Investing Unscripted

Jason Hall and Jeff Santoro
  • 4.9 (96)
  • INVESTING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to Investing Unscripted, where we ask the hard questions about investing, the stock market, and personal finance. We don't have THE answers, we only have OUR answers.

  1. 2D AGO

    193. Nothing Works All the Time

    We discuss the recent market dislocation where SaaS stocks are crashing while the broader market hits all-time highs. We break down the three main fears driving the sell-off and debate which companies—like Adobe and Salesforce—are actually at risk. Finally, we share how we are handling the volatility, with Jeff buying more Shopify and Jason using a "barbell strategy" to stay sane. 02:27 Housekeeping 03:53 Episode Setup 06:37 Three AI Threats to SaaS:  09:23 Is AI Really Different?  12:59 Stock Spotlight: Adobe 18:35 The Real Issue: Moats, Stickiness, Switching Costs, and Resetting SaaS Multiples 23:18 LLMs Aren’t Free 23:49 Why SaaS Stocks Are Selling Off 25:11 Shopify vs. Toast 27:06 Disruption Timelines & Valuation Reratings 29:19 Earnings Season as the Reality Check 31:53 Tactical Moves: Selling Puts for Margin of Safety 33:02 Barbell Portfolio Strategy: Growth on One Side, Dividends on the Other Companies mentioned: ABNB, ADBE, ASAN, CRM, CRWD, ENPH, EPR, MNDY, MSFT, NOW, O, PYPL, SHOP, SQ, TEAM, TOST, TTD Find where to listen & subscribe,  portfolio contests, and contact information at https://investingunscripted.com ***************************************** To get 15% off any paid plan at fiscal.ai, visit https://fiscal.ai/unscripted Listen to the Chit Chat Stocks Podcast for discussions on stocks, financial markets, super investors, and more. Follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube ***************************************** Join our PatreonSubscribe to our portfolio on Savvy Trader

    44 min

  2. FEB 11

    192. Emily Flippen, Investing Survivor

    We are joined by The Motley Fool's Emily Flippen to discuss her "Survivor" origins and why she believes empathy is the most underrated skill for investors. We also debate the difference between a "fad" and a "trend" in consumer goods (using Crocs vs. On Holding as the prime example), and Emily gives her honest take on "AI burnout." 00:32 Introducing Special Guest Emily Flippant 01:55 Emily's Journey to The Motley Fool 02:48 The Contrarian Path: Studying Business in China 03:13 The Ethical Dilemma and Finding The Motley Fool 06:11 The Art of Investing: Embracing Mistakes 08:07 The Weight of Public Stock Recommendations 12:29 Evolution as an Investor: From Value to Growth 19:35 Consumer Goods: The Fun Side of Investing 23:31 The 'Too Hard' Pile: Avoiding Complex Sectors 29:16 AI: The Double-Edged Sword 30:20 Is It a Bubble? 30:45 The Reality of AI Investments 31:08 Personal Investment Strategies 31:36 The Hype and Risks of AI 34:15 The Importance of Financial Goals 38:30 AI's Impact on Consumer Goods 43:18 The Future of AI and Society 48:07 Exciting Market Trends Companies mentioned: CROX, ONON, PYPL Find where to listen & subscribe,  portfolio contests, and contact information at https://investingunscripted.com ***************************************** To get 15% off any paid plan at fiscal.ai, visit https://fiscal.ai/unscripted Listen to the Chit Chat Stocks Podcast for discussions on stocks, financial markets, super investors, and more. Follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube ***************************************** Join our PatreonSubscribe to our portfolio on Savvy Trader

    59 min

  3. FEB 4

    191. Stocks We’re Excited About

    We break down the six stocks we are most excited to watch this earnings season (and why "excited" doesn't necessarily mean we're buying). Jeff discusses Lemonade's path to 2026 profitability and why Rocket Lab is entering a critical "prove it" phase with its Neutron rocket, while Jason makes the case for Canadian Solar trading at half its book value and explains why SentinelOne offers a better risk/reward profile than CrowdStrike. 00:32 Discussing Stocks and Earnings Season 01:48 Analyzing Financial Statements and Risks 02:56 The Importance of Full-Year Results 04:16 Exciting Stocks and Future Prospects 05:57 Deep Dive into Canadian Solar 12:17 Exploring the Renewable Energy Market 17:55 Lemonade: A Stock with Potential 27:21 Lemonade Stock's Volatility and Future Outlook 28:11 Deep Dive into QuantumScape 32:15 Rocket Lab's Progress and Challenges 36:50 SentinelOne's Potential in Cybersecurity 40:42 PayPal's Strategic Focus and Future Prospects 46:58 Lightning Round: Stock Picks and Predictions Companies mentioned: CRWD, CSIQ, LMND, PYPL, QS, RKLB, S Find where to listen & subscribe,  portfolio contests, and contact information at https://investingunscripted.com ***************************************** To get 15% off any paid plan at fiscal.ai, visit https://fiscal.ai/unscripted Listen to the Chit Chat Stocks Podcast for discussions on stocks, financial markets, super investors, and more. Follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube ***************************************** Join our PatreonSubscribe to our portfolio on Savvy Trader

