The Important Part: Investing with Liz Thomas
Liz Thomas, SoFi's Chief Market Strategist, hosts conversations with influential investors, business leaders, academics and media figures about how they make high-stakes decisions under uncertainty. Each episode explores how successful people navigate risk, tolerate failure and stay agile when markets and careers change. Guests unpack the pivotal choices that shaped their portfolios and working lives. The show aims to help listeners define their own relationship with risk and work toward their financial goals. It is produced by SoFi and is informational only, not investment advice.
Episodes
What Kind of Investor Are You? Emma Grede and Rebecca Patterson on Risk
How does your relationship with risk affect the way you invest? Emma Grede and investor Rebecca Patterson join Liz Thomas to talk about money, risk-taking, and the experiences that shape the investors we become.
Recorded live from SoFi’s first-ever Smart Money Social Club, entrepreneur Emma Grede and globally recognized investor Rebecca Patterson join Liz Thomas for a candid conversation about ho
AI Is Transforming Cybersecurity. Here’s What to Know.
Artificial intelligence is changing cybersecurity on both sides of the fight.
As AI becomes more powerful, it may be giving hackers new ways to exploit weaknesses faster than companies can fix them. On this episode of The Important Part, Boaz Gelbord, Chief Security Officer at Akamai Technologies, joins Liz Thomas to share his perspective on how AI is reshaping cybersecurity and why he believes b
Jean Chatzky: How to Save for Retirement and Still Enjoy Your Money
Retirement planning can feel intimidating, whether you’re decades away or getting ready to make the transition. Jean Chatzky wants to make it feel a little more manageable.
This week on The Important Part, HerMoney CEO and The Forever Paycheck author Jean Chatzky joins Liz Thomas to discuss how to prepare for retirement while still enjoying your life today. Jean shares her perspective on retireme
Tony Robbins on Investing Beyond the Stock Market
Tony Robbins says the old investor playbook is changing.
For decades, many investors were told to build wealth through public stocks and bonds. But Tony believes some of the biggest opportunities may sit outside the traditional market, in private equity, private credit, sports ownership, and other alternative investments that were once harder for individual investors to access.
On this epi
What Could the Midterms Mean for Markets?
Midterms are approaching, bringing questions about what the outcome could mean for policy and investors.
Libby Cantrill, Head of U.S. Public Policy at PIMCO, joins us on The Important Part: Investing with Liz Thomas this week to share her take on midterms and what investors should be watching as November approaches.
Libby and Liz dig into affordability and the issues shaping the political
How Wall Street Went From Fighting Crypto To Embracing It
Cryptocurrency used to be positioned as an alternative to Wall Street. Now? Wall Street is increasingly embracing the technology behind it.
Zack Guzman – Founder of Trustless Media and Host of Coinage, a crypto and Web3 podcast – joins us on The Important Part: Investing with Liz Thomas this week to share his perspective on how crypto has evolved from a disruptive idea to an institutional a
From Copper to Coffee: What’s Driving Commodities in Today’s Market
Commodities span far beyond gold. From precious metals and energy to agriculture, they can offer investors another way to think about markets and portfolio diversification.
Kathy Kriskey, Head of Alternatives Product Strategy at Invesco, joins SoFi Chief Market Strategist, Liz Thomas this week to share her take on today’s commodities market and explore what’s happening beyond the usual suspects,
Today’s Housing Market Explained: What Comes Next?
Housing prices are through the roof, mortgage rates are high and rents continue to climb. So what’s driving today’s challenging housing market?
This week, Jonathan Miller, CEO of Miller Samuel, joins SoFi Chief Market Strategist Liz Thomas to break down the forces shaping today’s housing market. Jonathan shares his perspective on where homebuyers are finding available inventory and why some
What Could Shake Today’s Bull Market?
In 2010, Brian Belski said we were entering a 25 year bull market. Fifteen years later, he hasn’t changed his tune.
