Barenaked Money

Verecan Capital Management Inc.
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Slip into something more comfortable and delve into personal finance with Josh Sheluk and Colin White, experienced portfolio managers at Verecan Capital Management. Each episode demystifies complex financial topics, stripping them to their bare essentials. From investment strategies and financial planning to economic headlines and philanthropic giving, delivered with a blend of insight, transparency, and a touch of humour. Perfect for anyone looking to understand and navigate their financial future with confidence. Subscribe now to stay informed, empowered, and entertained. Verecan Capital Management Inc. is registered as a Portfolio Manager in all provinces in Canada except Manitoba.

  1. MAY 12

    148: Behind the Bets: The Truth About Prediction Markets

    Prediction Markets: Why They’re Gambling, Not Investing Hosts Josh Sheluk and Colin White of Verecan Capital Management discuss the rise of prediction markets (e.g., Polymarket, Kalshi, and a planned Wealthsimple product in Canada) following regulatory approvals, and argue people should avoid them. They frame the episode as a “draft of bad ideas,” led by the claim that participants will likely lose money, citing research on 1.4 million users and $20B in transactions showing profits are concentrated (1% earning ~80% of profits) and losses can be extreme (0.1% accounting for 43% of losses). They warn prediction markets are prone to manipulation and insider-information advantages, give examples of odds moving ahead of events, and criticize regulators’ rationale that people will do it anyway. They emphasize these products blur investing and gambling, siphon money from long-term investing, and are gamified to drive activity. Click here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 Wild Prediction Market Hook00:12 Show Intro and Today’s Topic00:55 Why Prediction Markets Are Exploding03:17 Regulators Open the Door05:02 Draft Pick One You’ll Lose Money08:52 Draft Pick Two Manipulation and Insider Info14:13 Draft Pick Three Gambling Not Investing17:07 Money Drain and Social Harm19:02 You Don’t Need This to Hedge22:03 Gamification and Worst Case Losses23:32 What Prediction Markets Actually Are27:34 Where This Is Headed and Final Thoughts30:40 Sponsor Message and Contact Info31:22 Legal Disclaimer and Wrap Up

    32 min

  2. APR 24

    147: Scams Don’t Look Like Scams Anymore

    AI-Powered Misinformation and Financial Scams: Fake Opportunity, Authority, and Urgency Hosts Josh Sheluk and Colin White of Barenaked Money welcome back misinformation researcher and author Matthew Facciani (Misguided) to discuss current misinformation trends, especially how AI scales personalized scams across social media, email, and increasingly convincing audio deepfake phone calls. Facciani outlines three common scam patterns—fake opportunity, fake authority, and fake urgency—and shares examples of AI-tailored job-offer and book-club scams that quickly pivot to small fees. He recommends habits and tools to reduce risk: pause and reflect before reacting emotionally, avoid clicking links, verify credentials via official sources, use lateral reading to check independent coverage and digital footprints, and leverage tools like reverse image search, the Wayback Machine, and URL checks. The conversation also covers identity and network overlap as drivers of bias, plus Facciani’s interactive tools for mapping identity complexity and social network diversity.Click here to view the episode transcript. Links: Matthew Facciani's newsletter: https://matthewfacciani.substack.com/Matthew's Identity Map Tool: https://matthewfacciani.github.io/identity-map/Matthew's Post on Verecan's Blog:  Don't Get Fooled Out of Your Money: A Fact-Checker's Guide for Every Kind of Investor  00:00 AI Scam Wake Up 00:11 Meet The Misinformation Expert 01:25 State Of Misinformation Now 03:23 Financial Scams Three Buckets 05:35 Deepfakes Voice And Text 06:48 Personalized Job Offer Scam 11:18 Spotting Scams Daily Habits 13:48 Book Club Flattery Trap 17:54 Predatory Conferences Gray Lines 20:49 Verify Claims With Lateral Reading 25:20 Identity Bias Map 26:41 Overlapping Identities Risk 28:46 Complexity Score Tool 30:29 Network Diversity Shield 34:29 Echo Chambers Everywhere 35:34 Privacy And Metrics 36:34 Critical Ignoring Chatbot 40:21 Making It A Business 41:41 Contrarian Matching Ideas 44:48 Where To Find Everything 47:16 Contact Info And Disclosures 47:16 Financial Advisor Disclaimer

    49 min

  3. MAR 24

    146: Headlines Feel New. For Markets, It’s the Same Story.

