The Important Part: Investing with Liz Young

By 2030, it’s expected two-thirds of the wealth in the United States will be controlled by women. So why is investing currently such a male-dominated industry? What do women new to investing need in order to feel confident entering the market? SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy Liz Young sits down with Cary Carbonaro, bestselling author and Senior Vice President and Director of Women and Wealth with ACM Wealth, to uncover the most important things women need to know about investing, what it takes to get started, and unique traits that give women investors their edge. Notable mentions in episode: (00:00) Introduction (04:03) Why do men feel more confident about investing? (07:02) By 2030, women will control two thirds of the nation’s wealth. How is the industry adapting? (11:47) Over the long-term, markets are always up and to the right. (13:21) Cracking the code on building confidence (22:43) Getting beyond the ABCs of investing (26:18) Today’s investing landscape is new to everyone (29:12) What resources can you trust? (30:24) 3 things to avoid when investing (31:35) There’s money in my account - now what? (34:35) The Investor’s Bookshelf (36:46) Women of Wall Street (37:50) The Word (39:08) The Important Part Additional resources: SoFi Daily Podcast: 5-minute daily episodes covering the latest business, economic, and stock market news you need to start your day. The SoFi Daily Pod is available on Apple and Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. SoFi Daily Newsletter: Sign up for the SoFi Daily to receive the latest financial news in your inbox every day. Investing 101 Center: At SoFi, we believe investing is for everyone — which is why we’ve created a hub with info for beginners and experts alike. Start exploring to get investment education, advice, resources, and more. Wealth Investing Guide: Information you need to know to make your money work harder for you. Recommended reading: Women and Investing in 2024: Breaking Down the Barriers

The topic of planning for retirement can evoke a wide range of responses from anxiety to avoidance (and everything in between), yet it’s arguably one of the most critical ingredients to a person’s overall financial wellbeing. How to make a plan, when to start saving, and how to navigate the retirement path are all questions we’ll be faced with at one point or another. Andrew Heiges is the Director, Head of Retirement Income, Managed Accounts, and Financial Wellness at T. Rowe Price, and brings key insights from years of experience working within the field. On this episode, Andrew joins SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy Liz Young to discuss what financial wellness really means, what’s missing from the retirement conversation, and how we should be thinking about saving. Notable mentions in episode: (00:00) Intro (01:56) What exactly goes into financial wellness? (05:33) Saving is more about the habit than the dollar amount (10:44) How has retirement planning evolved over the last few decades? (14:42) How should fees factor into choosing retirement accounts? (18:46) Which comes first: paying off debt or saving for retirement? (20:21) Does a bearish period matter for your retirement account? (22:16) Your time horizon goes beyond your retirement date (27:10) Retiring from a career to pursue a dream job (29:01) The Hot Minute (30:40) Liz’s Takeaways Additional resources: SoFi Daily Podcast: 5-minute daily episodes covering the latest business, economic, and stock market news you need to start your day. The SoFi Daily Pod is available on Apple and Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. SoFi Daily Newsletter: Sign up for the SoFi Daily to receive the latest financial news in your inbox every day. Investing 101 Center: At SoFi, we believe investing is for everyone — which is why we’ve created a hub with info for beginners and experts alike. Start exploring to get investment education, advice, resources, and more. Wealth Investing Guide: Information you need to know to make your money work harder for you. Recommended reading: Retirement Planning Guide Asset Allocation by Age What Is a Separately Managed Account (SMA)? Guide to Automatic Investment Plans

