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 Markets
01:01 Why Revisit War And Markets
02:31 Afghanistan 2001 And Tech Bust
06:54 Iraq 2003 And Recovery Years
09:13 Syria 2011 And Euro Debt Crisis
11:36 Yemen 2014 And Oil Shock Memories
13:46 Israel 2023 And The Big Picture
17:00 Why You Cant Trade Headlines
20:20 Incentives Oil And Global Pressure
22:39 The One War That Triggered A Bear
27:19 Fragility South Korea And Gold
29:11 Build A Resilient Portfolio
30:18 Contact Info And Disclosures

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

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 Money
00:55 Predictions for 2026: AI Capital Expenditures
05:40 The Rise of Prediction Markets
13:20 Speculative Investments in 2026
16:58 The ETF Explosion
20:02 Long-Term Predictions
20:11 Sector Predictions for 2026
20:48 The Dominance of Infotech
23:53 Rare Earths and Commodities
24:37 Gold Predictions and Market Psychology
28:00 Analysts' Predictions and Market Trends
31:08 The Future of the US Dollar
37:26 Final Thoughts and Viewer Engagement
37:57 Disclaimer and Closing Remarks