Brian Belski, CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Humulis Investment Strategies, sits down with SoFi Chief Market Strategist Liz Thomas to share his perspective on today’s bull and what could shake it. He also discusses how Humulis is approaching current market conditions, inc
Why Investors Are Pouring Billions Into Sports
There’s big money in sports right now and it’s not just happening in leagues like the NFL or NBA. But how can those of us who will never own a professional team get in on this booming sector?
This week, Front Office Sports Editor-in-Chief, Dan Roberts sits down with SoFi Chief Market Strategist Liz Thomas to discuss why he believes sports investing matters in today’s market. He shares his perspec
Investing and Risk: What You Need To Know in Today’s Market
War, inflation, and AI are converging to create a high risk moment in the market. But in this bull market, many are seeing high returns.
On this episode, Shannon Saccocia, Chief Investment Officer for Neuberger Berman, sits down with SoFi’s Chief Market Strategist Liz Thomas to discuss where the big risks are, how they’re shifting, and what investors can look out for to manage their exposure.&nbs
How to Research Stocks and Build a Portfolio
Picking individual stocks has never been easier. Figuring out how to evaluate them is another story.
Stephanie Link, Chief Investment Strategist, Head of Investment Solutions, and Equity Portfolio Manager at Hightower Advisors, joins Liz Thomas to explain her approach to researching stocks and constructing a portfolio amid a noisy and sometimes volatile market.
Link discusses how investors can b
The Spending Paradox: Why Americans Are Still Opening Their Wallets
Americans say they feel bad about the economy. Their spending tells a different story.
Michelle Meyer, Chief Economist at Mastercard and head of the Mastercard Economics Institute, joins Liz Thomas to share her perspective on what Mastercard is seeing in real-time spending data.
The episode looks at why consumer sentiment has stayed weak even as spending has held up. Meyer says the d
What It Means to Be a Future Rich Person, According to Mrs. Dow Jones
“Future rich person” is not about getting rich overnight. For Haley Sacks, a.k.a. Mrs. Dow Jones, it is about learning how money works early enough to give yourself more choices later.
On this week’s episode, Haley sits down with Liz to talk about the money habits that can quietly change someone’s financial life, from investing earlier to negotiating with more confidence at work. She also explain
Should Investors Befriend the AI Bubble? Lessons From the Dot-Com Era
Today’s bull market just keeps building with stock indexes reaching record highs, AI buildout booming, and blockbuster IPOs smashing records.
It’s giving the ‘90s… and we know how that ended.
On this episode of The Important Part: Investing with Liz Thomas, Dan Greenhaus, Chief Strategist at Solus Alternative Asset Management, takes us back in time to understand the years of build up befor
The GLP-1 Economy: How New Prescriptions Are Reshaping Markets
About one in eight U.S. adults say they take a GLP-1 drug, according to a poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation. And that raises a number of questions for investors. As use of drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound grows, the effects are moving far beyond healthcare and into the way people eat, shop, and spend.
In this episode of The Important Part, Liz Thomas sits down with Caleb Silver, edit
Wearable Tech Is a $90 Billion Market. Are Investors Still Early?
Wearables have gone from counting steps to tracking sleep, recovery, heart health, and more. But the bigger story may be what all that data makes possible next.
In this episode of The Important Part, Liz Thomas sits down with Craig Shapiro, CEO of Collaborative Fund and an early investor in WHOOP, to discuss why he believes wearable technology is still in its infancy.
Using WHOOP’s rise from a n
Space Investor
SpaceX launched as the biggest IPO in history last week, officially igniting the space economy.
But what exactly is the space economy? Is it about astronauts and space stations? Exploration and research? Infrastructure and defense? Morgan Brennan, anchor of CNBC’s Morning Call and host of the podcast Manifest Space, says it’s all of the above and so much more.
On this episode of The Important Pa
The Important Part with Liz Thomas | Investing, Markets, and Your Money Explained
This market can be hard to read unless you understand what is actually driving it.
On The Important Part, SoFi’s Chief Market Strategist Liz Thomas talks with the folks thinking through markets in real time — from where capital is moving to what is driving returns.