Steve Young is most well known for his NFL accolades, but since his retirement from the 49ers he’s built another type of empire as Partner, Chairman and Co-founder of private equity firm, HGGC. In this episode, SoFi's Head of Investment Strategy Liz Young sits down with Steve to discuss his career transition into business, what it takes to evaluate a new investment, and what alternatives can bring to the game. Notable mentions in episode: (00:00) Intro (02:58) Transitioning from football into business (07:38) Succeeding by harnessing vulnerability (10:47) Steve’s advice for new investors? Be a forever student (14:29) Private Equity vs. Public Market Investing (17:02) Investment evaluation starts with the people in charge (21:39) Don’t just chase the success story (23:00) How do you know when an investment has failed? (25:52) The fine art of portfolio construction (29:16) Where do alternatives fit into the equation? (31:24) The Hot Minute (33:40) Liz’s Takeaways Additional resources: SoFi Daily Podcast: 5-minute daily episodes covering the latest business, economic, and stock market news you need to start your day. The SoFi Daily Pod is available on Apple and Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. SoFi Daily Newsletter: Sign up for the SoFi Daily to receive the latest financial news in your inbox every day. Investing 101 Center: At SoFi, we believe investing is for everyone — which is why we’ve created a hub with info for beginners and experts alike. Start exploring to get investment education, advice, resources, and more. Wealth Investing Guide: Information you need to know to make your money work harder for you. Recommended reading: A Guide to Alternative Investing What Are Alternative Investments? Private Equity: Examples, Ways to Invest

For the past year, the “looming recession” has been top of mind for people both inside and out of the world of business. What’s in store for the economy in 2024? Newedge Wealth’s Chief Investment Officer, Cameron Dawson joins host and Sofi’s Head of Investment Strategy, Liz Young, to share her outlook on the year. The two cover consumer trends, what signs of recession they’re looking out for, and what they expect to see from the Fed. Notable mentions in episode: (00:00) Intro (01:54) The biggest surprises of 2023 (06:51) The real economic impact of expectations (10:46) Does Cameron foresee a soft landing? (15:55) If there’s so much cash, why are credit balances at all-time highs? (19:11) When will inflation be in the rearview? (24:20) What to expect from the Fed (28:01) Consumer sentiment - “Watch what they do, not what they say” (32:20) The 60/40 - alive or dead? (35:43) When will money markets lose their allure? (39:13) The Hot Minute (42:13) Liz’ Takeaways Additional resources: SoFi Daily Podcast: 5-minute daily episodes covering the latest business, economic, and stock market news you need to start your day. The SoFi Daily Pod is available on Apple and Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. SoFi Daily Newsletter: Sign up for the SoFi Daily to receive the latest financial news in your inbox every day. Investing 101 Center: At SoFi, we believe investing is for everyone — which is why we’ve created a hub with info for beginners and experts alike. Start exploring to get investment education, advice, resources, and more. Wealth Investing Guide: Information you need to know to make your money work harder for you. Recommended reading: Investing in Retail Stocks Is Inflation a Good or Bad Thing for Consumers?

As the new year starts off, host and SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy Liz Young speaks directly to listeners’ concerns about the year to come. Is the recession behind us? I’ve got money ready to put to work - what do I do with it? How high is too high for a debt load? With her trademark frankness and a career’s worth of insight, Liz answers all these questions and more. Notable mentions in episode: (00:00) Introduction (04:00) Where is inflation headed in 2024? (08:50) What to look out for with debt this year (15:10) What sectors to keep an eye on in 2024 (21:15) Is Liz still bearish? (25:01) Where’s a good place to put your money in 2024? Additional resources: SoFi Daily Podcast: 5-minute daily episodes covering the latest business, economic, and stock market news you need to start your day. The SoFi Daily Pod is available on Apple and Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. SoFi Daily Newsletter: Sign up for the SoFi Daily to receive the latest financial news in your inbox every day. Investing 101 Center: At SoFi, we believe investing is for everyone — which is why we’ve created a hub with info for beginners and experts alike. Start exploring to get investment education, advice, resources, and more. Wealth Investing Guide: Information you need to know to make your money work harder for you. Recommended reading: A Cycle for the Ages (Liz’s 2024 Outlook) Investing in Small Cap Stocks How to Invest in Gold: Tips for First Time Gold Investors CDs vs Savings Accounts Compared

