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If you read the NGPF Blog then you have benefited from the handiwork of Tadas Viskanta and his blog Abnormal Returns. Having logged over 10,000 hours curating the best the web has to offer in finance news and research, Tadas offers up sound advice on how WE should be reading the financial press (hint: ignore the pundits spouting predictions). What's new in investment research? How will Fidelity's zero-fee index funds change the investing landscape? What new role has Tadas taken on at Ritholz Investment Management? Listen to this podcast to get answers to these questions and more. Enjoy!

Details

• 0:00–1:29 Introduction
• 1:30–7:35 Abnormal Returns, “a wide-ranging forecast-free investment blog”
• 7:36–10:53 How Tadas got hooked on finance
• 10:54–14:05 PSA for consumers of financial media: is it really worth your time?
• 14:06–16:24 The “secret sauce” for curating great information
• 16:25–19:01 What’s brandspankin’ new in the world of investment research?
• 19:02–19:27 A word from NGPF
• 19:28–24:30 Investment factors in layman’s terms
• 24:31–28:02 Digging up old findings on early days of emerging markets
• 28:03–32:52 Where does Tadas lie on the active vs. passive spectrum
• 32:53–37:23 His take on Fidelity’s no-cost funds & other investment offerings
• 37:24–40:57 How he’d cover investing in a classroom setting
• 40:58–42:12 Best purchase for under $10
• 42:13–45:45 Favorite books
• 45:46–48:03 Biggest money mishap
• 48:04–49:31 Conclusion

Resources mentioned

• His website: Abnormalreturns.com
• Book: Abnormal Returns
• Current role: Director of Investor Education at Ritholtz Wealth Management 
• Personal Finance articles delivered every Wednesday
• One of the first mutual funds he ever bought: Fidelity Magellan Fund during the Peter Lynch days
• Peter Lynch: “Buy what you know” philosophy and his book One Up On Wall Street: How To Use What You Already Know To Make Money In The Market
• NGPF podcast with Tony Isola

 Book recommendations: 

• What Works on Wall Street: A Guide to the Best-Performing Investment Strategies of All Time
• Adaptive Markets: Financial Evolution at the Speed of Thought
• Barrel-Aged Stout and Selling Out: Goose Island, Anheuser-Busch, and How Craft Beer Became Big Business

 QUOTES:

• “In terms of the investment blogosphere… people are really focused on trying to educate themselves and other people as to the pitfalls that can occur in the investment process… I’ve been heartened to see that that trend has taken place.”
• “Spend less time focusing on… what we call the news today, and really think about what’s going to be important longer term... When you read a piece or article, ask yourself if it’s going to be important a year from now [or] two years from now [or] three years from now.”
• “If you buy something and you don’t necessarily know how those returns play out in different market cycles… the natural inclination for someone is to sell and usually sell at the worst possible time and vice versa buy at the worst time. That really prevents anyone from really trying to capture what’s going on. It’s a double-edged sword in that regard.”

About the Authors

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

More posts by Tim

Danielle Bautista

Danielle is a native of Southern California and a recent graduate from the University of Maine, where she braved the frigid winters—a feat in and of itself—and earned her Bachelor's degree in International Affairs. She has a passion for working with non-profit organizations and serving populations in underprivileged communities. When Danielle isn't writing NGPF blog posts, spearheading various outreach projects, or managing contests and flash surveys, you can find her doing some sort of outdoor activity, learning a new hobby, or cracking what she thinks are witty puns!

More posts by Danielle