Category: Education

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Preparing for Changes in Estate Tax Laws with Jerry Vanderzanden, CLU, ChFC

Preparing for Changes in Estate Tax Laws with Jerry Vanderzanden, CLU, ChFC

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Are you prepared for the ticking time bomb of estate tax laws?

In this episode, Jerry Vanderzanden, CLU, ChFC, delves into his expertise in insurance planning and discusses how insurance specialists can contribute to advanced planning areas such as estate planning. He shares his advice on how investors can prepare for the upcoming changes in estate tax laws in 2026 and the importance of reevaluating estate plans to understand the implications of those potential changes.

Jerry discusses: 

  • Why he specializes in insurance and what he can do for financial advisors and their clients
  • How insurance specialists get involved in advanced planning areas like estate planning
  • What the estate planning cliff is
  • How investors can prepare for the sunsetting estate tax laws in 2026
  • And more

Connect with Geoff Hakim: 

Connect with Jerry Vanderzanden:

About Our Guest: 

Jerry Vanderzanden, CLU, ChFC is an insurance planning specialist. Prior to resuming his professional insurance solutions and consulting activities, he held executive roles at major insurance companies and senior leadership roles at a broker-dealer, a general agency, and a national insurance marketing organization covering a wide range of areas such as insurance, distribution, product management, and advanced planning.

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Second Opinions: The Key to Financial Confidence with Robert Hoyt and Kirk Loury

Second Opinions: The Key to Financial Confidence with Robert Hoyt and Kirk Loury

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Do financial markets and daily news headlines make you anxious? 

Do you think your portfolio and investments may be off-track?

It’s time to get a second opinion!

In this episode, Robert Hoyt, Ph.D., Principal and President of MCM Wealth, and Kirk Loury, portfolio strategist at MCM Wealth and managing member of Advisable Wealth Engines, discuss the role of portfolio second opinions in building financial confidence.

Listen as they touch on: 

  • The psychological factors behind seeking a second opinion in finance
  • Why investments should align with one’s goals and values
  • The role of technology in the analysis, monitoring, and fine-tuning of investment plans
  • How MCM Wealth’s second opinion discovery process works
  • And more

Connect with Geoff Hakim: 

Connect with Robert Hoyt:

Connect with Kirk Loury:

About Robert Hoyt: 

Robert Hoyt, Ph.D., is the Principal and President of MCM Wealth and chairs the Investment Committees for both MCM Wealth and the AMP I Fund. Dr. Hoyt began his career practicing clinical psychology while serving as an Adjunct Professor at Mount Sinai Medical School. He then worked within his family’s industrial distribution business, eventually becoming CEO and ultimately taking his business public. He became CIO of his own family office in 2000. In 2004, he also became a partner and a member of the Investment Committee of a hedge fund that made private placements in public securities (PIPES). Ten years later, he founded Blue Hall Wealth Advisors. And in 2021, after years of sharing ideas and collaborating on projects with Geoffrey Hakim, he joined Marin Capital Management. Robert received his B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, a master’s degree from Northwestern University, and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Yeshiva University.

About Kirk Loury:

Kirk provides integration between MCM’s marketing, investment strategies, and implementation. He is also a co-founder and managing member of Advisable Wealth Engines. Mr. Loury has over thirty years of experience in a variety of executive roles covering investing, marketing, and wealth-technology deployment. He has particular expertise in applying well-conceived insurance products as investments within a wealth plan to minimize portfolio volatility, deliver high tax efficiency, and meet multi-generational income goals. While having experience with institutional investors, Mr. Loury’s primary focus is with private wealth investors including family offices. Kirk Loury received a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

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The Benefits and Risks of Artificial Intelligence in Investing with Kirk Loury

The Benefits and Risks of Artificial Intelligence in Investing with Kirk Loury

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The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has disrupted many industries. But what role does it play in the world of finance? Can AI revolutionize investing?

In this episode, Kirk Loury, portfolio strategist at MCM Wealth and managing member of Advisable Wealth Engines explores AI’s origins and advancement, its application in daily life, and the potential risks involved. He also offers his personal perspective on how AI might impact the financial services industry.