Subscribe to The Important Part from SoFi for smarter conversations about your money.
No Energy? No AI
Energy has quickly become one of the biggest market stories of 2026 and its impact is spreading beyond gas prices.
In this episode of The Important Part: Investing with Liz Thomas, Liz sits down with DrivePath Advisors energy specialist and former Bloomberg anchor Alix Steel to unpack the ripple effects of the global energy shock that’s reshaping everything from inflation and AI to geopolitics a
SpaceX, OpenAI and the Future of IPOs
Companies are staying private longer. Retail investors have more access than ever. And when companies like SpaceX or OpenAI eventually go public, they could become major tests for how today’s IPO market actually works.
In this episode of The Important Part, Liz Thomas sits down with Tom Farley, CEO of Bullish and former president of the New York Stock Exchange. Farley watched roughly 600 companie
Why Some of The Biggest Investment Opportunities Aren’t on Wall Street
Public markets may dominate the headlines, but some of the biggest investing opportunities may be happening where most investors aren’t looking.
In this episode of The Important Part: Investing with Liz Thomas, Anastasia Amoroso, Chief Investment Strategist at Partners Group, joins Liz to unpack the rapid rise of private markets. From private equity to private credit, Amoroso breaks down why inve
How to Find a Job in 2026 According to This LinkedIn Expert
By the numbers, the job market may look solid. But for many job seekers, the experience feels far more uncertain, frustrating, and opaque.
In this episode of The Important Part: Investing with Liz Thomas, Liz sits down with Andrew Seaman, LinkedIn’s Editor at Large for Jobs and Career Development, to better understand what is really happening inside today’s hiring market.
They discuss the discon
Is a Recession Coming? Neil Dutta on Signals He’s Watching
Markets have remained resilient in 2026. But beneath the headline strength, some signals are getting harder to ignore.
In this episode of The Important Part: Investing with Liz Thomas, Neil Dutta, Head of Economic Research at Renaissance Macro, joins Liz to break down how he is reading the current market and economic backdrop. While recession is not his base case, Dutta explains why he believes c
What Individual Investors Need to Know about Venture Capital
Did you know that out of 30 companies in any given VC fund, only one or two clear a billion dollars in value? That's not a failure rate…that's the whole model.
In this episode, Alexa von Tobel, founder of LearnVest and managing partner of Inspired Capital, pulls back the curtain on the asset class that quietly built some of the biggest fortunes of the last two decades. She breaks down exactly ho
Why Anthony Scaramucci Is Playing the Crypto Long Game
Crypto has had a volatile start to 2026. After reaching an all-time high above $120,000 in late 2025, Bitcoin has pulled back significantly and is now trading in the mid-$60,000 range — a drawdown of roughly 40–50% — amid macro uncertainty and shifting institutional sentiment.
But Anthony Scaramucci, founder and managing partner of SkyBridge Capital, isn’t backing down.
