Money Life With Chuck Jaffe Daily Podcast

Dan Davies, author of 'Lying For Money: How Legendary Frauds Reveal the Workings of the World,' says that financial scams that revolve around trust thrive in the world's most open/free markets and are something of a necessary side-effect to commerce. Davies notes that if everyone avoided financial stories that 'sound too good to be true,' they would have missed out on success stories like Amazon.com even more often than avoiding the occasional scam. Also on the show, Brady Dougan of Exos Financial -- which recently opened an ETF focused on specialty purpose acquisition corporations -- talks about how SPACs have changed over time, en route to becoming one of the hottest investment types for companies looking to go public today, and Will Rhind of GraniteShares discusses closed-end funds and business-development companies in the Market Call.

Sheraz Mian, director of research at Zacks Investment Research says that the U.S. economy is likely to see economic growth more in line with emerging markets over the next few quarters, but he warns that much of that action has already been priced into the stock market, meaning the economic boom may not add much to the stock market rally. Also on the show, Jeffrey Ptak of Morningstar talks about research showing that -- at least for now -- past performance is showing that it can be somewhat indicative of what happens next to a mutual fund, and Kyle Guske of New Constructs discusses a stock with ties to Bitcoin that he expects to be wildly overvalued as it goes IPO, and Kathy Boyle of Chapin Hill Advisors talks mutual funds and ETFs in the Market Call.

Doug Ramsey, chief investment officer at The Leuthold Group, says the stock market's current valuations remind him of 20 years ago, when the stock market was peaking as the Internet bubble market burst; he also says that the bond market is creating a bubble, but that the impact of the stock bubble will be greater when it bursts, which he thinks will occur late in or after the economic recovery from coronavirus. Meanwhile, Zach Jonson, chief investment officer at Stack Financial Management, says that the Standard and Poor's 500 is broken, failing to represent the broad domestic economy, which is one big reason why the market performed well while the economy was suffering in 2020. He expects that disconnect to continue -- but with the economy bouncing back and the stock market likely lagging -- going forward. Also on the show, Nick Holmes, manager of the Tortoise Essential Assets Income fund, discusses investing in water infrastructure, and how it is different from traditional infrastructure investing.

Jason Brady, chief executive officer at Thornburg Investment Management, says that the economy is poised for strong growth, but that high stock valuations and continued volatility will create a divergence between the economy and market that reverses the trend of 2020, when stocks grew fast while the economy sputtered.  He suggests rebalancing portfolios because the 'trends that were in place for the last 12 months or so will be in place for the next 12.' Also on the show, Tom Lydon of ETFTrends.com makes the Van Eck Vectors Social Sentiment fund -- a new issue that is trading in stocks that have been caught up in social media buzz -- his "ETF of the Week," Jeff Hoyt of SeniorLiving.org discusses a surprising survey about the impact of the pandemic on the finances of Americans age 60 and over, and Gerry Frigon of Taylor Frigon Capital Management talks stocks in the Market Call.

Bryce Doty, senior portfolio manager at Sit Investment Associates and manager of a short-duration bond ETF, says that we're about to see 'the most synchronized global rebound in history for the economy,' noting that 'what comes with that is inflation' that most bond investors are not preparing for. Doty adds that while investors should be following a consistent long-term plan, they should leave some flexibility to pursue investments that are riding a current market wave, which currently means considering investments in travel technology, health care, cannabis and more. Also, in Left Brain Thinking, Noland Langford, chief executive at Left Brain Investment Research, says that Rite Aid Corp. high-yield bonds are particularly attractive, buoyed by the way the company benefited from the pandemic, plus a change in leadership that has all made the company significantly more secure than in the past. And Nancy Tengler of Laffer Tengler Wealth Management talks growth-at-a-reasonable-price investing in the Market Call.

Fritz Folts, chief investment strategist at 3EDGE Asset Management, says while there are many reasons to be confident in the stock market, he worries that the plusses already have been priced in to current levels, especially because he thinks the market at current levels is significantly overvalued and that interest rates would have to stay as low as they are now for the next decade for prices to be considered fairly valued. Jeffrey Hirsch of the Stock Trader's Almanac agrees that the stock market may have priced a rebound into current levels, but that means that the standard calendar effects -- like summer doldrums when the market moves sideways -- are likely to be in play again this year, a sign that things are returning more to normal. Also on the show, Steven Grey of Grey Value Management talks about valuations and the ability to make great buys right now in the Market Call.