Kirk discusses: 

  • A brief overview of what AI is and how it works
  • Why leaders in AI are firm advocates of regulation and protection against the negative aspects of AI
  • A real-world example of “AI hallucinations”
  • The potential benefits of AI in the legal and investment professions
  • And more

Connect with Geoff Hakim: 

Connect with Kirk Loury:

About Our Guest: 

Kirk Loury provides integration between MCM’s marketing, investment strategies, and implementation. He is also co-founder and managing member of Advisable Wealth Engines. Mr. Loury has over thirty years experience in a variety of executive roles covering investing, marketing, and wealth-technology deployment. He has a particular expertise in applying well-conceived insurance products as investments within a wealth plan to minimize portfolio volatility, deliver high tax efficiency, and meet multi-generational income goals. While having experience with institutional investors, Mr. Loury’s primary focus is with private wealth investors including family offices. Kirk Loury received a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

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Direct Indexing: Unlock Customization and Efficiency in Your Portfolio with Kirk Loury

Direct Indexing: Unlock Customization and Efficiency in Your Portfolio with Kirk Loury

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Indexing can be complicated, but using direct and passive indexing strategies can help you achieve your financial goals.

In this episode, Kirk Loury, Portfolio Strategist at MCM and managing member of Advisable Wealth Engines, talks about direct indexing. He goes over the concept of indexing, the advantages of index investing, and the role of technology in managing portfolios. Kirk explains how passive investing eliminates human error and emotions, offering diversification and eliminating underperformance risk, and explores how index investing can align your investments with your wealth plan.

Kirk discusses: 

  • What is indexing and how important it is for portfolios
  • The characteristics of an investment in an index
  • The biggest advantage and disadvantages of index investing
  • Why fees are so important when thinking about index investing
  • What direct indexing is
  • How an investment theme is defined and how it relates to an investor’s wealth plan
  • How direct indexing relates to active portfolio management
  • And more

Resources:

Connect with Geoff Hakim: 

Connect with Kirk Loury:

About our Guest: 

Kirk Loury provides integration between MCM’s marketing, investment strategies, and implementation. He is also co-founder and managing member of Advisable Wealth Engines. Mr. Loury has over thirty years experience in a variety of executive roles covering investing, marketing, and wealth-technology deployment. He has a particular expertise in applying well-conceived insurance products as investments within a wealth plan to minimize portfolio volatility, deliver high tax efficiency, and meet multi-generational income goals. While having experience with institutional investors, Mr. Loury’s primary focus is with private wealth investors including family offices. Kirk Loury received a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

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Building Portfolios That Work with Robert Hoyt, Ph.D.

Building Portfolios That Work with Robert Hoyt, Ph.D.

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Are you tired of struggling to build a portfolio that actually works for your investment needs?

In this episode, Robert Hoyt, Ph.D., Principal and President of MCM Wealth, talks about building investment portfolios that work. He shares how his diverse experience in the financial industry and as a psychologist has had an impact on how he builds portfolios and dives into the essentials of a functional investment portfolio.

Bob discusses: 

  • How his diverse experiences as a psychologist, hedge fund manager, entrepreneur, and financial advisor have influenced his views on building portfolios that work
  • What MCM Wealth’s client discovery interview is and how it helps advisors understand what makes their clients tick
  • What freedom often looks like to investors
  • How the technology platform at MCM Wealth is different from the technology other advisors use
  • What a satellite portfolio is
  • Why someone would want a second opinion on their portfolio
  • What time horizon investing is
  • How the three buckets of investing, short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term, work
  • What precision customization is and why do we need it
  • And more

Resources:

Connect with Geoff Hakim: 

Connect with Robert Hoyt:

About our Guest: 

Robert Hoyt, Ph.D., is Principal and President of MCM Wealth and chairs the Investment Committees for both MCM Wealth and the AMP I Fund. Dr. Hoyt began his career practicing clinical psychology while serving as an Adjunct Professor at Mount Sinai medical school. He then worked within his family’s industrial distribution business, eventually becoming CEO and ultimately taking his business public. He became CIO of his own family office in 2000. In 2004, he also became a partner and a member of the Investment Committee of a hedge fund that made private placements in public securities (PIPES). Ten years later, he founded Blue Hall Wealth Advisors. And in 2021, after years of sharing ideas and collaborating on projects with Geoffrey Hakim, he joined Marin Capital Management. Robert received his B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, a master’s degree from Northwestern University, and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Yeshiva University.

