Economy

What is Riskalyze and Its Mission?

May 11, 2022 by Hans Blake, CFA, CPA

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On today’s Intelligent Money Minute, we welcome Aaron Klein the CEO of Riskalyze. During this episode, Aaron explains how his company Riskalyze came to be, and what’s Riskalyze mission for investors and financial advisors. Riskalyze’s mission is to empower the world to invest fearlessly. It’s a very investor-focused mission, but the truth is everything Riskalyze does is through the lens of helping the financial help the end investor. Our psychology often sabotages us when investing. Riskalyze seeks to transform those sabotaged investors into fearless investors with the help of a qualified financial advisor.

Some innate investment behaviors are unavoidable. However, we want to help our clients harness their harmful emotional behaviors, including that mother of all behavioral finance biases- confirmation bias. At Intelligent Investing, if we can help empower you to invest fearlessly, we’d be honored to have a confidential call or coffee with you.

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As Aaron mentioned, we want to transform fearful investors who make bad decisions into fearless investors who make great decisions, and over time improve their financial picture. To learn more about our philosophy, be sure to subscribe to our podcasts so you can stay informed.

Aaron Klein Bio

Aaron Klein is co-founder and CEO at Riskalyze, the company that invented the Risk Number® and empowers the world to invest fearlessly. The company is headquartered in Auburn, California, and serves tens of thousands of financial advisors.

He is husband to Cacey Steward Klein, dad to Spencer (born in South Korea), and Emma and Teddy (born in Ethiopia). Aaron and Cacey cofounded Hope Takes Root, an initiative to use vocational training and life mentoring to change the future for orphans and at-risk kids in Ethiopia. He also sits on the board of Invest in Others.

How to Hedge Against Stagflation?

May 5, 2022 by Hans Blake, CFA, CPA

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On today’s Intelligent Money Minute, we’ll interview Ed Peters on how to hedge against stagflation. In previous episodes, Ed stresses how correctly diagnosing the inflationary environment is critical to approaching an accurate economic solution. During this inflation series, Ed Peters defined reflation, deflation, and stagflation. Stagflation is defined as persistently high inflation combined with high unemployment and stagnant demand in a country’s economy. Outside of shorting, Ed explains the challenges a stagflation environment poses for any investor.

As Ed mentioned, the Fed has found itself in a tricky spot. A prudent investor will not want to guess and hope for the best regarding the Fed’s next move. On our next episode with Ed, we’ll talk about various risk regimes and what we should be aware of. Be sure to subscribe to our podcasts so you can stay informed. We’d be happy to sit down with you over coffee or a call to share our process and philosophy and how we manage risk for our high-net-worth clients.

Ed Peters Bio

Ed Peters is First Quadrant’s Managing Partner. In this role, Ed establishes the firm’s strategic direction, develops firm-wide initiatives, and chairs the Executive Leadership Team and the Management Operating Committee. Ed also contributes to First Quadrant’s research efforts, with a particular emphasis on market states, and manages the firm’s long-only multi-asset strategy. Prior to joining First Quadrant in 2008, Ed worked at PanAgora Asset Management, at various times serving as equity portfolio manager, Director of Tactical Asset Allocation, CIO of Macro Investments, and CIO. Other past work experience includes Interactive Data Corporation and Mutual Benefit Life. Ed holds an MBA from Rutgers University. He has published articles in multiple investment journals, as well as three books.

Who is Aaron Klein of Riskalyze

April 27, 2022 by Hans Blake, CFA, CPA

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On today’s Intelligent Money Minute, we welcome Aaron Klein the CEO of Riskalyze. Riskalyze is an investment risk software that powers the world’s first risk alignment platform that is built on top of a Nobel-prize-winning academic framework. During this episode, Aaron goes back to the beginnings of Riskalyze, and how he got inspired to create his risk analysis software.

At Intelligent Investing, our firm was built on the belief that improving investor behavior is crucial to long-term success. Unfortunately, we live in a society that has made almost a secular religion out of “investment outperformance,” and the average investor tends to misbehave and doesn’t just merely underperform the markets– they often underperform their own investments! The reason the average investor blows upwards of 60% of the return of the average fund over any given 20-year period is that he behaved inappropriately.

Aaron Klein Bio

Reflation, Deflation, & Stagflation? OH MY!