In this episode, Scaramuc
Why Smart Investors Are Looking Beyond Silicon Valley and China
Most investors think global diversification means adding a little Europe or a slice of Asia into their portfolios. Endeavor CEO Linda Rottenberg thinks that is missing a massive opportunity. In this episode, Linda makes the case for
“elsewhere markets,” those places beyond Silicon Valley and China, where she's spent the past 3 decades backing entrepreneurs who are now generating over $90 billion i
How Warby Parker’s Dave Gilboa Built a Billion-Dollar Business
A 20x markup. Vertical integration across manufacturing, retail,
and insurance. One company controlling 80% of the market. Most investors would see Luxottica's dominance of the eyewear market and walk away. Dave Gilboa and his co-founders saw the opportunity of a lifetime. In this episode, Warby Parker's co-CEO breaks down the strategic decisions that turned a business school insight into a multi-
Is It Too Late To Get Into Gold? Jan Van Eck Doesn’t Think So
We're witnessing the most profound shift in global finance since the 1970s, and Jan van Eck, CEO of VanEck knows why. As a third-generation trendspotter, he shares the family recipe for identifying macro shifts before anyone else notices. His father predicted gold would break free in 1968, and it rocketed from $35 to $800 an ounce. Now Jan sees the next breakout: countries abandoning the dollar, w
AI Boom or Bubble? Michael Lewis, Tom Lee on the Risks and Rewards | The Important Part LIVE
In this special, live recording of The Important Part, SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy Liz Thomas asks the question many investors are thinking about: when – if ever – will the markets cool off? She sits down with two of the top critical thinkers in the world of finance: Tom Lee, Co-founder and Head of Research at Fundstrat, and Michael Lewis, the New York Times bestselling author of Moneyball,
How to Stop Emotional Investing and Make Smarter Money Decisions
Think your investment losses are about bad stock picks? Think again. Certified financial therapist Erika Wasserman reveals why 90% of your financial decisions are driven by emotion, not logic, and how your seven-year-old self still controls your money mindset today. Whether you’re panic-selling during market dips, avoiding money conversations with your partner, or wondering why you can't seem to b
Liz’s 2026 Outlook: AI, Stocks, Gold, and What Investors Should Watch
What will 2026 bring for your portfolio? From precious metals to interest rates and tech stocks, we’re kicking off the new year by answering some of your most pressing questions. In this bonus episode of The Important Part, SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy Liz Thomas brings deep research and thoughtful insight to this year’s economic outlook.
For more, read Liz’s column every Thursday at
How Great Leaders Make Decisions Under Pressure: Bobby Parmar's Secrets
We're taught that smart people get the right answer. The gold star. The A+. But Bobby Parmar, professor of business administration at the University of Virginia and author of Radical Doubt: Turning Uncertainty into Surefire Success, argues that this conditioning sabotages our most important decisions. In this episode, Bobby shares why doubt isn't the enemy of good decision-making, it's the foundat
Why Philosophy Majors Make Great Investors
What does it actually take to break into finance? Mario Ismailanji, Senior Investment Strategist at SoFi, shares his unconventional path from philosophy major to finance professional, including the impulsive late-night decision that changed everything. He shares why critical thinking beats perfect credentials, how to filter through the noise in a world of constant headlines, and why your portfolio
Equal Partners, Unequal Incomes: Brad Feld and Amy Batchelor on Money and Marriage
What happens when entrepreneurial ambition collides with the demands of your relationships? In this revealing conversation, renowned VC Brad Feld and philanthropist Amy Batchelor share what they’ve learned during 35 years of marriage: including the late-night moment when Amy said “I'm done” after a decade of 100-hour work weeks, and the honest reckoning that followed. From navigating income dispar
The New Too Big To Fail with WSJ’s Tim Higgins
What separates billion-dollar bets from billion-dollar disasters? Wall Street Journal columnist and author Tim Higgins has spent two decades covering the world's boldest CEOs: from Elon Musk betting his entire fortune on electric cars, to Mark Zuckerberg wagering Meta's future to escape Apple's “perfect mousetrap.” In this episode, Tim reveals the patterns behind high-stakes tech decisions, explai
Steady Checks, Steady Nerves: Jenny Harrington’s Case for Dividends
CNBC contributor and portfolio manager Jenny Harrington shares how she risked nearly everything by draining her IRA to build her investment firm, had a baby the day the market hit its lowest in 2009, and convinced her husband to join her with zero safety net–all during the worst financial crisis in recent history. Jenny reveals why the “boring” dividend strategy everyone overlooks kept her clients
Beth Pinsker on the Retirement Crisis Hiding in Plain Sight
Beth Pinsker thought she was ready for anything. As a certified financial planner, MarketWatch columnist, and retirement expert, she understands what it means to plan for the future. Then her mom got sick — and suddenly, everything she thought she knew went out the window. In this powerful episode, Beth opens up about the painful choices she faced, the moment she nearly crossed a line, and the thr
Why Dan Ives Thinks this AI Boom Is Not Your Grandpa’s Dot-Com Bubble
Dan Ives—Wall Street's most colorfully dressed tech bull—shares why the AI party is just getting started. As Managing Director and Global Head of Technology Research at Wedbush Securities, Dan predicts that autonomous vehicles will be so widespread, your kids won't need driver's licenses by 2029, and, he thinks, humanoid robots will be in millions of homes. Unlike the late '90s dot-com bubble buil
Revisiting: Tackling Personal Finance with Brandon Copeland
This episode originally aired on September 12, 2024.