Holiday shopping is upon us, and the seasonal sales are in full swing. But just how does the 2023 holiday season stack up against the ghosts of retail past? On this episode, Courtney Reagan, CNBC’s Senior Retail Reporter, sits down with host Liz Young, SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy. Liz and Courtney discuss the (promising) future of big box stores, how retail has bounced back from the economic downswing, and who the winners of this holiday season will be. Notable mentions in episode: (00:00) Intro (02:00) What’s the story on consumer spending in 2023? (05:29) Are consumers trading down? (08:07) Inventory management improved in 2023 (12:41) On the ground for Black Friday (19:58) What product categories hit it out of the park this year? (23:56) Record sales numbers or just inflation? (26:41) Nostalgia rules the toy aisle (29:24) What’s happening with retail stocks? (32:53) Hot Minute (34:28) Liz’ Takeaways Additional resources: SoFi Daily Podcast: 5-minute daily episodes covering the latest business, economic, and stock market news you need to start your day. The SoFi Daily Pod is available on Apple and Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. SoFi Daily Newsletter: Sign up for the SoFi Daily to receive the latest financial news in your inbox every day. Investing 101 Center: At SoFi, we believe investing is for everyone — which is why we’ve created a hub with info for beginners and experts alike. Start exploring to get investment education, advice, resources, and more. Wealth Investing Guide: Information you need to know to make your money work harder for you. Recommended reading: Investing in Retail Stocks Is Inflation a Good or Bad Thing for Consumers?

You’re ready to invest, and you’ve got a lump sum waiting to be put to use. What do you do next? How do you buy individual stocks — and should you? In this episode, SoFi’s Head of Investment Strategy Liz Young is joined by Shannon Saccocia. Shannon Saccocia, CFA, is the Chief Investment Officer of NB Private Wealth (“NBPW”), a division of Neuberger Berman. Liz and Shannon talk about how to navigate the market, and ways to anchor yourself in your investment choices. For more, read Liz’s column every Thursday at On The Money by SoFi, sign up for the SoFi Daily Newsletter, and follow Liz on Twitter @LizYoungStrat. Notable mentions in episode: (00:00) - Intro (05:00) - How would you invest $50,000? (09:03) - Balancing between diversification and concentration (14:56) - ETF vs. Mutual Fund vs. Individual Stocks (22:23) - One simple rule: If you don’t get it, don’t buy it (24:29) - Anchor a buy in your logic behind it (25:58) - How do you think about interaction in a portfolio? (29:05) - Delineating objectives in a portfolio (33:57) - When is momentum investing useful? (36:28) - The Hot Minute (39:59) - Liz’ Takeaways Additional resources: SoFi Daily Podcast: 5-minute daily episodes covering the latest business, economic, and stock market news you need to start your day. The SoFi Daily Pod is available on Apple and Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. SoFi Daily Newsletter: Sign up for the SoFi Daily to receive the latest financial news in your inbox every day. Investing 101 Center: At SoFi, we believe investing is for everyone — which is why we’ve created a hub with info for beginners and experts alike. Start exploring to get investment education, advice, resources, and more. Wealth Investing Guide: Information you need to know to make your money work harder for you. Recommended reading: What is Asset Allocation? Guide to Building an Investment Portfolio for Beginners How Many Stocks Should I Own? What is Portfolio Management?

How can individual investors learn to navigate all the resources and information available? Is real estate still a worthwhile investment in a volatile market? What role can social media play in informing your investment choices? This episode, we’ll hear from Ben Carlson, Director of Institutional Asset Management at Ritholtz Wealth Management. Author of four books and the blog A Wealth of Common Sense, Ben Carlson has a gift for whittling down market complexities into simple solutions. He and Liz discuss the importance of not getting swept up in market fads, establishing a set of rules for your portfolio, and what it looks like to weather market extremes. For more, read Liz’s column every Thursday on SoFi’s website, sign up for the SoFi Daily newsletter, and follow Liz on Twitter @LizYoungStrat. Notable mentions in episode: (00:00) - Introduction (03:20) - The market’s problems are complex, but the answers can be simple (08:39) - Investor psychology - how can individual investors manage their emotions? (16:29) - Reliable resources for individual investors (21:14) - One of the most common mistakes individual investors make (24:04) - The status of real estate investing (32:21) - How to weather a bear market storm (36:16) - Liz’ takeaways from the interview Additional resources: The SoFi Daily Podcast: 5-minute daily episodes covering the latest business, economic, and stock market news you need to start your day. The SoFi Daily Pod is available on Apple and Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. The SoFi Daily Newsletter: Sign up for the SoFi Daily to receive the latest financial news in your inbox every day. Investing 101 Center: At SoFi, we believe investing is for everyone — which is why we’ve created a hub with info for beginners and experts alike. Start exploring to get investment education, advice, resources, and more. Wealth Investing Guide: The information you need to know to make your money work harder for you. Recommended reading: -How to Trade ETFs: A Guide for Retail Investors -10 Tips for Investing Long Term -Investing for beginners: Considerations and Ways to Get Started

