SKEPTIC’S GUIDE TO INVESTING

Steve Davenport, Clement Miller
  • 5.0 (4)
  • INVESTING
  • UPDATED BIMONTHLY

Straight Talk for All, Nonsense for NoneAbout - 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 not intended as investment advice. Individuals please consult your own investment, tax and legal advisors. They provide these insights for educational purposes only.

  1. 11H AGO

    Tariffs Vs. Small Business: Mike Musheinish

    Please text and tell us what you like A tariff isn’t a headline. It’s a line item that can turn a $100 auto part into $172.50 before you even add shipping, labor, boxes, marketplace fees, insurance, or a modest profit. We sit down with Mike Musheinesh of Detroit Axle to translate trade policy into the day-to-day reality of running a U.S. small business in the auto parts industry, where margins are thin and pricing errors get punished fast. From there, we go deeper than sticker shock. We talk through how import tariffs actually land on American companies and consumers, why the “other country pays” claim falls apart, and how constant changes create planning chaos across supply chains. We also unpack the legal and constitutional questions around tariff authority, including the power of the purse, the Court of International Trade, and the different frameworks policymakers reach for such as IEEPA emergency tariffs, Section 301, and Section 232. Along the way, we debate trade deficits, de minimis shipments, and how exemptions and workarounds can turn policy into a game rigged for insiders. The conversation ends by connecting tariffs to bigger macro risks: war-driven energy prices, disruptions in oil, LNG, and fertilizer, and the possibility of a wider inflation shock that feels worse than recent supply chain crises. If you care about investing, inflation, small business economics, U.S. manufacturing, and the future of free trade, this one brings receipts and hard questions. Subscribe, share this with a friend who argues about tariffs, and leave a review with your take: what should the U.S. do next? https://themetrodetroitnews.com/dearborn-man-once-a-palestinian-refugee-now-owns-600-million-company-featured-in-ny-times/ 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.

    53 min

  2. MAR 17

    How The Strait Of Hormuz Threatens Oil Prices And Portfolios

    Please text and tell us what you like A six-mile shipping corridor can do more to your cost of living than a dozen earnings calls. We zoom in on the Strait of Hormuz and unpack why a disruption there can quickly push oil prices, gasoline costs, and LNG markets higher, even when energy stocks only make up a small percentage of major indexes. The real question isn’t whether you “own energy” today, it’s whether your portfolio can handle an energy shock that feeds straight into inflation. We walk through the investing implications from a skeptical, practical angle: what’s different about this moment, why there’s no clean precedent for markets to follow, and how to think in near-term versus long-term windows. We also break down why escort fleets and “security corridors” are harder than they sound, how shipping schedules create friction, and how shadow fleets and signal disruption complicate the picture behind the scenes. From there, we get concrete about positioning. We discuss holding more cash for flexibility, being selective with energy stocks (including integrated oil companies with meaningful production outside the Gulf), and why cybersecurity investing might rise as conflict-driven chaos spills into networks. We also cover defense stocks as a potential volatility hedge, plus the uncomfortable ESG reality that “defense” often includes offensive capability. To close, we connect the Strait of Hormuz to drone economics, weapons stockpiles, and why inflation risk may linger longer than the headlines. Subscribe for more grounded market skepticism, share this with a friend who’s watching oil, and leave a review if it helps. What’s the biggest risk you think investors are underpricing right now? 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.