So you’ve graduated college and landed your first job. But along the way, no one told you about what a 401k is, or how to make a large home goods purchase, or even how to start making your money work for you. To make sure you don’t fumble, SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy and Host Liz Thomas welcomes back Brandon Copeland, retired NFL playe
Revisiting: A Successful Transition to Investing with Steve Young
This episode originally aired on Feb 20, 2024.
Steve Young is most well known for his NFL accolades, but since his retirement from the 49ers he’s built another type of empire as Partner, Chairman and Co-founder of private equity firm, HGGC. In this episode, SoFi's Head of Investment Strategy Liz Thomas sits down with Steve to discuss his career transition into business, what it takes to evaluat
Communicating Finance and Strategy with Confidence with Liz Thomas
How does one start a career in investment strategy? For that matter, what IS an investment strategist? In this special episode, host Liz Thomas gets on the other side of the mic in conversation with Brian Walsh, a.k.a. “Dr. Money,” Head of Advice and Planning at SoFi. Brian and Liz discuss her career evolution, from early career pivots, to what she does as an investment strategist, to how to commu
Ambitious Leadership with Anthony Noto
Anthony Noto’s path to becoming CEO at SoFi was anything but linear. But along the way, he learned the lessons and wisdom that helped him lead SoFi to where it is today. In this special episode, host Liz Thomas sits down with SoFi CEO Anthony Noto to talk about his ambitious goals for the company. Anthony and Liz discuss how his time at West Point shaped his leadership style and values, his decisi
Preparing for Tax Season and Beyond with Brian Walsh, “Dr. Money”
Benjamin Franklin once wrote that “nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” And with tax season’s arrival, being certain about what you owe and planning ahead will save you both frustration and funds.
In this episode, we discuss all things taxes with Brian Walsh, a.k.a. “Dr. Money,” Head of Advice and Planning at SoFi. Brian talks about tips for preparing for tax season, how to
Empowerment through Financial Literacy with Courtney Pettway and Ashley Leftwich
The ratification of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, or ECOA, 50 years ago marked the end of illegal lending practices that discriminated against borrowers based on their race, sex, age, religion, national origin, marital status, and source of income. Financial inequality, however, is still a persistent issue in the United States. One solution to this ongoing issue is closing the education gap wh
Investing with Emotional Intelligence with Brian Portnoy
Conventional wisdom claims that mixing emotions with financial decisions can lead to poor, even impulsive decisions. But what if we instead viewed emotions as super powers that we can harness to not only make wiser, but more meaningful choices for ourselves and our financial goals?
In this episode, we sit down with Brian Portnoy, author and founder of the financial advisor coaching and e-learning
2025 Outlook Q&A
To kick off 2025, SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy Liz Thomas dives into listeners’ biggest questions about the year ahead, such as: what happens if liquidity coming out of markets decreases? How will the Fed respond if inflation rates remain high? Is buying gold a good investment in 2025? Get thoughtful insight on all of these questions and more in this special bonus episode.
For more, read Liz
Market Insights from the Luxury Consumer with Emily Essner
Consumer spending is the heart of the US economy—more specifically, spending by high-income, or luxury, consumers. These luxury consumers are optimistic about the economic landscape, and how and what they spend their money on reflects this attitude. But while not everyone can spend like a luxury consumer, can their attitudes provide economic insight for the rest of us?