    War, Markets, and Why You Still Can’t Invest on Headlines Hosts Josh Sheluk and Colin White discuss how wars and geopolitical conflict have historically affected markets, emphasizing the human tragedy while focusing on financial implications. They review major Middle East conflicts since 2000: Afghanistan (Oct 7, 2001), Iraq (Mar 20, 2003), the Syrian Civil War (Mar 15, 2011), the Yemeni Civil War (Sep 21, 2014), and the Oct 7, 2023 Israel conflict, and argue market outcomes were driven more by other forces (tech bubble collapse, European debt crisis, oil shocks, 2008 crisis) than by the conflicts themselves. They cite BCA Research finding only the 1973 Yom Kippur War/oil embargo clearly led to a bear market, noting today’s lower oil intensity and U.S. oil export position. They conclude rapid sentiment shifts make conflict “unreactable,” so investors should maintain resilient portfolios rather than adjust to headlines. Click here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 War And Bear Markets01:01 Why Revisit War And Markets02:31 Afghanistan 2001 And Tech Bust06:54 Iraq 2003 And Recovery Years09:13 Syria 2011 And Euro Debt Crisis11:36 Yemen 2014 And Oil Shock Memories13:46 Israel 2023 And The Big Picture17:00 Why You Cant Trade Headlines20:20 Incentives Oil And Global Pressure22:39 The One War That Triggered A Bear27:19 Fragility South Korea And Gold29:11 Build A Resilient Portfolio30:18 Contact Info And Disclosures

    32 min

  4. MAR 17

    145: Optimism and Despair in the Retirement Debate

    Gen Z, Retirement at 59, and the Math Behind the Despair Hosts Josh Sheluk and Colin White discuss a retirement survey comparing generations and claiming Gen Z expects to retire around 59, earlier than millennials, Gen X, and boomers, despite low confidence and limited progress toward goals. They link younger cohorts’ despair to factors including housing affordability, career disruptions from COVID and inflation, and especially social media narratives, while arguing each generation faces different hardships and that millennials are now tracking ahead of Gen X at the same age. They emphasize retirement timing is often unrealistic and over-prioritized, advocating instead for financial independence, flexibility, and living a fulfilling life while acknowledging math still governs outcomes: delaying saving makes early retirement harder. They criticize the survey as marketing meant to shame people into saving, and suggest advisors should clarify what’s attainable and help clients stay accountable.Click here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 Gen Z Doom Spiral 00:10 Retirement Survey Reaction 02:17 Doomsday Fears and Growing Up 05:28 Millennials and Gen Z Headwinds 09:54 Retirement Math Reality Check 11:06 Retirement Isnt the Goal 13:24 FIRE Movement and Coasting Risks 15:33 Blame Pie Game Setup 16:43 Housing Experience and TikTok 20:26 What Actually Matters 26:24 Coaching Financial Independence 28:48 Social Media and Keeping Up 32:10 Optimism Despair and Marketing 34:34 No Generation Needs Saving 37:47 Wrap Up and Disclosures

    40 min

  5. FEB 17

    144: New Year, New Forecast: 2026 Financial Predictions in time for the Lunar New Year

    2026 "Predictions": AI Spend, Prediction Markets, Speculation, ETF Flood, Gold, Analysts, and the USD Josh Sheluk and Colin White (Verecan Capital Management) deliver a tongue-in-cheek style 2026 predictions episode, repeatedly stressing the forecasts are not investable. They expect more clarity on whether the hundreds of billions spent building AI infrastructure will pay off, with Colin suggesting over 50% of early AI investment may “disappear” within 18 months as hype fades. They predict prediction markets (Polymarket, Kalshi) will surge, debate whether regulation will quickly constrain them, and highlight how easily bets can be manipulated. They predict speculative assets - unprofitable/no-revenue companies, AI/quantum themes, crypto, meme/alt coins - will be punished as risk appetite shifts. Josh predicts 2026 will set a record for new ETF launches (citing 300+ launched in Canada in 2025) and criticizes the growth of low-quality and leveraged/inverse products. Over a 10-year horizon, Josh predicts infotech and the S&P 500 won’t be the top performers, citing infotech’s large S&P weight and the U.S.’s large share of global market cap. Josh says gold is essentially unpriceable and unpredictable; Colin predicts gold won’t match its 2025 performance. Josh predicts sell-side S&P 500 targets clustered around ~8–10% will be wrong again and argues herding explains the forecasts. They also discuss the U.S. dollar potentially staying weak amid uncertainty, mean reversion, and a likely 2026 debate over Federal Reserve independence and leadership changes. The episode closes with a call for audience predictions, a note on advisor compensation transparency, contact details, and standard disclaimers.Click here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 Introduction to Barenaked Money00:55 Predictions for 2026: AI Capital Expenditures05:40 The Rise of Prediction Markets13:20 Speculative Investments in 202616:58 The ETF Explosion20:02 Long-Term Predictions20:11 Sector Predictions for 202620:48 The Dominance of Infotech23:53 Rare Earths and Commodities24:37 Gold Predictions and Market Psychology28:00 Analysts' Predictions and Market Trends31:08 The Future of the US Dollar37:26 Final Thoughts and Viewer Engagement37:57 Disclaimer and Closing Remarks