    53 min

  3. MAR 3

    Suddenly You: Women Owning Money Moments

    Please text and tell us what you like Money gets real when it’s suddenly you—the first 401(k), a partner’s illness, an inheritance, or the day you finally ask, What does risk actually mean for my family? We invited Kathy Karlic, founder of Suddenly You, to share a clear, compassionate path for women to own money decisions without jargon, shame, or guesswork. Kathy takes us from quiet kitchen tables to confident choices, breaking down the difference between finance and investing: planning for the expected versus preparing for shocks. She explains why traditional benchmarks don’t tell the whole story when you’re caring for four generations, and how redefining “winning” around cash needs, time horizons, and resilience leads to steadier outcomes. We dig into practical moves couples can make today—shared passwords, account maps, RMD steps, and bill flows—so a bad day doesn’t become a crisis. We also surface the behavior edge: teaching kids compounding with real incentives, using gifted shares to learn how to sell, and resisting buy-now-pay-later traps that quietly tax your future. Along the way, Kathy shows how community lowers the barrier to entry. Small-group workshops, friendly language, and real-life examples help women ask better questions, set agendas with advisors, and move from hot tips to durable plans. We talk executrix checklists, selling an inherited home, and why Social Security can be viewed like a bond-like income stream when thinking about asset allocation. The throughline is purpose: aligning money with what matters, from emergency funds to philanthropy, without letting market noise dictate your next move. If you’ve ever felt behind, this conversation offers a reset that is warm, direct, and immediately useful. Subscribe for more candid episodes on investing, financial literacy, and family wealth, share this with someone who needs the nudge, and leave a review with the one “suddenly you” moment you’re preparing for next. For more information: https://suddenly-you.com/ 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.

    50 min

  4. MAR 2

    Oil, War, And What Markets Price In

    Please text and tell us what you like A late‑night strike and a familiar promise: hit hard now, negotiate later, and watch prices fall. We put that theory under the microscope. From Iran’s deep roots as a civilization to the real mechanics of oil and LNG flows, we unpack what force can and can’t do—and how the Strait of Hormuz turns geopolitics into prices at the pump and in your portfolio. Iran isn’t a plug‑and‑play regime; its constitutional machinery and regional networks make quick “head of the snake” solutions unlikely without a major ground commitment. That mismatch between ambition and structure is where policy risk bleeds into markets. We follow the barrels. About 17 million per day transit Hormuz, plus vital Qatari LNG that now underpins Europe’s post‑Nord Stream energy strategy. You don’t need a literal blockade to jam the system—insurance exclusion and war risk premia can slow traffic and raise costs all the same. We connect those frictions to the Dallas Fed’s rule of thumb on oil’s impact on inflation and growth, then to the Fed’s room to cut rates. If energy stays sticky, the path to easier policy narrows, which hits multiples, especially in corners of the market priced for perfection. Along the way, we examine split Western responses, from UK defensive postures to Spanish pushback, and why India and China—massive importers—quietly hold leverage to hasten a reopening. We sketch credible off‑ramps that don’t rely on regime change: broadened maritime security operations, calibrated pullbacks, and talks with the same Iranian system that survives the crisis. For investors, we compare hedges and opportunities: energy exposures as shock absorbers, the recent tilt toward value and international, and the role of cash yields while volatility resets expectations. Our base case: negotiations re‑emerge, shipping risk normalizes, and oil gives back panic premia rather than collapsing. If you care about how power, pride, and petroleum shape your wallet, this is your roadmap. Subscribe, share with a friend who watches crude prices like a hawk, and leave a review with your take: short spike or medium grind—where do you stand? 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.

    53 min

  5. FEB 24

    Tariffs On Trial

    Please text and tell us what you like A 6-3 Supreme Court ruling just rewired the tariff landscape, and we’re unpacking what actually changed—and what still can. We start by tracing why IEPA worked for sanctions but collapsed as a foundation for broad import duties, then break down the justices’ rationales from the major questions doctrine to strict statutory reading. That legal map matters because it narrows the path to durable tariffs, pushing policy back toward the slower, evidence-heavy processes under Section 301 and Section 232. From there, we pressure-test the much-hyped Section 122 fallback. Yes, it allows up to 15 percent for 150 days, but only under a true balance-of-payments emergency—think capital flight and a threatened dollar, not a normal goods trade deficit offset by services and investment inflows. We explain why that standard is hard to meet today, how across-the-board rates wreck negotiating leverage, and why importers and states would likely challenge—and seek refunds—at speed. The conversation turns practical for investors. If illegal tariffs are unwound, who pockets repayments? What’s the real bond-market impact? How do targeted 301/232 cases change winners and losers by industry versus blunt, temporary duties that markets discount? We outline a portfolio stance for headline-heavy months: more cash and short-duration instruments for resilience, paired with selective exposure to quality, lower-beta names that can still ride upside. Along the way, we tackle the psychology gap between slowing inflation and still-high prices, the noise around gold and geopolitics, and why predictable process—not shock policy—would be the most bullish outcome. If you’re trying to navigate policy volatility without whipsawing your strategy, this is your roadmap: what’s legal, what’s likely, and where the market signal is hiding beneath the noise. If this helped clarify your plan, subscribe, share with a friend who trades the headlines, and leave a review to tell us what to dig into next. 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.

