We explore reasons for buying Bitcoin using one of the new Bitcoin ETFs. We also consider the risks. Topics covered include: Why the SEC finally decided to approve spot Bitcoin ETFs What are the fees and structure of these new Bitcoin ETFs How Bitcoin is similar and different from the fiat money system Where Bitcoin fits in an investment portfolio Show Notes Statement on the Approval of Spot Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Products by Chair Gary Gensler—SEC Coinbase … [Read more...]
392: What Is Money and How to Use It
David and his son Camden hold a conversation about money, its attributes, how it's created, and how money differs from investments. Topics covered include: How our earliest money memories impact our views on money The difference between public and private money What are the two primary attributes of money Why money should be accepted with no questions asked How some countries use more cash than others How money differs from investing Why private money can be … [Read more...]
387: Why Most Money Fails
How you should approach money given most of it either collapses or loses its purchasing power due to inflation. Topics covered include: How a supposedly safe savings app collapsed, wiping out users' savingsWhy algorithmic stablecoins keep failing and why they are not black swansWhat it takes for money to be successfulHow money differs from investments Show Notes Intellabridge Power Women: Maria Eagleton, Mastercard-incubated Blockchain Company, is setting An Example For … [Read more...]
316: Paper, Rocks, or Digits—What Makes the Best Money
What are the elements of a successful monetary system. Source: Bartek.cieslak at Polish Wikipedia. Edited and captioned. Topics covered include: The stone currency of YapThe fiat currency of ancient ChinaWhy money requires trust, accounting, and tokensWhy too much money can lead to inflation and too little to deflationWhy the best money is useless other than as money Show Notes The island of stone money : Uap of the Carolines by William Henry Furness The Gold … [Read more...]
308: Coins and Cash: Shortages, Hoarding, and Threats
What is the cause of the current U.S. coin shortage and when have there been other shortages. Why is there a push to get rid of both the penny and the hundred dollar bill. Topics covered include: How many coins does the U.S. Mint produce each year and why hasn't it been enough to avert a coin shortage in 2020.How the U.S. coin shortage in the early 1960s differs from today.How much profit does the U.S. Mint make producing coins even though it loses money minting both pennies and … [Read more...]
300: Ray Dalio and the Changing World Order
What are the forces that lead to the rise and fall of nations. Why does the U.S. appear to be in decline and what investors can do to prepare. Photo by TechCrunch (CC BY 2.0) Text and overlay added. Topics covered include: An overview of Ray Dalio and Bridgewater Associates' investment process Why human productivity is the most powerful force for creating wealth. Additional forces that contribute to nations increasing in power and wealth. Why being the reserve currency is an … [Read more...]
285: Money is Debt
Money can be used to purchase things now or saved to purchase things later. If individuals want to save their money to purchase things in the not too distant future, they can invest in what are known as cash equivalents. These include savings accounts at banks or money market mutual funds. Cash equivalents pay a little bit of interest while also having price stability in that the value of deposits varies little from day-to-day. Money Is Debt Backed By Debt Gary Gorton, Professor of … [Read more...]
281: Four Forces That Will Shape The Next Decade
This decade that is coming to a close has been rewarding for investors. The 2010s were marked by a slow but prolonged economic recovery following the Great Financial Crisis of 2008 and 2009. The U.S. began the decade with an unemployment rate of 10%. Now it is 3.5%. The current U.S. economic expansion is the longest in U.S. history. Stock and Bond Return Expectations Against that backdrop, global stock markets as measured by the MSCI All Country World Index in U.S. … [Read more...]
227: How To Teach Children About Money
Here are four most important things to teach children about money and why showing is better than telling when it comes to kids and finances. Photo by Charlein Gracia In this episode you’ll learn: Four money principles all children should learn.Why just-in-time learning is a great way to teach kids about money Show Notes The Little Virtues by Natalia Ginzburg Episode Sponsors CNote Episode Summary Parenting is no easy feat, and one of the biggest … [Read more...]
199: What Kind of Money Is It?
How a bank panic led to the creation of the Federal Reserve, and why having diversified sources of money can protect us in case we have a bank panic today and can't get access to our bank deposits. Photo by Annette Fischer In this episode you’ll learn: How a bank panic and economic crisis in 1907 led to the creation of the U.S. Federal Reserve in 1913.How U.S. currency evolved after the establishment of the Federal Reserve.How currency, bank deposits, gold and Bitcoin … [Read more...]