The Investor Coaching Show with Paul Winkler

Amazon Is Sued by the Federal Trade Commission and 17 States

Today, Paul and Anne discuss the recent lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commision (FTC) and 17 states against Amazon for anti-competitive and monopolistic practices. They cover some of the allegations brought against Amazon, like controlling online search results and charging high fees to third-party vendors. Listen along to hear about the potential implications of the lawsuit on small businesses and the broader tech industry. Paul warns investors that these kinds of legal cases are unpredictable and that investors who try to use information like this to game the market end up getting hurt. They highlight the importance of competition and its benefits for consumers.

 

For more information about what we do or how we can help you, schedule a 15-minute call with us here: paulwinkler.com/call.

These Popular 401(k) Funds Concentrate on the Area of Least-Expected Return

Paul shares about a helpful meeting he had this week with some employees where he explained his strategy for their 401(k)s and why he does not include target date funds. Paul shares an easy-to-understand analogy that explains why these funds tend to be overweighted in the companies with the least-expected return. Later in the episode, Paul shares an article called “Tailoring Advice for the Elderly Brain” from Advisor Perspectives that explains how problem solving and decision making changes as we age. 

 

For more information about what we do or how we can help you, schedule a 15-minute call with us here: paulwinkler.com/call.

Fund Names Might Be Changing: SEC Votes to Fight Misleading Fund Names

When you’re investing, sometimes the only information you have to work with is the fund name. The SEC is voting to place more restrictions on how fund companies name their funds and what the funds contain. Listen along as Paul talks about why misleading fund names are a problem in the investing industry but why these disclosures and restrictions won’t go far in helping investors understand what they’re investing in and what the risks are. Later in the episode, Paul responds to a listener who has listened to his episodes about a US digital currency and still has some concerns. 

 

For more information about what we do or how we can help you, schedule a 15-minute call with us here: paulwinkler.com/call.

Is it Time to Convert my Traditional IRA Into a Roth?

A listener reaches out to Paul with a pretty common and important question: Is it time to convert my traditional IRA into a Roth IRA? While this is a common question, it doesn’t have a simple, cookie-cutter answer. Listen along while Paul walks through some of the details of this listener's specific situation and shares what you need to consider before you start trying to do Roth conversions. Later in the episode, Paul revisits how the rising cost of homeowners’ insurance has some homeowners dropping their coverage and why homeowners’ insurance is foundational to your financial plan.

 

For more information about what we do or how we can help you, schedule a 15-minute call with us here: paulwinkler.com/call.

MarketWatch: We Don’t Know How to Invest in Bonds?

Today, Paul finds a MarketWatch article called “We’re Investing in Bonds All Wrong” that claims investors just don’t know how to invest in bonds. Listen along as Paul shares whether this article is teaching investors how to understand how bond markets work or if it’s trying to pitch some kind of bond strategy that isn’t worth the risk. Later in the episode, Paul talks about why investing only in U.S. bonds doesn’t accurately capture the world bond market.

 

For more information about what we do or how we can help you, schedule a 15-minute call with us here: paulwinkler.com/call.

Paul Responds to Some Pushback About Staying in the Market

A listener reaches out to Paul disagreeing with him about a recent episode that covered the risks of pulling out of the stock market and moving over to fixed-income investments. The listener is concerned that, right now, that the risks of the stock market don’t outweigh the benefits. Listen along as Paul sorts through the listener's concerns and tries to explain why he believes that the risks around keeping too much money in fixed income are actually more dangerous than the risks we see in a diversified stock portfolio. Later in the show, Paul talks about anxiety, why it’s incredibly difficult to overcome, and how it affects our problem solving skills. 

 

For more information about what we do or how we can help you, schedule a 15-minute call with us here: paulwinkler.com/call.

We Live in a Culture of Hurry and Anxiety. You Have to Learn How to Tune Some of it Out.

Paul opens the episode talking about a book he’s reading called “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” and shares what he has learned over the years about living in a world of worry and chaos. Listen along as Paul, Evan, and Ira talk about the progress that has been made over the last 100 years in the face of dire news and predictions and about why learning how to let go of the things you have no control over is a good first step toward personal fulfillment. Later in the episode, Evan shares about client frustration around investing in China.

For more information about what we do or how we can help you, schedule a 15-minute call with us here: paulwinkler.com/call.

Helpful or Hurtful? Comparing Today’s Economy to Past Economies

Most were convinced America was headed to a recession because the inverted yield curve was a good recession predictor. People thought that inflation was transitory because of the low inflation we had seen over the last 20 years. Both groups fell into the same problem. Today, Paul brings a helpful article from MarketWatch called “Be Cautious About Relying on Historical Parallels” and explains why predicting where the economy headed is a trap and a practice that CEOs, the FED, and financial pundits can’t even get right. Later in the episode, Evan shares about a group of people on TikTok embracing “Girl Math” to justify some bad spending habits.

For more information about what we do or how we can help you, schedule a 15-minute call with us here: paulwinkler.com/call.

Would a Mortgage Company Let You Assume Someone’s Low Interest Rate Mortgage?

Paul, Evan, and Ira talk about an increasingly tricky housing market and why there is reason to be optimistic. Paul shares about his experience as a first-time homebuyer and about an assumable mortgage. Listen along to hear about how mortgage companies are responding to high home prices and interest rates with more innovative mortgage products that could help settle the market. Later in the episode, Ira talks about why “Practice makes perfect” isn’t a good philosophy when it comes to money and investing.

 

For more information about what we do or how we can help you, schedule a 15-minute call with us here: paulwinkler.com/call.

The Bucket Strategy of Investing Should Be a Red Flag For Investors

Paul talks to someone who went to a workshop, learned about the bucket strategy for investing, and wants to know if this strategy works for building wealth and taking an income. Listen along as Paul explains what the bucket strategy is, how it can be used as a method of pushing products on investors, and why it undermines some basic investing principles. Later in the episode, Paul explains how high interest rates change how investors feel about fixed income products and bonds, leading them into market timing.

 

For more information about what we do or how we can help you, schedule a 15-minute call with us here: paulwinkler.com/call.