Fundamentals Unfiltered

Matt DePaola
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Fundamentals Unfiltered is where investing, business, and the week's financial news get broken down without the hype. Join Matt & Louie each week for straightforward conversations about fundamental investing, understanding businesses, financial statements, valuation, and the ideas that matter to long-term investors. They’ll also dig into the latest business and market headlines—not just what happened, but what it means and why investors should care. Whether you're learning to invest, building your financial knowledge, or simply want to better understand the businesses behind the stocks you own, Fundamentals Unfiltered helps you look beyond market noise and focus on what really matters. New episodes weekly from Fundamental Investing Institute.

  1. Sep 21

    Ep 6: KB Toys, the AI Boom & Nvidia: Business Lessons From Past and Present

    What can the rise and fall of KB Toys teach us about business today? And what should investors be thinking about as the AI boom and Nvidia continue to reshape the technology landscape? This week on Fundamentals Unfiltered, Matt and Louie look at business from two very different perspectives: a company many of us remember from the past and one of the biggest business stories happening today. First, they revisit KB Toys, the once-familiar mall toy store that disappeared in 2008. But this isn't just a trip down memory lane. Matt and Louie use KB Toys as a business case study, looking at competition, changing consumer behavior, the decline of malls, private equity, financial leverage, bankruptcy, and the strategic choices the company faced as retail changed around it. The bigger lesson is one that still matters to investors and business owners today: a strong balance sheet can give a company the flexibility to adapt when its industry changes. Then, in News & Markets Unfiltered, the conversation turns to artificial intelligence. Matt and Louie discuss the growing debate around AI safety, human control, guardrails, and the risks of increasingly capable AI systems. They also look at the competitive pressures surrounding the global AI race and why slowing development may be more complicated than it sounds. Finally, they turn to Nvidia and the investing questions surrounding one of the most important companies behind the AI boom. Nvidia may look dominant today, but how confidently can an investor predict its competitive position three, five, or ten years from now? It's a conversation about business history, investing principles, competition, debt, technological change, and the challenge of thinking long term when the future is uncertain. Business history. Investing principles. Lessons you can use today. Learn more and explore investing and business education from the Fundamental Investing Institute at FiiLearn.com. Fundamentals Unfiltered is for educational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice.

    Ep 6: KB Toys, the AI Boom & Nvidia: Business Lessons From Past and Present

  2. Sep 14

    Ep 5: Remembering 9/11: The Economic Impact + Is the American Dream Still Alive?

    Matt and Louie remember September 11, 2001 and examine its economic impact before turning to the latest jobs report, small-business ownership, financial independence, and whether the American Dream is still achievable.

    Ep 5: Remembering 9/11: The Economic Impact + Is the American Dream Still Alive?

  3. Sep 7

    Ep 4: Dolly Parton’s Business Empire + Is AI Becoming a Bubble?

    What can Dolly Parton teach us about business and investing, and is today's massive AI spending boom creating the next investment bubble? In this episode of Fundamentals Unfiltered with Matt & Louie, we tackle two very different stories connected by a common theme: understanding how businesses create, protect, and invest capital. First, Matt and Louie look beyond Dolly Parton the entertainer to explore Dolly Parton the entrepreneur. They discuss the story behind I Will Always Love You, her decision to retain valuable song rights, and how ownership of intellectual property helped turn her music career into lasting business assets. The conversation then turns to Dollywood, Dolly Parton's business ventures, brand licensing, partnerships, philanthropy, and the business lessons investors and entrepreneurs can take from the way she approached ownership and long-term value creation. Then it's time for News & Markets Unfiltered, where the conversation shifts to artificial intelligence and the AI investment boom. Companies are committing enormous amounts of capital to AI infrastructure and data centers. Matt and Louie examine whether that spending could eventually lead to overinvestment, how companies are beginning to finance some AI investment through the bond market, and what previous capital-spending booms can teach investors about today's AI enthusiasm. But there's another side to the AI story: What happens when artificial intelligence stops being a competitive advantage and becomes a competitive necessity? The discussion explores whether companies may eventually have little choice but to adopt AI as competitors use technology to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and gain market share. In this episode: Dolly Parton as an entrepreneur and businesswoman I Will Always Love You and the value of music ownership Dollywood and the power of the right business partnership Brand value, intellectual property, and long-term ownership The AI investment boom and data-center spending AI infrastructure, capital expenditures, and the bond market What previous investment booms can teach investors When technology goes from competitive advantage to competitive necessity Why businesses that fail to adapt can lose market share

    Ep 4: Dolly Parton’s Business Empire + Is AI Becoming a Bubble?