Preston Caldwell, senior equity analyst and head of U.S. economics at Morningstar Inc., says that coming out of the pandemic he expects gross domestic product (GDP) to hit 5.3 percent this year, to remain above 4 percent in 2022 but to decline to pre-pandemic -- and slowing -- levels of 2.2 percent by 2023, a burst that will propel the economy but that is not too long-lasting. In a second Big Interview, Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise Investments, talks about the state of cryptocurrencies now, discussing the ongoing evolution involving funds, thoughts on portfolio allocations, the ability to spend crypto and more. Also on the show, Chris Manderfield of Key Bank discusses how and why filing your taxes this year is going to feel different than possibly every other tax year in your lifetime, and David Trainer of New Constructs talks about three stocks -- Uber, Door Dash and Carvana -- that he says are more dangerous now despite good, recent earnings reports.

Sameer Samana, senior global market strategist for the Wells Fargo Investment Institute, says that the technical outlook for the market is good, and likely to stay that way with low rates and a long upward equity trend. He noted that investors are being selective right now, looking for the biggest returns in areas that can stand out from the pack in current times, which is why gold has suffered in recent weeks despite conditions that should be positive for precious metals. Also on the show, legendary fund manager Paul Wick returns to discuss his closed-end fund -- Columbia Seligman Premium Technology Growth -- and whether investors should use that fund as a way to get his acumen on sale, Colin Dunn of the Cambiar SMID fund talks the atmosphere for small- and mid-cap investments now, and David Harden of Summit Global Investments covers low-volatility investing in a high-volatility market in the Market Call.

George Milling-Stanley, chief gold strategist at State Street Global Advisors, says that the recent blip in inflation isn't enough to send gold much higher soon, though it should have reminded investors of the precious metal's value as a hedge against inflation. He thinks that will be more valuable going forward, but said that there's still plenty of reasons to have a gold position and to expect it to perform now, despite a recent drop in gold's price. Also on the show: Tendayi Kapfidze, chief economist at LendingTree discusses why he thinks the economy will show strong growth moving forward, but also how it must show that significant improvement or it will be regressing and struggling to overcome pandemic-related traumas; Tom Lydon of ETFTrends.com puts the focus on small-cap value stocks with his ETF of the Week, and Chuck answers audience questions about bitcoin with some help from Matt Hougan of Bitwise Investments.

Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist for RSM, says the economy will boom in the next year or two in ways 'you haven't seen since the late Reagan Administration.' But even though the economy will fire on all cylinders, he says it will not return to the pre-pandemic status quo, with 'permanent economic scarring' in some sectors and in employment that could last for many years. Also on the show, Patrick O'Hare, chief market analyst for Briefing.com, says that he expects the stock market to be on solid ground moving forward, but he warned that investors should expect returns that are below historic levels as the market slows to allow the economy to catch up. In Left Brain Thinking, Brian Dress, director of research at Left Brain Investment Research, discusses the high-yield bond market and how yield-driven investors need to include high-dividend stocks and business-development companies in their search for income.

Kristina Hooper, chief global market strategist at Invesco, says that a re-opening post-pandemic economy will release pent-up demand that fuels significant growth, overcoming current inflation concerns and more. She points to countries like Israel and Great Britain -- which are closer to full re-opening than the United States -- and says the economic strength shown there is a pattern the US is likely to repeat. Also on the show, two different interviews with long-term technical analyst Michael Sincere, first on where the market stands right now and then on his new book, 'Make Money Trading Options," and Bill McManus of Hartford Funds discusses the firm's recent survey which shows changing sentiments and ambitions for investors -- especially young investors -- in the wake of the Gamestop action on Wall Street.

Paul Wick, long-time manager of the Columbia Seligman Communication and Information Fund -- one of the most successful sector funds in history -- says that the long bull market in technology was built on top of falling interest rates, and that the next quarter-century will see a different rate trend that forces investors into more muted expectations. Wick says, however, that there are still reasonably valued tech stocks positioned to maintain explosive growth for the foreseeable future. Also on the show, Ken Tumin discusses a MagnifyMoney.com study showing that investors are giving up on savings bonds and certificates of deposit, David Trainer of New Constructs highlights the troubles ahead for Spotify and suggests investors look at Sirius-XM instead, and Dan Ives of the Wedbush ETFMG Global Cloud Technology ETF offers an extra helping of technology talk in the Market Call. 

