In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, we sit down with Rob Arnott, founder and chairman of Research Affiliates and one of the most contrarian thinkers in investing today. With over $160 billion managed using his models, Rob has challenged decades of financial orthodoxy, from the efficient market hypothesis to the myth of stimulus-driven growth. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to build a truly independent investing philosophy or what the stock market teaches us about time, risk, an...

Quant meets code meets capital in this sharp conversation with Cyril Bosch, a seasoned investment strategist with a rare blend of quant experience, AI expertise, and institutional rigor. Formerly CIO at Sidekick and with a deep background across JP Morgan, USS, and Polar Capital, Cyril unpacks how AI is fundamentally changing the investment game, and why it’s about much more than just automation. We dive deep into Cyril’s vision of an AI-first investment process, his own tools for automatin...

Cole Wilcox, Founder, CEO, and CIO of Longboard Asset Management, joins The Blunt Dollar to unpack the core ideas behind his 25-year investing journey rooted in disciplined risk management, long-term thinking, and trend following. If you're exploring how to invest, curious about what it means to have a sound investment strategy, or simply want to understand personal finance through a deeper lens, this episode delivers timeless insights you can actually use. We discuss the highs and lows of ...

Few people have shaped the way we think about long-term investing and finance like Laurence Siegel. From his early collaboration with Roger Ibbotson on the landmark "Stocks, Bonds, Bills, and Inflation" study to leading investment research at the Ford Foundation and the CFA Institute Research Foundation, Larry has spent decades connecting financial history, data, and practical insight into how markets truly work. In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore what centuries of economic and st...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, we sit down with Marcie Frost, CEO of CalPERS, the largest public pension fund in the U.S., managing over $500 billion in assets for more than 2 million public sector workers. From a childhood marked by poverty to the pinnacle of public finance, Marcie’s journey is a masterclass in grit, purpose, and principled leadership. She opens up about the personal experiences that shaped her view of retirement security and the operational pressures of leading a fun...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Orlando Gemes, Founding Partner and CIO of Fourier Asset Management, a credit hedge fund focused on uncovering repeatable alpha through a highly data-driven approach to convertible arbitrage. Orlando’s background spans from fixed income at Deutsche Bank to leading structured credit at Hermes and running his own shop at Fairwater Capital. Now, he’s building something truly unique with Farrier. We talk about what makes convertibles so compel...

Today’s guest is James Eagle, data visualization pioneer, LinkedIn top voice, and former investment writer with a two-decade run at firms like HSBC, Fidelity, and Vontobel. James left the institutional world to become a full-time content creator and data storyteller, making finance clearer and more human through the power of visuals. In this episode, we unpack his incredible journey from pitchbooks to pixels, why most financial communication still misses the mark, and how we might be able to...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Stephen White, co-founder of Markets Recon and former marketing lead at BlackRock and eVestment, to unpack nearly two decades of insights from the intersection of finance, strategy, and storytelling. From launching billion-dollar investment strategies to now building a tech platform that reimagines how allocators absorb research, Stephen brings a fresh, human take on everything from active management to fintech innovation. This conversatio...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Bill Kelly, a true veteran of the asset management world with over 40 years of experience and former CEO of the CAIA Association. From co-founding Boston Partners to steering CAIA into a global standard for alternatives education, Bill has seen (and shaped) the evolution of the investment industry from the inside out. We dive into the lessons he’s learned leading both scrappy startups and established institutions, why investor education ma...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Rhodri Preece, Senior Head of Research at CFA Institute, to explore how digital forces, new generations, and AI are reshaping the investment landscape. Rhodri has spent nearly two decades at CFA Institute leading global research initiatives, covering everything from ESG and transparency to the rise of social media influencers in finance. We discuss: 📱 The powerful impact of “finfluencers” and how Gen Z is learning (and sometimes mislearnin...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Claudia Sahm, a renowned economist, recession expert, and creator of the famous Sahm Rule, one of the most closely watched early indicators of U.S. recessions. Claudia spent over a decade at the Federal Reserve, later advised the White House, and now serves as Chief Economist at New Century Advisors. We explore her fascinating career path, the story behind the Sahm Rule, and why good economic policy must blend rigorous data with empa...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, Ignacio sits down with Morgaine Conway-Grim, founder and CEO of Hawks and Doves, a finance education company making investing fundamentals accessible to everyone. Morgaine’s path to finance began not on Wall Street, but at a reception desk, before she went on to work at some of the largest financial institutions in the world. In 2024, she launched Hawks and Doves to cut through jargon and empower both institutions and individuals with capital market...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Eric Jaffe, CEO of BCA Research, the world’s largest independent provider of macro investment research. We unpack Eric’s unconventional path from the Pentagon to GLG and now the helm of BCA, where he’s steering a 76-year-old firm into its next phase of growth, all while keeping that contrarian spark alive. We also dive deep into how macro shocks, geopolitics, and AI are reshaping the future of investment research, and why conviction matter...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Steven Grey, founder and managing principal of Grey Value Management, where he oversees the Grey Value Opportunity Fund. Steven’s career spans hedge funds, family offices, and global micro investing, and includes a stint launching Albright Capital with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. But beyond the accolades, Steven is a fiercely independent thinker who dives deeper into company research than most of Wall Street combined. We...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with David Stevenson, one of the UK’s most candid financial commentators. David writes the Adventurous Investor column for the Financial Times, runs a popular Substack, and is also the founder of ETF Stream. From his days as a BBC producer to sitting on multiple investment trust boards, David has a fascinating multi-decade career that straddles journalism, fintech, and asset management. We cover a ton of ground, including: 📚 How David’s...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Manish Singh, Chief Investment Officer at Crossbridge Capital and a veteran global macroeconomist with nearly two decades of experience steering multi-asset portfolios. From his engineering roots in Mumbai to building an investment philosophy rooted in patience, trust, and historical perspective, Manish shares how he balances data-driven rigor with deep human insight. We explore: ✅ The surprising ways an engineering background shap...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, we sit down with one of the most prolific voices in the financial planning space: Jason Pereira. A financial planner, fintech strategist, professor, podcaster, and tireless advocate for professional standards, Jason joins Ignacio to talk through the present and future of financial advice. With over 750 pieces of content under his belt and multiple roles shaping the Canadian and global advisor landscape, Jason doesn’t hold back in this wide-ranging convers...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Vincent Kaufmann, CEO of the Ethos Foundation, a leading voice in sustainable finance and corporate governance in Switzerland. With over two decades at Ethos, Vincent shares an insider perspective on why active ownership matters, the real tools investors have to drive ESG change, and the fine line between meaningful impact and greenwashing. This is a masterclass on ESG from someone who's lived it from the inside. 🎯 How shareh...

Elsa Razborsek joins The Blunt Dollar for a deep, nuanced conversation on nonlinear careers, women in finance, and the behavioural biases that shape both our portfolios and personal lives. From Goldman Sachs analyst to health coach and back to finance, Elsa’s journey is anything but typical, and it’s exactly that winding path that fuels her insights today. In this episode, we talk about: 🔄 Career pivots and the power of nonlinear paths 👩‍💼 Navigating visibility, ambition, and bias as ...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, we sit down with Julia Carreon, a digital transformation powerhouse with leadership experience at Wells Fargo and Citi, to dissect the crossroads of finance, technology, and generational change. Julia brings her signature candor and deep industry knowledge to a conversation that spans everything from AI and gamification to social media misinformation and the trust crisis in banking. We explore what it truly takes to modernize wealth management for ...