    52 min

  4. JAN 28

    190. January 2026 Mailbag

    We open the mailbag to answer your questions on whether Life Insurance Retirement Plans (LIRPs) are a scam, if spending millions on a Super Bowl commercial is ever a good idea (looking at you, CrowdStrike), and if equal-weight S&P 500 ETFs are the best way to hedge against a tech crash. Plus, we debate the future of the energy sector, discuss the power of "stock cannibals" like Adobe and PayPal, and reveal the two stocks we think could generate life-changing returns over the next 15 years. 01:44 Housekeeping and Listener Support 02:53 Diving into Listener Questions 03:04 Explaining Life Insurance Retirement Plans 09:03 Super Bowl Commercials: Worth the Investment? 16:47 Exploring ETF Diversification 23:10 Introduction and Wayne's Email 23:17 Colin's Energy Market Inquiry 24:04 Oil and Gas Market Dynamics 27:38 Investment Strategies in Energy Sector 29:48 Wayne's Question on ADRs 32:17 John's Query on Stock Buybacks 37:41 Ramey's AI and Investment Question 43:27 Future Investment Picks 47:23 Spam Comment of the Month Companies mentioned: ADBE, AZO, CRWD, GDDY, KNSL, KR, ORLY, PSX, PYPL, RKLB, TBBB, TTE, TXN Find where to listen & subscribe,  portfolio contests, and contact information at https://investingunscripted.com ***************************************** To get 15% off any paid plan at fiscal.ai, visit https://fiscal.ai/unscripted Listen to the Chit Chat Stocks Podcast for discussions on stocks, financial markets, super investors, and more. Follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube ***************************************** Join our PatreonSubscribe to our portfolio on Savvy Trader

    49 min

  5. JAN 21

    189. The 3 Financial Docs You Need to Know

    In this special "toolbox" episode, Jason and Jeff strip away the jargon to teach you how to actually read the three most important documents in investing: the Income Statement, the Balance Sheet, and the Statement of Cash Flows. Using Nvidia’s recent Q3 earnings report as a real-world case study, the hosts walk through these important financial statements line by line. 01:33 The Importance of Financial Statements 04:59 Understanding the Income Statement 11:07 Revenue and Cost of Goods Sold 16:02 Operating Expenses and Income 18:39 Interest, Taxes, and Net Income 23:06 Depreciation, Amortization, and Goodwill 28:33 Introduction to the Balance Sheet 31:42 Understanding Current Assets and Liabilities 33:18 Accounts Receivable and Revenue Recognition 34:49 Inventory Management Insights 39:59 Exploring Goodwill and Intangible Assets 44:21 Diving into Liabilities and Working Capital 47:04 Cash Flow Statement Breakdown 58:32 Using Tools to Analyze Financial Statements Companies mentioned: AAPL, BRK.B, INTC, MKL, NVDA, TGT, TJX, TREX Find where to listen & subscribe,  portfolio contests, and contact information at https://investingunscripted.com ***************************************** To get 15% off any paid plan at fiscal.ai, visit https://fiscal.ai/unscripted Listen to the Chit Chat Stocks Podcast for discussions on stocks, financial markets, super investors, and more. Follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube ***************************************** Join our PatreonSubscribe to our portfolio on Savvy Trader

