SKEPTIC’S GUIDE TO INVESTING

Straight Talk for All, Nonsense for None About - Our podcast looks to help improve investing IQ. We share 15-30 minutes on finance, market and investment ideas. We bring experience and empathy to the complex process of financial wellness. Every journey is unique, so we look for ways our insights can help listeners. Also, we want to have fun😎 Your Hosts - Meet Steve Davenport, CFA and Clem Miller, CFA as they discus the latest in news, markets and investments. They each bring over 25 years in the investment industry to their discussions. Steve brings a domestic stock and quantitative emphasis, Clem has a more fundamental and international perspective. They hope to bring experience, honesty and humility to these podcasts. There are a lot of acronyms and financial terms which confuse more than they help. There are many entertainers versus analysts promoting get rich quick ideas. Let’s cut through the nonsense with straight talk! Disclaimer - These podcasts are

SKEPTIC’S GUIDE TO INVESTING is a business podcast hosted by Steve Davenport, Clement Miller, with 170 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Steve Davenport, Clement Miller hosts SKEPTIC’S GUIDE TO INVESTING, a business show with 170 episodes published.

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  SKEPTIC’S GUIDE TO INVESTING

  The Wealth Elevator Method For Real Estate Cash Flow

  Sep 14, 202647 min

  Please text and tell us what you like You can save for years, do everything “right,” and still feel stuck because your money never creates real momentum. We sit down with Lane Kawaoka, a real estate investor and founder behind a private equity platform with over $2B in assets, to unpack how he goes from a first rental purchase to a scalable strategy built around cash flow, sensible risk, and repeatable deal criteria. We get specific about what Lane looks for when he buys: the rent-to-value ratio, why high-priced coastal markets often fail the cash flow test, and how he targets the “sweet spot” neighborhoods that support workforce housing demand without turning landlording into constant crisis management. Lane also explains the four drivers of rental real estate returns: cash flow, appreciation, tax advantages like depreciation, and mortgage paydown funded by tenants. If you’ve only compared real estate to stocks by headline returns, this reframes the whole conversation. From there we zoom out to portfolio construction. Lane contrasts primary access investing (direct ownership and syndications) with secondary-market products like REITs, and why fees, middlemen, and deal flow access can change outcomes. We also talk about the barbell strategy, diversification, and the hard lessons that show up when you concentrate too heavily in one asset class and the market corrects. To close, Lane shares the practical tools he watches for interest-rate direction, plus how inflation shapes the long-term case for owning real assets. Subscribe for more investing conversations, share this with a friend who wants real passive income strategies, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway or question. Straight Talk for All - Nonsense for None Please check out our other podcasts: https://skepticsguidetoinvesting.buzzsprout.com Disclaimer - These podcasts are not intended as investment advice. Individuals please consult your own investment, tax and legal advisors. They provide these insights for educational purposes only.

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  SKEPTIC’S GUIDE TO INVESTING

  The Great White North Is Not A Bear

  Sep 9, 202619 min

  Please text and tell us what you like Tariffs make great sound bites, but they get messy fast when your “target” is your closest trading partner. We dig into the sudden surge of U.S. hostility toward Canada and ask the question that matters for business owners, investors, and anyone watching North American supply chains: did we pick the right fight, or did we just tax ourselves with extra steps? We break down where the real trade tensions live, including dairy disputes, softwood lumber battles, and the deeply integrated auto manufacturing network built under NAFTA and reinforced by USMCA. We also talk about why blanket tariff threats are a poor fit for problems that are usually narrow and industry-specific, and why using tariffs as a political weapon can create blowback in border states that rely on two-way trade. Then we zoom out to Canada’s strategy. Canada is expanding options through the CPTPP across the Pacific and strengthening ties with Europe in ways that could reduce long-term dependence on the U.S. We also tackle the China question, from autos and consumer markets to the bigger strategic issue of energy, minerals, and rare earths, where allies matter if the goal is to reduce reliance on Beijing. We close by looking at the election timeline and what a rushed “declare victory” off-ramp might look like. If you found this useful, subscribe, share it with a friend who follows trade policy, and leave us a review with your take: is this tariff fight strategy, distraction, or both? Straight Talk for All - Nonsense for None Please check out our other podcasts: https://skepticsguidetoinvesting.buzzsprout.com Disclaimer - These podcasts are not intended as investment advice. Individuals please consult your own investment, tax and legal advisors. They provide these insights for educational purposes only.