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Time Horizon Investing & Portfolio Construction with Kirk Loury

Time Horizon Investing & Portfolio Construction with Kirk Loury

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What is time horizon investing and how can you implement it when constructing your investment portfolio?

In this episode, Kirk Loury, portfolio strategist at MCM Wealth and managing member of Advisable Wealth Engines talks about what it means to have an investment time horizon and how to construct the portfolio.

Kirk discusses: 

  • What is time horizon investing, and the type of planning activities involved
  • Who is responsible for making investment horizons work the way they’re supposed to
  • How an investment time horizon works inside a wealth plan
  • What indicates that an investment time horizon is not working
  • How an investment time horizon works with an investment objective
  • Technology’s role in managing investment horizons and budgets
  • And more

Resources:

Connect with Geoff Hakim: 

Connect with Kirk Loury:

About our Guest: 

Kirk Loury provides integration between MCM’s marketing, investment strategies and implementation. He is also co-founder and managing member of Advisable Wealth Engines. Mr. Loury has over thirty years’ experience in a variety of executive roles covering investing, marketing, and wealth-technology deployment. He has a particular expertise in applying well-conceived insurance products as investments within a wealth plan to minimize portfolio volatility, deliver high tax efficiency, and meet multi-generational income goals. While having experience with institutional investors, Mr. Loury’s primary focus is with private wealth investors including family offices. Kirk Loury received a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

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The Importance of Investment Volatility with Kirk Loury

The Importance of Investment Volatility with Kirk Loury

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Are you ready to learn about investment volatility and why volatility is so important to investing?

In this episode, Kirk Loury, portfolio strategist at MCM Wealth and managing member of Advisable Wealth Engines talks about investment volatility and its importance. He breaks down what volatility is, how it’s measured, and why it isn’t necessarily a bad thing when it comes to investing. Kirk also explains what compounding is, how it works with volatility, how investors can address bad volatility in a portfolio, and how they can stay informed about volatility but can’t predict it.

Kirk discusses: 

  • What volatility is and how it is measured in investing
  • Why volatility isn’t necessarily a bad thing when it comes to investing 
  • How compounding works with volatility
  • How to address bad volatility in a portfolio and when investors should worry
  • What technologies are available to evaluate an investment’s volatility
  • How an investment structure impacts its predictability
  • And more

Connect with Geoff Hakim: 

Connect with Kirk Loury:

 

About Our Guest: 

Kirk Loury provides integration between MCM’s marketing, investment strategies and implementation. He is also co-founder and managing member of Advisable Wealth Engines. Mr. Loury has over thirty years’ experience in a variety of executive roles covering investing, marketing, and wealth-technology deployment. He has a particular expertise in applying well-conceived insurance products as investments within a wealth plan to minimize portfolio volatility, deliver high tax efficiency, and meet multi-generational income goals. While having experience with institutional investors, Mr. Loury’s primary focus is with private wealth investors including family offices. Kirk Loury received a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

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Active Vs. Passive Investing with Michael Green, CFA

Active Vs. Passive Investing with Michael Green, CFA

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Are you curious about the impact of passive investing on the market and the importance of active management? 

In this episode, Michael Green, Portfolio Manager, and Chief Strategist at Simplify Asset Management, explains the difference between active and passive investing and talks about the potential risks of the increasingly passive investment market. He also talks about the concentration of investment choices in 401(k) plans and the benefits of active investing.

Michael discusses: 

  • The difference between passive and active investing
  • The impact of passive investing on the market due to unthoughtful contributions 
  • Potential risks of an increasingly passive investment market and the need to introduce limits to prevent systemic impact
  • The importance of active management and the potential negative impacts of everyone moving towards passive investing
  • And more!

Connect with Geoff Hakim: 

Connect with Michael Green:

About our Guest: 

Michael Green has been a student of markets and market structure, for nearly 30 years. His proprietary research into the shift from actively managed portfolios and investment funds to systematic passive investment strategies has been presented to the Federal Reserve, the BIS, the IMF, and numerous other industry groups and associations.

