Trillions

There’s been roughly 10 billion individual ETF trades in the past 25 years with almost no issues. This McDonald’s-esque track record of happy customers is one of the reasons ETFs have become so popular. One of the main reasons behind the stellar track record of trading is the important role played by ETF market makers, who provide liquidity for popular ETFs but also lesser traded ones— stepping in to be a buyer or a seller when there are none.  On this week’s Trillions, Eric and Joel speak with veteran ETF market maker Chris Hempstead of Deutsche Bank as well as Annie Massa of Bloomberg News, who just wrote about the secretive market maker Susquehanna in the latest issue of Bloomberg Markets. The discussion covers ETF mechanics, liquidity, and poker. Yes, poker. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if there were a rolling paper that let you put the entire marijuana industry into a tightly packed joint? There is, and it's called an exchange-traded fund.While more and more states legalize medical and recreational marijuana in the U.S., the federal government still classifies it as an illegal controlled substance. But that certainly doesn't make it illegal to invest in the industry, and certain publicly traded companies in the sector have seen their valuations soar of late. Most of these companies also happen to be based in Canada, a country that just legalized recreational marijuana last month. Bloomberg News reporter Rachel Evans takes a field trip to Toronto for a closer look of the nascent industry and a better understanding of the ETFs investors are using to gain exposure. She also joins Eric and Joel to discuss why investors should proceed cautiously in such a seductive space.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s the most sure-fire way to get a flight upgrade? How can you find the best, secret local restaurants by asking just one question? What's the first thing you should do when you get into a hotel room? On Bloomberg's new podcast Travel Genius, we'll give you those answers—and plenty more—as hosts Nikki Ekstein and Mark Ellwood quiz the world’s most experienced globetrotters for their tried-and-true travel hacks. Listen weekly, and even your work trips will go from a necessary evil to an expert art form. Plus, you'll be padding out your bucket list with dreams of amazing future vacations. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where does a medical cure come from? 100 years ago, it wasn't uncommon for scientists to test medicines by taking a dose themselves. As medical technologies get cheaper and more accessible, patients and DIY tinkerers are trying something similar—and mainstream medicine is racing to catch up. Prognosis explores the leading edge of medical advances, and asks who gets—or should get—access to them. We look at how innovation happens, when it fails, and what it means to the people with a disease trying to feel better, live longer, or avoid death.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Acronyms are a popular way to shorthand especially promising emerging markets. Take the BRICs: Brazil, Russia, India and China. Or how about MIST: Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea and Turkey. And here's a new one from Bloomberg Intelligence: Africa's CUTEs, for the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia. These catchy terms tend to make buzz because investors see such vast economic potential in these countries -- but where there's potential, you'll also find risk. Ahead of Bloomberg's New Economy Forum in Singapore on Nov. 6-7, Joel and Eric take a tour of these potential growth engines with VanEck emerging market analysts Patricia Gonzalez and Ola El-Shawarby. They share how they approach investing in countries such as Brazil, Peru, South Korea, Nigeria, and Egypt and give their thoughts on why active investing can outperform passive. Eric also highlights ETFs that can give investors single-country exposures.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bloomberg’s head of economics Stephanie Flanders calls on Bloomberg's worldwide network of reporters and expert commentators to cast a fresh eye on looming challenges for the world economy which affect us all.This 6 part podcast combines on the ground reporting with expert discussion on the future of cities, finance and technology, trade, global governance and making growth more inclusive. It's the start of a global conversation on how to confront these issues which will continue in Singapore in early November, when around 400 top business leaders and thinkers from across the globe will gather in Singapore for the first New Economy Forum.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The creation story of the first exchange-traded fund is actually the best way to understand how they work. And it's not just educational, it's entertaining. Like the PC and the MP3, the story of the creation of SPY -- which turned 30 this year -- is full of characters, twists and turns, and subplots. In the end, the product launched an industry that's reshaping not just investing but the entire financial ecosystem. This six-episode miniseries will weave together interviews with the founding fathers and other key players that help investors better understand the ETF and how we got here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With many of the world's stock markets in turmoil, and interest rates on the rise in the U.S., it can be hard to spot investment opportunities. A popular Bloomberg article asks six experts where they would invest $10,000 right now. Some of those areas include Asian countries, tobacco stocks, companies profiting from the mobile payment trend as well as just a plain ol' broad market allocation.  On this week's Trillions we speak to the author of the story, Suzanne Woolley, and personal finance writer Ben Steverman about these picks as well as the ETFs that can be used to play them. We also discuss what they are hearing from retail investors outside the financial bubble about the recent selloff and investing in general.  When you’re done listening, you can read the article at https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-how-to-invest-10k/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Neeeeeeerrrrrrddsss! The term used to be an insult but now it’s (mostly) a compliment. At least that's the case in the world of ETFs, where passions run high for these low-cost, liquid funds. Used by long-term retail investors and institutional traders, there's a wide range of opinion on which Exchange Traded Funds are best, which trends are smart and what the future may hold.On this week’s Trillions, Joel and Eric spar with a colorful gang of ETF pundits in a McLaughlin Group-style roundtable. They discuss 20 hot issues in the ETF world, including whether fees are overrated, when a zero-fee ETF will arrive, whether ESG funds can ever find an audience, where innovation will come from and what ETF our panelists would use for their life savings.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While the rise of ETFs has been good for ETFs, it has come at the expense of many mutual fund managers -- humans who have seen about $1 trillion in outflows over the past four years. The situation has confounded many active fund companies and fueled consolidation in the industry. Now, a prominent active fund advocate and ETF critic says he’s found a better strategy: mutual funds with performance-based fees.On this episode of Trillions, Joel and Eric speak with Peter Kraus, former CEO of Alliance Bernstein, who discusses his new endeavor, Aperture Investors; also joining the conversation is Sonali Basak, a finance reporter with Bloomberg News. Kraus plans to offer actively managed mutual funds that cost about the same as a passive ETF -- unless his portfolio managers outperform their benchmarks and generate alpha. Aligning compensation with performance, Kraus says, is a better incentive than charging a fee based on assets under management. The episode also covers shortcomings of the ETF, why active management