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  SKEPTIC’S GUIDE TO INVESTING

  Walker Cup At Lahinch: The Amateur Golf Standard

  Sep 4, 202653 min

  Please text and tell us what you like The Walker Cup has a way of making golf feel urgent again. Put the best amateurs in the world on a true links course like Lahinch, add wind off the Atlantic, and suddenly every choice matters: club selection, shot shape, patience, and how you handle the moments when you’re not the one hitting the ball. We’re joined by John Riley, co-writer of The Last Amateur, to talk about Jay Siegel’s place in golf history and why the Walker Cup fit him so perfectly. Jay played a record nine Walker Cups, but what sticks with us are the stories that explain the legend: the shift from struggling in match play to embracing a “sudden death on every hole” mindset, the quiet leadership that calms a nervous partner, and the personal code that refuses to win by rooting against an opponent. We also get into the tension every captain faces when choosing between raw talent and steady experience, and why alternate shot can turn “sure things” into surprises. From Pine Valley showdowns to Peachtree heartbreak, and from Portmarnock’s massive Irish crowds to the scenery near the Cliffs of Moher, we connect Walker Cup tradition to practical lessons any golfer can use. If you love amateur golf, match play strategy, and the soul of links golf in Ireland, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share it with a golf friend, and leave a review with your favorite Walker Cup moment. Straight Talk for All - Nonsense for None Please check out our other podcasts: https://skepticsguidetoinvesting.buzzsprout.com Disclaimer - These podcasts are not intended as investment advice. Individuals please consult your own investment, tax and legal advisors. They provide these insights for educational purposes only.

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  SKEPTIC’S GUIDE TO INVESTING

  Venezuela Oil Deal Reality Check

  Sep 3, 202632 min

  Please text and tell us what you like “One fifth of Venezuela’s oil” is the kind of line that makes people stop scrolling, but it also hides the most important investing question we can ask: are we talking about reserves in the ground or production that can actually flow to market? We walk through why that distinction matters for oil prices, energy stocks, and anyone trying to make sense of geopolitical headlines without getting played by the framing. We also unpack what’s being reported about the players involved, including Venezuela’s state oil company and the role of regime-connected business interests. From money laundering allegations to the way international pressure and exemptions can distort incentives, we focus on what makes a deal enforceable or fragile. Then we get practical about the geology and engineering: Orinoco Basin heavy crude is not a simple “drill and ship” story, and the real constraints are processing capacity, infrastructure, and time. From an investor standpoint, we separate the headline deal from Chevron’s on-the-ground operations and explain why Venezuela is still just a slice of a global major’s portfolio. We close by questioning the “$100 billion investment” claim and exploring where financing could come from, from loan guarantees to government-backed capital, and why those details determine whether any of this becomes real production or stays political theater. If you value skeptical, clear-eyed market talk, subscribe, share this with a friend who follows energy news, and leave us a review with your take on how this plays out. Straight Talk for All - Nonsense for None Please check out our other podcasts: https://skepticsguidetoinvesting.buzzsprout.com Disclaimer - These podcasts are not intended as investment advice. Individuals please consult your own investment, tax and legal advisors. They provide these insights for educational purposes only.

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  SKEPTIC’S GUIDE TO INVESTING

  Trump Accounts Explained

  Sep 3, 202631 min

  Please text and tell us what you like A new savings idea for kids can be both smart and messy at the same time. We dig into the so-called Trump accounts, a proposal aimed at children born between January 2025 and December 31, 2028, and why the core concept is hard to argue with: get money invested early, let compounding growth work for years, and give families a real runway for college costs, a first home, and long-term financial security. Then we zoom in on the part that raises eyebrows. We talk through how the accounts are reportedly structured, including Treasury’s use of BNY Mellon and how Robinhood Securities ends up serving as trustee, custodian, and broker. That setup triggers the big questions investors should ask about any long-term vehicle: Who controls the plumbing? Is the selection process fair? Do families get meaningful choice later, or does the default create “stickiness” that keeps assets on one platform even when better options exist? We also tackle what’s actually inside the accounts today and what could show up tomorrow. Passive index funds and ETF-style investing sound sensible, but custody risk and platform risk can matter just as much as fund selection. From there, we explore the blurry boundary between investing and collecting, including crypto ETFs, stablecoin, meme coins, and how regulators like the SEC, CFTC, and FINRA influence what becomes “approved” inside retirement-style accounts. If you care about child investing, custodial accounts, IRA rules, and the real-world incentives behind financial products, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review, then tell us: would you take the free money and opt in, or stay away until the structure changes? Straight Talk for All - Nonsense for None Please check out our other podcasts: https://skepticsguidetoinvesting.buzzsprout.com Disclaimer - These podcasts are not intended as investment advice. Individuals please consult your own investment, tax and legal advisors. They provide these insights for educational purposes only.

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