Michael joined Simplify in April 2021 after serving as Chief Strategist and Portfolio Manager for Logica Capital Advisers, LLC. Prior to Logica, Michael managed macro strategies at Thiel Macro, LLC, an investment firm that manages the personal capital of Peter Thiel. Prior to Thiel, Michael founded Ice Farm Capital, a discretionary global macro hedge fund seeded by Soros Fund Management. From 2006-2014, Michael founded and managed the New York office of Canyon Capital Advisors, a $23B multi-strategy hedge fund based in Los Angeles, CA, where he established their global macro strategies, managing in excess of $5B of exposure across equity, credit, FX, commodity and derivative markets.

In addition to his work as a market theorist and portfolio manager, Michael has been noted for his work as a public speaker and financial media participant. He is a graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a CFA holder.

 

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Introducing MCM Wealth’s Principal Owners: Geoff Hakim and Bob Hoyt

Introducing MCM Wealth’s Principal Owners: Geoff Hakim and Bob Hoyt

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Did you know that the average person spends more time planning their vacation than they do planning for retirement? 

That’s why it’s important to have financial advisors who can help you understand your investment options and create a solid plan for your future.

In this episode, Geoff Hakim and Robert Hoyt introduce themselves as MCM Wealth’s Principals and share their most significant lessons in investing. Plus, they provide an overview of their experience in the industry, and discuss MCM’s investment program and how it helps their clients.

Join the conversation as Geoff and Bob discuss: 

  • Their previous industry experiences and current roles at MCM Wealth
  • How Bob integrates his background in psychology to help understand clients better
  • The most significant lessons they’ve learned about investing 
  • Traits of a successful business owner and what makes for a good financial advisor 
  • And more

Resources:

Connect with Geoff Hakim, CFP®: 

Connect with Bob Hoyt, Ph.D.:

About Geoff Hakim:

Geoffrey Hakim is the Founder, Principal, and CEO of MCM Wealth. He sits on the Investment Committees for both MCM Wealth and AMP l and is the firm’s chief marketing officer.

Mr. Hakim has 40+ years of experience in investments, finance, and real estate. He founded MCM Wealth in 1997, began utilizing alternative investments for clients in 2000, and is the firm’s leader and visionary. Mr. Hakim’s former work included Merrill Lynch and a Marin County boutique wealth manager. Before moving from Boston to San Francisco in 1990, Mr. Hakim spent 14 years working in Boston’s downtown office space market where he was co-owner of both a commercial brokerage firm and founder of a development firm.

Mr. Hakim earned his CFP in 2001 through UC Berkeley and attended the University of Massachusetts, Wentworth Institute, and Boston Architectural College.

About Bob Hoyt:

Dr. Hoyt is Principal and President of MCM Wealth and chairs the Investment Committees for both MCM Wealth and the AMP I Fund. Dr. Hoyt began his career practicing clinical psychology while serving as an Adjunct Professor at Mount Sinai medical school. He then worked within his family’s industrial distribution business, eventually becoming CEO and ultimately taking his business public. He became CIO of his own family office in 2000. In 2004, he also became a partner and a member of the Investment Committee of a hedge fund that made private placements in public securities (PIPES). In 2014, he founded Blue Hall Wealth Advisors. In 2021, after years of sharing ideas and collaborating on projects with Geoffrey Hakim, he joined Marin Capital Management. (Mr. Hoyt is also an investment advisory representative.) Robert received his B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, a master’s degree from Northwestern University, and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Yeshiva University.

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Market Volatility with Rick Kennedy, DDS

Market Volatility with Rick Kennedy, DDS

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From fillings to fluctuations, Rick Kennedy’s investment journey through the foggy markets of real estate and beyond comes to light in this inaugural episode. Hear how MCM Wealth helped him weather the storm and gain peace of mind in today’s volatile market.

Listen as Rick shares:

  • What led him to a career in dentistry
  • How and when he started investing
  • How the market plunge in 2008 changed his relationship with money
  • MCM’s role in giving him peace of mind during market volatility
  • And more

Connect with Geoff Hakim: 

Connect with Rick Kennedy:

About Our Guest: 

Rick Kennedy is a dental professional and MCM Wealth client. His dream of becoming a dentist since high school was inspired by a mission to make dental visits a little less painful than his own childhood experiences. Luckily, Rick’s investment journey hasn’t been as painful thanks to MCM Wealth’s guidance through the ups and downs of market volatility.