Just in time for the holida
Today’s Big Bets on Disruptive Innovation with Cathie Wood
AI, BioTech, Robotics – these are technologies that will change the world. But how and where do the opportunities live within these sectors? Where are investors taking their big bets? This episode, we’ll hear from Cathie Wood, Founder, CEO, and CIO at ARK Investment Management, LLC. Ark’s funds are known for taking big bets on “disruptive innovation,” meaning tech companies at the forefront of inn
The Biggest Bull on Wall Street with Brian Belski
The market may go up, down, or even sideways, but one thing remains constant—Brian Belski is the Biggest Bull on Wall Street. Brian joins SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy and Host Liz Thomas to talk about what’s making him confident in the resiliency of the current bull market. Brian is famous for his positive view on markets and is a frequent commentator on CNBC, Fox Business, and Bloomberg. He
Investing in “I Do” with Tim Chi
For many, their wedding day is the day they’ve dreamt of since childhood. What people haven’t dreamt of is the cost of making that dream a reality, let alone how to pay for it. In this episode, SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy and Host of The Important Part Liz Thomas talks with Tim Chi, CEO of The Knot Worldwide. Tim shares insights about financial planning for weddings from his extensive backg
Tackling Personal Finance with Brandon Copeland
So you’ve graduated college and landed your first job. But along the way, no one told you about what a 401k is, or how to make a large home goods purchase, or even how to start making your money work for you. To make sure you don’t fumble, SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy and Host Liz Thomas welcomes back Brandon Copeland, retired NFL player, founder, and now author of the new book, ‘Your Money
Revisiting: Keeping a Level Head with Ben Carlson
How can individual investors learn to navigate all the resources and information available? Is real estate still a worthwhile investment in a volatile market? What role can social media play in informing your investment choices? This episode, we’ll hear from Ben Carlson, Director of Institutional Asset Management at Ritholtz Wealth Management. Author of four books and the blog A Wealth of Common S
What’s Next for the Housing Market with Skylar Olsen
Should you buy or rent? When will home prices go down? Where is housing most affordable? To get insight on these questions, SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy and Host Liz Thomas welcomes back Dr. Skylar Olsen, the Chief Economist at Zillow. Dr. Olsen discusses how supply shortages, high mortgage rates, and changing demographics are affecting not just home prices, but rental markets, and how the h
Liz’s Mid-Year Outlook
With the first half of 2024 behind us, host and SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy Liz Thomas lays out what she expects to see in the second half. This episode, Liz addresses listener questions, covering themes like: what isn’t getting the attention it should, how historical trends are getting disrupted this cycle, and the market sectors that could be poised to do well.
For more, read Liz’s colum
Making Financial Freedom Attainable with Jeremy Schneider
Early retirement. Financial freedom. For many, these are goals that can feel aspirational and unattainable. But are they really out of reach? SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy Liz Thomas sat down with entrepreneur and Personal Finance Club founder Jeremy Schneider to talk about what it takes to build wealth at any level. According to Jeremy, accumulating wealth is more straightforward than you ma
Unleashing the Power of Female Investors with Cary Carbonaro
By 2030, it’s expected two-thirds of the wealth in the United States will be controlled by women. So why is investing currently such a male-dominated industry? What do women new to investing need in order to feel confident entering the market? SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy Liz Thomas sits down with Cary Carbonaro, bestselling author and Senior Vice President and Director of Women and Wealth w
Financial Wellness and Healthy Retirement with Andrew Heiges
The topic of planning for retirement can evoke a wide range of responses from anxiety to avoidance (and everything in between), yet it’s arguably one of the most critical ingredients to a person’s overall financial wellbeing. How to make a plan, when to start saving, and how to navigate the retirement path are all questions we’ll be faced with at one point or another. Andrew Heiges is the Director
A Successful Transition to Investing with Steve Young
Steve Young is most well known for his NFL accolades, but since his retirement from the 49ers he’s built another type of empire as Partner, Chairman and Co-founder of private equity firm, HGGC. In this episode, SoFi's Head of Investment Strategy Liz Thomas sits down with Steve to discuss his career transition into business, what it takes to evaluate a new investment, and what alternatives can brin
A Look at the Year Ahead with Cameron Dawson
For the past year, the “looming recession” has been top of mind for people both inside and out of the world of business. What’s in store for the economy in 2024? Newedge Wealth’s Chief Investment Officer, Cameron Dawson joins host and Sofi’s Head of Investment Strategy, Liz Thomas, to share her outlook on the year. The two cover consumer trends, what signs of recession they’re looking out for, and
Liz’s Outlook on 2024
As the new year starts off, host and SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy Liz Thomas speaks directly to listeners’ concerns about the year to come. Is the recession behind us? I’ve got money ready to put to work - what do I do with it? How high is too high for a debt load? With her trademark frankness and a career’s worth of insight, Liz answers all these questions and more.