How did social media play into the meme stock mania of 2021? What makes the retail investors of today more discerning than ever before? Is there such a thing as no-fee trading? Liz sits down with Gunjan Banerji, lead writer for The Wall Street Journal's live markets coverage to talk about the evolution of retail investors, the type of investing they find most attractive, and the ways in which social media can be both a blessing and a curse. Liz also offers her quick take on meme stock investing and where you can start to do your research on investments. For more from Liz, read her weekly column every Thursday on the SoFi blog or follow her on Twitter, @LizYoungStrat. Notable mentions in episode: 00:00 Introduction 06:19 Retail investor preferences (passive or active?) 10:00 How social media has impacted retail investing and what to consider before turning to social for advice 15:08 Why retail investors aren't the "last to the party" 19:24 Why investing isn't free 28:00 Gunjan's hot takes in investing 29:28 Liz's takeaways from the interview Additional resources: The SoFi Daily Podcast: 5-minute daily episodes covering the latest business, economic, and stock market news you need to start your day. The SoFi Daily Pod is available on Apple and Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. The SoFi Daily Newsletter: Sign up for the SoFi Daily to receive the latest financial news in your inbox every day. Investing 101 Center: At SoFi, we believe investing is for everyone — which is why we’ve created a hub with info for beginners and experts alike. Start exploring to get investment education, advice, resources, and more. Wealth Investing Guide: The information you need to know to make your money work harder for you. Recommended reading: - Retail Investors: Definition, Pros, and Cons -Institutional vs Retail Investors: What's the Difference? -Investing in Retail Stocks

Originally released April 2022. Liz sits down with Bryn Talkington and Jenny Harrington to discuss what it takes to be a successful investor – and if it’s really as complicated as some ‘experts’ claim? It’s a special episode and we’re re-releasing it in anticipation of Season Three. Season Three of The Important Part returns in just a few weeks, on Tuesday September 12th, and we’ll be kicking off the new season with a three-part series spotlighting the Retail Investor. In this episode, Liz joins Bryn Talkington, Managing Partner of Requisite Capital Management and Jenny Harrington, CEO of Gilman Hill Asset Management, to talk about how to be stoic in investing, how to tell between useful investment advice and fluff, as well as why paying yourself is timeless advice. Liz offers her take on how investors may need to shift their investing approach and what it means to be an open-minded investor. For more, read Liz’s weekly column every Thursday on SoFi’s blog at https://www.sofi.com/blog/category/investment-strategy/ or follow her on Twitter @LizYoungStrat

How is the housing market really doing in the US? Dr Skylar Olsen, chief economist at Zillow, joins Liz to speak about recent data that looks at key factors like housing prices, demand, and why some primary homeowners are holding onto their homes. She also chats about whether inflation will go down soon (and affect housing prices) and whether home buying interest has actually softened. For more, read Liz’s weekly column every Thursday on SoFi’s blog at https://www.sofi.com/blog/category/investment-strategy/ or follow her on Twitter @LizYoungStrat

Are there other upsides other than tax benefits when it comes to giving to charitable causes? John Marick, former CEO of Consumer Cellular and board member of Meals On Wheels America, joins Liz to speak about partnering with nonprofits or charities as part of a company mission and how charitable giving is beneficial beyond the balance sheet. He also speaks about what investing in a nonprofit looks like, and whether it’s all that different from other types of organizations. For more, read Liz’s weekly column every Thursday on SoFi’s blog at https://www.sofi.com/blog/category/investment-strategy/ or follow her on Twitter @LizYoungStrat

Is it possible to disrupt the health insurance industry? This week’s guest, Scott Blackley, the Chief Transformation Officer at Oscar Health, believes the future lies in using technology (such as AI) to our advantage. He talks with Liz about how using cloud-based or cloud-native technology can help healthcare companies disrupt the industry (and remain competitive as a result), why consumers won’t see the effects of inflation on healthcare until a few years down the line, and his take on what companies to watch out for. For more, read Liz’s weekly column every Thursday on SoFi’s blog at https://www.sofi.com/blog/category/investment-strategy/ or follow her on Twitter @LizYoungStrat