Neil Azous, chief investment officer at Rareview Capital, says that 10-year real US interest rates -- which have been on the rise recently and which jumped on Thursday -- are 'the most impending danger' to investor portfolios. He says the market is now acting as if the pandemic is nearly over and says that investors need to be thinking of the big economic themes beyond the re-opening, including the changing rate picture. Also on the show, Robin Gaster, the author of the new book 'Behemoth, Amazon Rising,' and Jay Hatfield, chief executive officer of Infrastructure Capital Advisors, who discusses income-oriented stocks and real estate investment trusts in the Market Call.

Lucas White, portfolio manager for resources and climate-change strategies at GMO big-oil is due for a big rally. He notes that while oil prices are up 20 percent in the last year, they are still well below pre-pandemic levels, which gives them the potential to register massive gains as the economy starts to shake off its pandemic slumber. Also on the show, Tom Lydon of ETFTrends.com talks about SPACs -- special purpose acquisition companies -- and the ETFs that have jumped in on this new Wall Street Craze, and Brent Wilsey of Wiley Asset Management talks stocks in the Market Call. 

Stephen Dover, chief market strategist for Franklin Templeton, says in the Big Interview that he sees a rise in inflation, but thinks the economy can put off any serious bump in prices for as much as three years. He recognized the problems and issues for both stocks and bonds, but still says that investors should stick with domestic and international markets for stocks and bonds to take advantage of the market while it keeps running. Also on the show, Freddy Garcia of Left Brain Investment Research discusses when and why investors might want to convert traditional individual retirement accounts into tax-free Roth IRAs, and Jack Murphy of Levin Easterly Partners talks value-oriented, event-themed investing in the Market Call.

David Souccar of the Vontobel Quality Growth fund says there are two markets right now, one featuring very speculative stocks and the other being real growth opportunities, and he notes that 'What you do not own will be as important as what you do own when we get out of this.' But Souccar isn't the only guest expecting tough sledding ahead for the market, as Jeffrey Bierman of TheoTrade.com notes that conditions could force interest rates higher -- which he says would be devastating to the market -- and that nine of the market's 11 sectors are significantly already overvalued, giving the market more downside risk than upside now. Also on the show, Simon Zhen of MyBankTracker.com on surprising consumer banking habits in the pandemic and Randy Warren of Warren Financial talking high-conviction stocks in the Market Call.

Scott Helfstein, executive director of thematic investing at ProShares, says the big investment themes of 2020 -- stay-at-home/work-from home, cloud computing, cyber security, remote technologies, streaming, gaming and e-commerce among them -- were driven less by consumer sentiment than by underlying fundamentals, and that solid footing will keep those sectors rolling even as the economy emerges from the pandemic over the course of 2021. Also on the show, Ron Ruffinott of Toluna discusses a survey on when Americans will be ready to get back out for travel, when they will revisit shopping malls and more, David Trainer of New Constructs discusses the importance of reading footnotes to find where companies exploit accounting loopholes, and Andy Braun of the Pax World Large Cap fund talks ESG investing in brand-name companies in the Market Call.

Ron Sanchez, chief investment officer at Fiduciary Trust Co. International, says that the disconnect between the market and the economy -- with exceptional markets but  a poor economy -- is going to be reversed for the next few years, and said he expects the recovery to drag out for several years until unemployment levels return to pre-pandemic lows. Also on the show, Chuck answers a question about rewards cards versus cash-back benefits on credit cards, and closed-end fund expert Maury Fertig of Relative Value Partners talks about the broad trends he sees in the NAVigator, and returns to discuss specific investments in the Market Call.

Bob Fraser, chief financial officer for the Aspen Funds, says that a combination of strong consumers and a housing market with insufficient supply are creating a strong outlook for real estate and the broader economy for at least the year ahead. In the Big Interview, Fraser discusses changes to the real estate market that have been accelerated by the pandemic, but also says that he does not expect those trends to stall or back up as the economy moves into post-pandemic activity. Also on the show, Tom Lydon of ETFTrends.com tabs a unique China-focused fund as his 'ETF of the Week,' Chuck answers two questions from audience members, and 'Turtle Trader' Jerry Parker of Chesapeake Capital talks stocks in the Market Call.

Michael Loukas, chief executive officer at TrueMark Investments -- which recently launched the DIVZ ETF that focuses on high yielding but low-volatility stocks -- says the financial services and health-care sectors are the sweet spots right now for generating yield without creating much froth in a portfolio. He says in the Market Call which stocks he particularly likes in each space. Also on the show, author Aaron Nannini discusses his new book, 'Cash Uncomplicated,' and how investors must change their mindset to succeed, Janice Quek from Left Brain Investment Research talks about an education stock that is a surprising beneficiary of the pandemic, and Chuck answers an elderly woman's credit-card question with the help of Bankrate.com's Greg McBride.