For more, read Liz’s co
Retail Recap of the 2023 Holidays with Courtney Reagan
Holiday shopping is upon us, and the seasonal sales are in full swing. But just how does the 2023 holiday season stack up against the ghosts of retail past? On this episode, Courtney Reagan, CNBC’s Senior Retail Reporter, sits down with host Liz Thomas, SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy.
Liz and Courtney discuss the (promising) future of big box stores, how retail has bounced back from the econ
Building Your Portfolio with Shannon Saccocia
You’re ready to invest, and you’ve got a lump sum waiting to be put to use. What do you do next? How do you buy individual stocks — and should you? In this episode, SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy Liz Thomas is joined by Shannon Saccocia. Shannon Saccocia, CFA, is the Chief Investment Officer of NB Private Wealth (“NBPW”), a division of Neuberger Berman. Liz and Shannon talk about how to naviga
Keeping a Level Head with Ben Carlson
How can individual investors learn to navigate all the resources and information available? Is real estate still a worthwhile investment in a volatile market? What role can social media play in informing your investment choices? This episode, we’ll hear from Ben Carlson, Director of Institutional Asset Management at Ritholtz Wealth Management. Author of four books and the blog A Wealth of Common S
Inside the Minds of Retail Investors With Gunjan Banerji
How did social media play into the meme stock mania of 2021? What makes the retail investors of today more discerning than ever before? Is there such a thing as no-fee trading?
Liz sits down with Gunjan Banerji, lead writer for The Wall Street Journal's live markets coverage to talk about the evolution of retail investors, the type of investing they find most attractive, and the ways in which so
RERUN: What Does It Take To Be a Discerning Investor?
Originally released April 2022. Liz sits down with Bryn Talkington and Jenny Harrington to discuss what it takes to be a successful investor – and if it’s really as complicated as some ‘experts’ claim? It’s a special episode and we’re re-releasing it in anticipation of Season Three.
Season Three of The Important Part returns in just a few weeks, on Tuesday September 12th, and we’ll be kicking off
Lens Into the Real Estate Market With Skylar Olsen
How is the housing market really doing in the US? Dr Skylar Olsen, chief economist at Zillow, joins Liz to speak about recent data that looks at key factors like housing prices, demand, and why some primary homeowners are holding onto their homes. She also chats about whether inflation will go down soon (and affect housing prices) and whether home buying interest has actually softened.
For more,
Benefits of Charitable Giving With John Marick
Are there other upsides other than tax benefits when it comes to giving to charitable causes? John Marick, former CEO of Consumer Cellular and board member of Meals On Wheels America, joins Liz to speak about partnering with nonprofits or charities as part of a company mission and how charitable giving is beneficial beyond the balance sheet. He also speaks about what investing in a nonprofit looks
The Future of Healthcare Technology With Scott Blackley
Is it possible to disrupt the health insurance industry? This week’s guest, Scott Blackley, the Chief Transformation Officer at Oscar Health, believes the future lies in using technology (such as AI) to our advantage. He talks with Liz about how using cloud-based or cloud-native technology can help healthcare companies disrupt the industry (and remain competitive as a result), why consumers won’t
Doing the Opposite of Consensus With Adam Parker
Interested in learning more about how markets will fare in 2023? Adam Parker, CEO and founder of Trivariate Research, offers his take on sector calls and what a possible recession might look like. He speaks with Liz on how investors can approach defensive sectors of markets, why there may not be a V-shaped recovery like many are forecasting, and why a general strategy of doing the opposite of what
2023 Outlook Q&A
Liz is back with her investment outlook for 2023 and answers your burning questions. Now that 2022 is over, what are her takes on individual bonds versus bond ETFs, dividend aristocrats, and energy stocks? Don’t forget to tune in to hear her thoughts on whether we’re headed for a recession, why it may be different that ones in the past, and why they don’t have to feel like the end of the world.