  4. Aug 31

    Ep 3: The Rise and Fall of Department Stores + What’s Happening in the Treasury Market

    Matt and Louie examine the decline of JCPenney and American department stores before turning to Treasury markets, interest rates, U.S. debt, economic sanctions, the dollar, AI, and the repo market.

    Ep 3: The Rise and Fall of Department Stores + What’s Happening in the Treasury Market

  5. Aug 24

    Ep 2: The Rise & Fall of the American Mall + Amazon, AI & the Bond Market

    What really happened to the American shopping mall? Matt and Louie explore the rise and decline of malls and what changing retail can teach investors about business and competition. Plus, In the News: Amazon’s growth, AI IPOs, rising Treasury yields, and a surprising shakeup between Burger King and Wendy’s.

    Ep 2: The Rise & Fall of the American Mall + Amazon, AI & the Bond Market

  6. Aug 17

    Think Like an Owner

    What does it actually mean to think like a business owner—and why should investors learn to do the same? In the first episode of Fundamentals Unfiltered, Matt and Louie dig into the mindset behind successful business ownership, using Warren Buffett’s approach to management as a starting point. They explore the gap between owning a business and truly thinking like an owner, why incentives matter, lessons they’ve learned from their own business experience, and why a business that doesn’t work on paper probably won’t work in the real world. Then, they turn to the Federal Reserve and Kevin Warsh’s changing approach to Fed communication. Matt breaks down what the Fed actually controls, the role of interest rates and inflation expectations, why the 10-year Treasury matters so much to consumers and businesses, and what changes at the Fed could mean for investors and credit markets. In this episode: What Warren Buffett means by “thinking like an owner” Why managers and owners can have very different incentives Lessons from real-world small business ownership Why cost structure matters—especially in cyclical businesses What the Federal Reserve actually does The difference between short-term Fed policy and longer-term interest rates Why the 10-year Treasury matters for mortgages and borrowing Kevin Warsh’s approach to Fed communication What investors and business owners should understand about interest rates Fundamentals Unfiltered is a weekly podcast from Fundamental Investing Institute, hosted by Matt and Louie. Learn more and explore Fundamental Investing Foundations at fiilearn.com under courses. For educational purposes only. Nothing discussed in this podcast should be considered individualized investment, financial, tax, or legal advice.

    Think Like an Owner

  7. Jan 28

    Ep. 25: Why Gold and Silver Absorb Macroeconomic Risk

    This week’s episode is a shorter, focused macro explainer on why gold and silver often absorb market uncertainty. Gold and silver have been reaching record highs — but what’s really driving the move? In this episode of Fundamentals Unfiltered, Matt breaks down why precious metals often act as “macroeconomic risk absorbers” during times of uncertainty, inflation concerns, geopolitical stress, and shifting confidence in fiat currencies. We explore the two major forces behind rising gold prices — fundamental risk signals and momentum-driven investor behavior — and why higher prices may eventually bring new supply online. This episode is a fundamentals-based look at what gold and silver may be revealing about today’s market environment. More essays and research at: FundamentalInvestingInstitute.com As always, focus on the fundamentals.

    Ep. 25: Why Gold and Silver Absorb Macroeconomic Risk

  8. Jan 21

    Ep. 24: Federal Reserve Independence — Why It Matters for Inflation and Interest Rates

    What actually anchors inflation expectations in a world without the gold standard? In this episode of Fundamentals Unfiltered, Matt examines why Federal Reserve independence is central to economic stability, and why political pressure on monetary policy has repeatedly led to inflation, market instability, and loss of credibility. Using historical examples—from the gold standard and the Great Depression to the 1970s inflation crisis and the Volcker era—the episode explains how today’s monetary system relies on credibility as its nominal anchor, and why that credibility is fragile. This episode also serves as a foundation for a longer companion blog post exploring these themes in depth.

    Ep. 24: Federal Reserve Independence — Why It Matters for Inflation and Interest Rates
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About

Fundamentals Unfiltered is where investing, business, and the week's financial news get broken down without the hype. Join Matt & Louie each week for straightforward conversations about fundamental investing, understanding businesses, financial statements, valuation, and the ideas that matter to long-term investors. They’ll also dig into the latest business and market headlines—not just what happened, but what it means and why investors should care. Whether you're learning to invest, building your financial knowledge, or simply want to better understand the businesses behind the stocks you own, Fundamentals Unfiltered helps you look beyond market noise and focus on what really matters. New episodes weekly from Fundamental Investing Institute.

Information

  • Creator
    Matt DePaola
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    31
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Fundamental Investing Institute
  • Show Website
    Fundamentals Unfiltered