Ten years ago, the financial crisis changed everything -- and helped create the world we now inhabit. Eric and Joel push rewind to revisit 2008, examine why ETFs managed to take in money that year despite the huge loss in the market, and dissect what's changed in the decade since and what it tells us about the future. Christine Harper, the editor of Bloomberg Markets, who covered banking for Bloomberg News at the time, joins to offer her insights.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Trillions, Joel and Eric record the podcast equivalent of a double-album with Barry Ritholtz, an ETF-using financial advisor as well as a Bloomberg Opinion columnist, host of the Bloomberg podcast "Masters in Business," and overall deep thinker. In addition to ETFs, the trio discusses investing, the economy, the role of the modern financial adviser, tariffs, Trump, and even God. We're calling this special body of work "Use Your Disillusion I & II," a nod to the seminal Guns N' Roses album. Why? Because - according to Barry - disillusionment is a major driver behind the rise of ETFs and passive investing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Trillions, Joel and Eric record the podcast equivalent of a double-album with Barry Ritholtz, an ETF-using financial advisor as well as a Bloomberg Opinion columnist, host of the Bloomberg podcast "Masters in Business," and overall deep thinker. In addition to ETFs, the trio discusses investing, the economy, the role of the modern financial adviser, tariffs, Trump, and even God. We're calling this special body of work "Use Your Disillusion I & II," a nod to the seminal Guns N' Roses album. Why? Because - according to Barry - disillusionment is a major driver behind the rise of ETFs and passive investing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Next week, we’re going long with Barry Ritholtz—a money manager, Bloomberg Opinion columnist, and fellow podcast host. Get ready: We literally couldn't stop talking.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You never go full crypto, right? Yet clearly some in the ETF industry see a massive opportunity, hence the steady talent trickle to the nascent space. To date, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has received more than 25 filings for ETFs featuring Bitcoin. They're effectively the participants in a Cannonball Run-esque race to gain the SEC's approval -- and whoever earns that blessing and is first to market could have a multi-billion-dollar product. But is this asset class even ready for primetime? How would it even work? What roadblocks must be overcome? On this episode of Trillions, Joel and Eric are joined by the perfect guest to discuss all of this: Matt Hougan. The vice president of Bitwise Asset Management and a veteran of the ETF industry, Hougan has deep knowledge of both industries. He's also a face in the Cannonball Run race. His firm just filed for the Bitwise Hold 10 Cryptocurrency Index Fund, which is the first proposed ETF that's a basket of cryptocurrencies. Hougan also gives his take o

What is the best ETF for the long-term? How important is index selection? Is there a pot ETF? Can you get private equity exposure through an ETF? These are just some of the questions that Joel and Eric attempt to answer in this episode of Trillions where they dig into the proverbial "mailbag" of questions from listeners on various platforms. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trade tensions and tariffs are a new variable for investors. How should investors differentiate between noise and reality? Should they adjust their portfolio? What ETFs can be used? Joel and Eric are joined by reporter Sarah Ponczek and advisor John Davi to discuss.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No one person has had a bigger impact on the fund industry than Vanguard founder Jack Bogle, the legendary investor who invented indexing and popularized low-fee mutual funds. One of Vanguard's biggest advantages: Its mutual fund ownership structure, which is an original Bogle breakthrough. Bogle now thinks other firms will have to follow suit to survive in the future -- one of a few topics he plans to explore in his next book, Stay the Course: The Story of Vanguard and the Index Revolution (Wiley, October 2018). If he's right, the financial ecosystem is in for major changes.During their visit to Vanguard, Joel and Eric also picked Bogle's brain on ETFs, financial advisors, active share, behavior, and Bitcoin for this special episode of Trillions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ETF flows are one of the best ways to get inside the mind of investors. They tell you which asset classes, sectors, strategies and specific ETFs both traders and long-term investors are favoring. But interpreting flows is as much art as science. On this week’s Trillions, Joel and Eric are joined by Todd Rosenbluth of CFRA to dissect ETF inflows and outflows from the first half of what is at once both a typical and atypical year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are over 120 U.S. ETF issuers, but only one has more than $1 trillion in assets, over 300 products and knows what it is like to beat Vanguard: BlackRock. The asset manager made the equivalent of the Louisiana Purchase when it acquired iShares from Barclays in 2009, a move that has made them the most dominant player in the industry. Joel and Eric interview Martin Small, head of U.S. iShares, about ETFs, investing and his insatiable appetite for guitars. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.