April 14, 2022 by Hans Blake, CFA, CPA

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On today’s Intelligent Money Minute, we’ll interview Ed Peters on reflation, deflation, and stagflation. You’ll read in the headlines about the different types of inflation including stagflation, deflation, and reflation. During this episode, Ed Peters breaks down each type and what scenario they occur. Correctly diagnosing the inflationary environment is critical to approaching an accurate economic solution.

As Ed mentioned, there are a number of financial terms out there that are very confusing. We shared just a few of them today. At Intelligent Investing, our passion is to minimize financial stress to maximize lives. We try to help our high net worth clients sort through the headlines and news, to help them keep their focus on their long-term goals. As their financial accountability partner, we help alleviate the stress that often comes from either a lack of knowledge or our innate emotional desire to want to react. We’d be happy to sit down with you over coffee or a call to share our process and philosophy and how we manage risk for our high-net-worth clients. Be sure to subscribe to our podcasts so you can stay informed.

Ed Peters Bio

Inflation Risks & Hedging Techniques We Need To Consider

April 6, 2022 by Hans Blake, CFA, CPA

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On today’s Intelligent Money Minute, we’ll interview Ed Peters on inflation risks & hedging techniques we need to consider. In general, we don’t typically know what causes the current inflation. Trying to hedge a specific type of inflation is difficult to do, and you’d need a crystal ball to do it successfully. The main thing to do is have a basket of hedging techniques in response to inflation risks. During this episode, Ed Peters explains in-depth the value of various hedging techniques in response to inflation risks.

There are a number of inflation techniques to consider, but a lot of the hedging depends on the reasons for the inflation in the first place. Gold can sometimes help with monetary caused inflation, and inflation-linked bonds can also help, as well as REITs and infrastructure. It can get complicated really quickly, but you do need a basket of diversified investments to help you smooth out the risks along your investment journey. We’d be happy to sit down with you over coffee or a call to share our process and philosophy and how we manage risk for our high-net-worth clients. Be sure to subscribe to our podcasts so you can stay informed.

Ed Peters Bio

Is Our Current Inflationary Environment Transitory?

March 30, 2022 by Hans Blake, CFA, CPA

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On today’s Intelligent Money Minute, we’ll interview Ed Peters on whether our current economic environment is transitory inflation. Many economists believe the current inflation in our country is transitory. The common misconception according to Ed Peters is the misdiagnosis of the current inflationary environment. During this episode, Ed explains that there’s a good chance that we never get back to the pre-covid inflation number. In summary, Ed believes a monetary inflation environment may occur as a result of the current inflationary environment.

We’ll talk to Ed more about his thoughts on whether a monetary inflation environment may occur down the road and ways to consider hedging against such an environment. Be sure to subscribe to our podcasts so you can stay informed.

Ed Peters Bio

The Fed is on Slippery Ice

March 24, 2022 by Hans Blake, CFA, CPA

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On today’s Intelligent Money Minute, we’ll interview Ed Peters on how the Fed is on slippery ice. During this episode, Ed explains the Fed’s reasoning behind potentially raising interest rates due to the recent inflationary climate. The Fed wants to raise interest rates in a way that doesn’t hurt the economy with the hope that supply chain issues resolve themselves.

As Ed mentioned, the Fed would have to take a very hawkish stance to raise rates above inflation (like Volker did in the late 70s). That probably isn’t on their agenda, but they do want to take their foot off the gas, but not necessarily hit the brakes.

On our next podcast with Ed, we’ll talk about whether this is a transitory inflationary environment, a permanent inflationary environment, or some combination. Be sure to subscribe to our podcasts so you can stay informed.

Ed Peters Bio

What Are The Inflationary Indicators & What Can They Tell Us?

March 17, 2022 by Hans Blake, CFA, CPA

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On today’s Intelligent Money Minute, we’ll interview Ed Peters on whether what are the inflationary indicators? During this episode, Ed breaks down the different types of inflationary indicators and how they each impact the economy. As Ed mentioned money velocity, is the amount of currency that is spent compared to how much money is out there. While the money supply has grown, GDP has increased faster, causing the money velocity to collapse and is currently flat.

While there is more money going into the economy, Americans are not spending, but rather saving their money. This can indicate that the current inflationary environment is caused by something other than money supply. Perhaps supply shocks due to supply chain issues. Perhaps demand shocks which are the pent-up demand for goods and services from Americans.

On the next episode with Ed Peters, we’ll talk about the difficulty the Fed has found itself in, and what are some of the potential outcomes as they navigate this difficult environment. Be sure to subscribe to our podcasts so you can stay informed.