    1h 1m

  6. JAN 14

    188. How to Use AI to Research Stocks (w/ Brian Feroldi)

    Brian Feroldi, founder of Long-Term Mindset, joins us to explain how he uses AI tools like Gemini and NotebookLM to supercharge his stock research. We discuss the difference between a "price bubble" and an "earnings bubble" (and which one Nvidia might be in), share specific prompting strategies to stop AI from hallucinating, and run a live demo analyzing Green Brick Partners from scratch. 00:55 Introducing the Guest: Brian Feroldi 01:43 AI in Investing: A Game Changer 03:40 Understanding AI Bubbles 07:08 Using AI for Stock Research 10:57 Optimizing AI Prompts for Investing 16:59 The Role of AI in Investment Decisions 19:42 AI Tools and Techniques 26:25 Understanding AI's Learning Process 26:49 Effective Prompting Techniques 26:54 Role Assignment and Citations 27:45 Step-by-Step Instructions for AI 28:08 Resources for AI Prompting 28:26 Using Notebook LM for Data Sources 29:55 Practical AI Prompt Demonstration 30:53 Analyzing Green Brick Partners 32:45 Evaluating AI's Financial Analysis 39:35 Customizing AI Prompts for Investment 45:12 Challenges and Future of AI in Finance Companies mentioned: AAPL, CRWD, GILD, GOOGL, GRBK, LEN, LGIH, META, NVDA Check out Brian’s work at https://www.longtermmindset.co/ Find where to listen & subscribe,  portfolio contests, and contact information at https://investingunscripted.com ***************************************** To get 15% off any paid plan at fiscal.ai, visit https://fiscal.ai/unscripted Listen to the Chit Chat Stocks Podcast for discussions on stocks, financial markets, super investors, and more. Follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube ***************************************** Join our PatreonSubscribe to our portfolio on Savvy Trader

    47 min

  7. JAN 7

    187. What is Your Investing Echo Chamber?

    We kick off 2026 by auditing our own 2025 portfolio performance, where Jeff confesses to trailing the market by 3% and Jason explains why his 401(k) only returned 9% (and why he is perfectly okay with that). We also discuss why Jason's "boring" dividend portfolio outperformed the AI-driven market, and explore the dangers of "investing echo chambers". 01:32 Reflecting on 2025: Portfolio Performance 04:30 Jeff's Personal Investment Breakdown 14:22 Jason's Investment Strategy and Performance 23:25 Transitioning Investments to Bonds and Cash 24:21 Building a High-Yield Dividend Portfolio 26:13 Reflecting on Investment Performance 28:41 The Importance of Long-Term Investment Perspective 31:13 Analyzing Stock Picking Strategies 34:44 Echo Chambers in Stock Picking Companies mentioned: BEP, BIP, BRK.B, CTRE, GOOGL, KNSL, MELI, NOW, NTB, PSX, PYPL, RKLB, S, SPG, TFSL, TSM, TTD Find where to listen & subscribe,  portfolio contests, and contact information at https://investingunscripted.com ***************************************** To get 15% off any paid plan at fiscal.ai, visit https://fiscal.ai/unscripted Listen to the Chit Chat Stocks Podcast for discussions on stocks, financial markets, super investors, and more. Follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube ***************************************** Join our PatreonSubscribe to our portfolio on Savvy Trader

    48 min

  8. JAN 5

    First Fridays 27. January 2026

    In our first live stream of 2026, we do a deep dive into QuantumScape's latest partnerships and what the "solid-state" future looks like for EVs. We also break down the winners (and massive losers) of our 2025 portfolio contest, reveal why a 4th grader is betting on Kontoor Brands, and share our own high-conviction picks for the year ahead, including Alphabet, Rocket Lab, and The Trade Desk. 00:50 Nostalgia: 90s vs 80s Debate 02:39 Engagement with Listeners 04:13 Deep Dive into QuantumScape 18:00 Small Caps and Market Trends 25:58 Annual Stock Picking Contest 29:32 Charity Contributions and Podcast Updates 30:13 Full Year Winner Announcement 31:05 Saad's Winning Portfolio Breakdown 31:57 Contest Performance and Long-Term Investing 36:25 2026 Contest Launch and Rules 38:36 Listener Engagement and Community Building 48:02 Final Thoughts and Portfolio Strategies Companies mentioned: DAVA, F, GOOGL, KNSL, KTB, MELI, NOW, PLTR, PYPL, QS, RKLB, TBBB, TSLA, TTD Find where to listen & subscribe,  portfolio contests, and contact information at https://investingunscripted.com ***************************************** To get 15% off any paid plan at fiscal.ai, visit https://fiscal.ai/unscripted Listen to the Chit Chat Stocks Podcast for discussions on stocks, financial markets, super investors, and more. Follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube ***************************************** Join our PatreonSubscribe to our portfolio on Savvy Trader

    58 min
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4.9
out of 5
96 Ratings

About

Welcome to Investing Unscripted, where we ask the hard questions about investing, the stock market, and personal finance. We don't have THE answers, we only have OUR answers.

Information

  • Creator
    Jason Hall and Jeff Santoro
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    245
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Jason Hall and Jeff Santoro
  • Show Website
    Investing Unscripted

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