Interested in learning more about how markets will fare in 2023? Adam Parker, CEO and founder of Trivariate Research, offers his take on sector calls and what a possible recession might look like. He speaks with Liz on how investors can approach defensive sectors of markets, why there may not be a V-shaped recovery like many are forecasting, and why a general strategy of doing the opposite of what the consensus is doing may be a smart approach. For more, read Liz’s weekly column every Thursday on SoFi’s blog at https://www.sofi.com/blog/category/investment-strategy/ or follow her on Twitter @LizYoungStrat

Liz is back with her investment outlook for 2023 and answers your burning questions. Now that 2022 is over, what are her takes on individual bonds versus bond ETFs, dividend aristocrats, and energy stocks? Don’t forget to tune in to hear her thoughts on whether we’re headed for a recession, why it may be different that ones in the past, and why they don’t have to feel like the end of the world. For more on Liz’s 2023 outlook, check out her article at www.sofi.com/article/investment-strategy/2023-market-outlook/ and follow her on Twitter @LizYoungStrat.

With food inflation and continuing changes in consumer demands, how are meal kit companies faring? Linda Findley, CEO of Blue Apron, gives her take on how this industry is doing, and whether these companies are faring, both in terms of demand and profit margins. She talks with Liz about her observations on the meal kit landscape during the pandemic and beyond, why food inflation hasn’t affected the industry as much, and what it means for the potential of long-term success with a seasonal business. For more, read Liz’s weekly column every Thursday on SoFi’s blog at https://www.sofi.com/blog/category/investment-strategy/ or follow her on Twitter @LizYoungStrat

With talks of layoffs and other volatility in the tech industry, what should investors do? This week’s guest, Dan Ives, Managing Director and Senior Equity Research Analyst covering the Technology sector at Wedbush Securities offers his take on the overall landscape. He talks with Liz about why growth in the tech industry will still continue, and what the future may hold for groups like software and semiconductors.why enterprise companies are the ones to watch out for, and Dan’s take on what companies are the ones to watch. For more, read Liz’s weekly column every Thursday on SoFi’s blog at https://www.sofi.com/blog/category/investment-strategy/ or follow her on Twitter @LizYoungStrat

Until the way we interact in a professional setting (like going out for celebrations and client lunches) changes, the restaurant industry won’t be able to bounce back for a while. How does this have implications for investors? This week’s guest helps to shed light on this conundrum. Bo Peabody, founder of restaurant app Seated and co-founder of Mezze Restaurant Group, talks to Liz about when he believes the restaurant industry will go back to “normal”, how inflation may not have impacted profitability as much as we think. Liz and Bo also talk about the opportunity available for innovation in the industry. For more, read Liz’s weekly column every Thursday on SoFi’s blog at https://www.sofi.com/blog/category/investment-strategy/ or follow her on Twitter @LizYoungStrat

How much weight should an investor put on a company’s advertising strategy? According to this week’s guest, quite a lot. Joe Marchese, Executive Chairman at Human Ventures and previous President of Advertising Revenue for Fox Networks Group, sit down with Liz to talk about looking at ads - specifically ones that aim to acquire a customer versus ones that simply acquire a transaction- can give investors a lot of insight into how a company may fare in the long run. Liz and Joe also talk about advertising trends and what that could mean for the consolidation of a business, or M&A, through the business cycle.For more, read Liz’s weekly column every Thursday on SoFi’s blog at https://www.sofi.com/blog/category/investment-strategy/ or follow her on Twitter @LizYoungStrat

Are there advantages that retail investors have over institutional investors, or should retail investors focus on simple strategies for success? Ross Mac sits down with Liz to talk about how technology has helped to democratize investing (and by extension made it a less taboo subject to talk about in public) and whether Wall Street is underestimating this demographic. Liz and Ross also talk about how to learn more about investing strategies, whether that’s intentionally seeking out competing information, or following experts who provide insightful information. For more, read Liz’s weekly column every Thursday on SoFi’s blog at https://www.sofi.com/blog/category/investment-strategy/ or follow her on Twitter @LizYoungStrat