oct 6th, 2018 28m 51s

Dan answers frequently asked questions about bonds, including how they are affected by changing interest rates, how to calculate their returns, and whether you still need them in your portfolio. For complete show notes, visit canadiancouchpota

6 - Wishing Upon a Morningstar

Oct 6th, 2018 40m 31s

Dan speaks to researcher Christopher Davis of Morningstar Canada about the idea of “active share” and whether it has delivered on its promise. Then he considers whether it’s OK to pay more for mutual funds that have performed well in the past.

5 - Master Class with the Millionaire Teacher

Oct 6th, 2018 47m 15s

Globetrotting author Andrew Hallam joins Dan to talk about the new edition of his bestselling book, Millionaire Teacher. Dan considers whether indexing investing has become too popular, and answers a reader’s question about how a portfolio shou

4 - Charles Ellis and the Index Revolution

Oct 6th, 2018 44m 24s

Dan interviews Charles Ellis—an indexing titan and the author of the landmark Winning the Loser’s Game—about his long and distinguished career, as well as his new book, The Index Revolution. He also shares his advice for investors who are getti

3 - A Hedge Fund Manager Comes Clean

Oct 6th, 2018 43m 1s

Lars Kroijer, author and former hedge fund manager, explains why most investors have little or no hope of beating the market over the long term. Dan challenges advisors who promise unrealistic returns without explaining their numbers. Then Da

2 - Planning vs Investing with Sandi Martin

Oct 6th, 2018 33m 22s

Sandi Martin of Spring Personal Finance joins Dan to discuss the differences between financial planning and investment advice. Then Dan considers how things worked out if you revamped your portfolio before the US election. In Ask the Spud, we l

19 - The Big Tradeoff

Sep 21st, 2018 45m 50s

As we mark the 10th anniversary of the global financial crisis that began in September 2008, many of us still wrestle with the risk-reward trade-offs in investing. Larry Bates, author of Beat the Bank, offers his recipe for Simply Successful In