Spotlight On The Meal Kit Industry With Linda Findley
With food inflation and continuing changes in consumer demands, how are meal kit companies faring? Linda Findley, CEO of Blue Apron, gives her take on how this industry is doing, and whether these companies are faring, both in terms of demand and profit margins. She talks with Liz about her observations on the meal kit landscape during the pandemic and beyond, why food inflation hasn’t affected th
Checking on the Tech Industry With Dan Ives
With talks of layoffs and other volatility in the tech industry, what should investors do? This week’s guest, Dan Ives, Managing Director and Senior Equity Research Analyst covering the Technology sector at Wedbush Securities offers his take on the overall landscape. He talks with Liz about why growth in the tech industry will still continue, and what the future may hold for groups like software a
Revitalization in the Restaurant Industry With Bo Peabody
Until the way we interact in a professional setting (like going out for celebrations and client lunches) changes, the restaurant industry won’t be able to bounce back for a while. How does this have implications for investors? This week’s guest helps to shed light on this conundrum. Bo Peabody, founder of restaurant app Seated and co-founder of Mezze Restaurant Group, talks to Liz about when he be
The Link Between Advertising and Investing With Joe Marchese
How much weight should an investor put on a company’s advertising strategy? According to this week’s guest, quite a lot. Joe Marchese, Executive Chairman at Human Ventures and previous President of Advertising Revenue for Fox Networks Group, sit down with Liz to talk about looking at ads - specifically ones that aim to acquire a customer versus ones that simply acquire a transaction- can give inve
Bringing Wall Street to Main Street With Ross Mac
Are there advantages that retail investors have over institutional investors, or should retail investors focus on simple strategies for success? Ross Mac sits down with Liz to talk about how technology has helped to democratize investing (and by extension made it a less taboo subject to talk about in public) and whether Wall Street is underestimating this demographic. Liz and Ross also talk about
Understanding the Market’s Message with Chris Verrone
Just because there’s a consensus from the pros on how the market will perform, does that mean they’re always right? Chris Verrone, partner and head of Technical Strategy and Macro Research at Strategas, sits down with Liz to talk about how he approaches technicals, why it’s important as an investor to be able to admit that you’re wrong and know how to change course.
For more, read Liz’s column ev
Mid-Year Predictions and Beyond With Brian Belski
Do professional investors really have a crystal ball and accurately predict earnings growth, when inflation will stabilize, and more? Brian Belski, Chief Investment Strategist and leader of the Investment Strategy Group at BMO, sits down with Liz to talk about his take on the Fed, his thoughts on when inflation may go down, and what sectors investors should watch out for. Liz also offers her take
2022 Mid-Year Outlook Q&A
Liz is answering your investment questions for this mid-year iteration, from whether Liz believes a recession is coming, the housing market, to where to put your money to work. Also tune in to hear some of her thoughts on large cap vs small cap securities, predictions about the Fed, and if bonds are worth considering in your portfolio allocation.
For more, read Liz’s column every Thursday at On
The Impact on Investing Through Consumer Activity With Kristen Gall
Given the recent rates of inflation, it makes sense to think that consumer spending is down. However, in many ways it’s quite the opposite. Kristen Gall, president of Rakuten (formerly Ebates), sits down with Liz to talk about what's she seen in consumer trends in the first few months of the year, what sectors in retail could see a downturn, and what "the great trade down" has to do with consumer
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