    1h 1m

  6. FEB 10

    When Fear Sells Gold, Who Really Profits

    Please text and tell us what you like Gold feels safe because it’s real, heavy, and timeless—yet that same tangibility can be a trap. We pull back the curtain on the coin-and-bar sales machine, explaining how patriotic branding, fake urgency, and government-sounding names steer savers toward high spreads and low liquidity. If you’ve wondered whether a safe full of coins beats a brokerage account, this conversation gives you the math, the mechanics, and the mindset to decide with clarity. We break down the hidden costs of physical gold: 4–15% dealer spreads, storage headaches, theft risk, and the tough reality that numismatic value hinges on rarity and grading that most buyers can’t evaluate. Then we lay out cleaner ways to get exposure. Gold ETFs like GLD and GLDM hold allocated bars in London vaults, offer daily liquidity, and charge transparent fees; with GLD, you can even write covered calls to offset expenses and create income. We examine why some central banks are accumulating bars—not as a gold standard revival, but as a reputational and reserve-diversification play—and how that institutional bid fits into a personal portfolio. You’ll also hear a sober look at gold miners: operating leverage, geology-driven costs, co-product exposure to copper, and why equities with durable pricing power often outpace inflation more reliably than commodities over long horizons. Our stance is pragmatic, not doctrinaire. Gold can earn a seat at the table—typically 5–10%—but coins in a drawer are rarely the optimal route. If your goal is resilience, choose instruments that are liquid, low cost, and easy to transfer when it matters. If this helped you see past the hype and sharpen your playbook for owning gold, tap follow, share the episode with a friend who’s eyeing coins, and leave a quick review so more investors can cut through the noise with us. 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.

    42 min

  7. FEB 10

    Which Warsh Leads The Fed

    Please text and tell us what you like We weigh whether Kevin Warsh will lead as a hawk, a dove, or a markets-first stabilizer, and why that framing may miss his core strength: structure and confidence. We map how board dynamics, politics, and tariffs shape the rate path and market stability over the next few months. • Walsh’s background and crisis-era credibility  • Hawk, dove, or structure-first framing  • Why Trump might pick a market stabilizer  • Market plumbing versus macro models  • Rate cuts, inflation risk, and labor softness  • Fed board composition as institutional ballast  • Signals to watch ahead of the May decision Please let us know what you would like to talk about and what things are most important to you 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.

    18 min

  8. FEB 3

    Fuel Your Purpose With Adversity

    Please text and tell us what you like We talk with coach and author Lance Cibik about turning hardship into purpose and building financial wellness through simple systems and relentless action. From a childhood of scarcity to speaking on national stages, Lance shows how to master the basics, invest in yourself, and think long term. • early adversity shaping money habits • choosing change and taking messy action • mentors, work ethic and first financial wins • the 10-20-70 rule for giving, saving, spending • gaps in school financial literacy and how to help • mindset, health and communication as core skills • advisors investing in their own growth • mastering basics before complex products • creating virtuous cycles for families and students • practical examples including opening 529 plans To reach Lance, use link below: https://www.lancecibik.com/ For Lance Cibik book, use link below: https://www.amazon.com/Adversity-Fuels-Purpose-Create-Success/dp/B0F6M4PQ5B 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.

    43 min
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About

Straight Talk for All, Nonsense for NoneAbout - 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 not intended as investment advice. Individuals please consult your own investment, tax and legal advisors. They provide these insights for educational purposes only.

Information

  • Creator
    Steve Davenport, Clement Miller
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    135
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 SKEPTIC’S GUIDE TO INVESTING
  • Show Website
    SKEPTIC’S GUIDE TO INVESTING