    40 min

  6. FEB 9

    143: Crystal Balls and Curveballs | A 2025 Financial Retrospective

    Predicting the Unpredictable: 2025 Financial Forecast Recap and 2026 Outlook on Barenaked Money In this special edition of Barenaked Money, hosts Josh Sheluk and Colin White of Verecan Capital Management, Inc. recap their 2025 financial predictions and assess their accuracy. Yes, it's a little late for a 2025 recap and that's ok. The episode features a mix of amusing self-reflection and serious analysis as they prepare for their 2026 predictions. Highlights include discussions on tariffs, Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, market corrections, day trading trends, and the surprising economic resilience despite anticipated recessions. They emphasize the challenges and pitfalls of making market predictions, concluding with a commitment to cautious and diversified investment strategies.Click here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 Introduction and Overview00:41 Recap of 2025 Predictions01:25 Tariffs and Economic Predictions05:55 Market Trends and Surprises09:14 Bond Market Performance12:49 Stock Market Analysis14:49 Leveraged ETFs and Day Trading19:48 Canadian Economy Insights22:19 Investment Strategies and Final Thoughts28:00 Conclusion and Disclaimers

    30 min

  7. FEB 5

    142: Unraveling Economic Myths: Conversations with Paul Musson

    Challenging Economic Norms and Investment Strategies with Paul Musson In this episode of Barenaked Money, hosts welcome guest Paul Musson, an old friend and former financial industry colleague. Paul discusses his new book 'Capital Offense: Why Some Benefit at Your Expense,' which explores economic and monetary theories behind current financial systems and their flaws. They delve into the importance of understanding economic fundamentals, the role of central banks, and the concept of 'good deflation.' Paul also shares his personal investment philosophy focusing on high-quality equities, diversification, and the challenges of staying disciplined in a volatile market. The conversation raises provocative questions about inflation targets, the role of Bitcoin, and the sustainability of current financial practices.Click here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 Debunking the 2% Inflation Myth 00:09 Introduction to Barenaked Money Podcast 00:17 Meet Paul Musson: From Corporate to Independent 01:19 Paul's Book: Capital Offense 01:56 Understanding Economic and Monetary Theory 07:10 The Role of Government and Finance in the Economy 13:52 Investment Strategies and Diversification 25:25 The Debate on Bitcoin and Asset Classes 28:09 Comparing the Tech Bubble to the AI Boom 34:33 The Case for Good Deflation 37:45 Conclusion and Next Steps

    39 min

  8. JAN 13

    141: Rob Carrick on Elevating Financial Advice Standards

    Challenging Financial Norms: A Conversation with Rob Carrick on the Future of Financial Advice In this episode of Barenaked Money, hosts engage with Rob Carrick, a seasoned finance columnist and personal finance expert, to discuss transformative changes in the financial advice industry. They explore Carrick's views on controversial topics such as housing markets, Canada’s household debt, and the need for a fiduciary standard in financial advising. They also delve into the democratization of investing, changes in personal finance trends, and the impact of societal pessimism on financial decision-making. The discussion highlights the evolution and challenges of financial advising, stressing the importance of personalized advice, financial planning, and client-centric fiduciary standards. Click here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 🎬 Introduction: Fixing Financial Advice in Canada00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction00:17 👤 Meet Rob Carrick: Personal Finance Expert00:57 Rob's Polarizing Career00:57 📝 Rob's Career and Polarizing Opinions02:30 Controversial Topics: Housing Market02:49 🏡 Controversial Views on Housing06:20 Canada's Debt Crisis06:20 💸 Canada's Household Debt Crisis10:26 Trends in Personal Finance10:26 📈 Trends in Personal Finance and Investing16:07 Generational Pessimism and Economic Outlook16:38 😟 Pessimism and Economic Anxiety19:31 🧑‍💼 Gen Z's Financial Frustrations21:22 The Financial Impact of Gen Z's Attitude21:22 The Financial Impact of Gen Z's Attitude22:05 The Global Negative Sentiment22:05 The Global Negative Sentiment22:54 Inflation and Its Effects22:54 Inflation and Its Effects24:21 Employment and Economic Opportunities24:21 Employment and Economic Opportunities26:02 The Role of Media in Financial Education26:10 Challenges in Personal Finance Advice27:28 Personal Finance Challenges and Solutions32:43 The Importance of Financial Planning32:43 The Importance of Financial Planning36:00 The Fiduciary Standard in Financial Advice36:00 The Fiduciary Standard in Financial Advice39:01 Conclusion and Final Thoughts39:01 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

    41 min
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About

Slip into something more comfortable and delve into personal finance with Josh Sheluk and Colin White, experienced portfolio managers at Verecan Capital Management. Each episode demystifies complex financial topics, stripping them to their bare essentials. From investment strategies and financial planning to economic headlines and philanthropic giving, delivered with a blend of insight, transparency, and a touch of humour. Perfect for anyone looking to understand and navigate their financial future with confidence. Subscribe now to stay informed, empowered, and entertained. Verecan Capital Management Inc. is registered as a Portfolio Manager in all provinces in Canada except Manitoba.

Information

  • Creator
    Verecan Capital Management Inc.
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    43
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Verecan Capital Management Inc.
  • Show Website
    Barenaked Money

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