Episode
Answering Your Financial Questions | #414
- Published
- Jun 18, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 4523
- Processing state
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Summary
In this episode, Ben Felix and Ben Wilson tackle a wide range of listener questions covering portfolio construction, home-country bias, currency exposure, ETF selection, retirement decumulation, leasing versus buying a car, discounted cash flow valuations, and the real work of portfolio management. Along the way, they revisit the Rational Reminder model portfolios, discuss how new products like CAGE have changed the DIY investing landscape, and explore whether Warren Buffett's long-term record still provides evidence that active management can outperform. The conversation also offers a behind-the-scenes look at PWL Capital's planning-centric approach to wealth management and why helping clients make better financial decisions often matters more than portfolio construction itself. Key Points From This Episode: (0:28) Why AMA episodes have become less frequent despite hundreds of listener questions waiting to be answered. (2:07) Ben shares observations from PWL's growing institutional investment business and why low-cost, planning-focused institutional advice remains surprisingly rare. (6:37) Revisiting the original Rational Reminder model portfolios and how newer products have simplified implementation. (10:09) Should U.S. investors underweight the U.S. market relative to global market-cap weights? (11:07) Research, home-country bias, and Ken French's arguments for overweighting domestic stocks. (18:11) Asset-allocation ETFs in retirement: Is there any benefit to separating stocks and bonds during withdrawals? (21:03) Leasing versus buying a vehicle, opportunity costs, depreciation, and convenience. (26:13) Currency exposure, RRSPs, withholding taxes, and common misconceptions about USD-denominated ETFs. (30:30) If Dimensional funds were unavailable, what would Ben choo…