First Trust ROI Podcast
On the ROI podcast, we discuss some of the most important questions facing investment professionals today, ranging from macroeconomic views, to perspectives on the equity and fixed income markets, to insights on practice management. We aim to cut through the noise, examine the data, and provide fresh insights to investment professionals as they help their clients find better ways to invest…seeking to generate attractive returns on their investments.
Episodes
60 episodes
Ep 60 | Kevin Bishopp | Is AI a Friend or Foe to Financial Advisors? | ROI Podcast
Will AI replace—or empower—financial advisors? Performance coach Kevin Bishopp shares how financial professionals are already leveraging AI tools, potential risks ahead, and new opportunities to thrive in an AI era.
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Season 1
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Episode 60
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43:41
Ep 59 | Strider Elass | What Moved the Needle for the US Economy in 2025? | ROI Podcast
Strider Elass, Senior Economist at First Trust, joins the ROI Podcast to discuss tariff turbulence, DOGE’s spending purge, AI’s productivity potential, and what drove (and dragged) the US economy in 2025.
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Season 1
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Episode 59
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48:42
Ep 58 | Bob Carey | The Tug of War Between FOMO and Fear | ROI Podcast
Bob Carey discusses some of the biggest questions on the minds of financial professionals heading into the final stretch of 2025, including whether or not investors should be afraid of higher equity valuations.
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Season 1
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Episode 58
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38:30
Ep 57 | Bill Housey & John Wilhelm | Overlooked Opportunities in Tax-free Bonds | ROI Podcast
In the wake of underperforming municipal bonds this year, portfolio managers Bill Housey and John Wilhelm of First Trust highlight why they believe fresh opportunities for tax-free investors have emerged.
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Season 1
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Episode 57
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47:27
Ep 56 | Josh Volen | Finding an Edge in Commercial Real Estate | ROI Podcast
Josh Volen, co-founder and managing principal at CIRE Equity, joins the podcast to discuss trends in commercial real estate investing as urban populations shift, hybrid work environments evolve, and industries adapt to changes in global trade.
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Season 1
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Episode 56
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30:49
Ep 55 | Dave McGarel | Reassessing the Reality of a Re-Rating Rally. | ROI Podcast
Dave McGarel discusses potential winners and losers in the equity market as the Federal Reserve embarks on a new interest rate cutting cycle.
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Season 1
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Episode 55
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34:58
Ep 54 | Brian Wesbury | It’s a Topsy-Turvy World | ROI Podcast
Brian Wesbury discusses Fed independence, inflationary fears, the growth of government, and whether the broader economic benefits of AI adoption will materialize.
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Season 1
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Episode 54
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49:40
Ep 53 | Brian Comiskey | How are Technologies Evolving into Digital Utilities?| ROI Podcast
Brian Comiskey, Senior Director of Innovation and Trends at the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), explores how emerging technologies—including cybersecurity, AI, robotics, and cloud computing—are evolving into digital utilities, with impor...
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Season 1
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Episode 53
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38:59
Ep 52 | Bob Stein | Midterms to Tariffs: Economic Trends and Election Predictions | ROI Podcast
Bob Stein breaks down 2028 presidential contenders, 2026 midterm odds, Trump’s fiscal agenda, tariffs’ impact, and the economic forces shaping America’s political and financial future.
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Season 1
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Episode 52
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41:38
Ep 51 | Jeff Chang | Addressing Bitcoin and Volatility | ROI Podcast
In this episode Jeff Chang breaks down the virtues and risks of Bitcoin, highlighting Bitcoin-linked tools and strategies that aim to generate income and mitigate downside risk.
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Season 1
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Episode 51
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24:49
Ep 50 | Jim Murchie | New Developments in the Race for More Electricity | ROI Podcast
Jim Murchie explains recent developments in the energy sector, including growing, bipartisan demand for nuclear power and why the non-cyclical energy industry is “an island in a sea of chaos”.
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Season 1
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Episode 50
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54:48
Ep 49 | Brian Wesbury | Unconventional Wisdom on Tariffs, Taxes, and the Fed | ROI Podcast
Brian Wesbury discusses why the conventional wisdom about tariffs and inflation is wrong, how the Fed can save taxpayers $2 trillion over the next decade, and the positives and negatives of the Big, Beautiful Bill.
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Season 1
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Episode 49
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41:45
Ep 48 | Richard Bernstein | Where to Invest When Certainty is Scarce | ROI Podcast
Richard Bernstein draws on over four decades of investment experience to offer insights on how to navigate risks and opportunities amid soaring economic uncertainty and market volatility.
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Season 1
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Episode 48
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33:00
Ep 47 | Bob Carey | Cataracts and Cadillacs…Unpacking Equity Market Trends | ROI Podcast
Bob Carey discusses his long-term outlook for equity markets as the baby boom generation ages. He also weighs in on potential near-term drivers of equity market performance, including tariffs, regulations, and the “one big, beautiful bill...
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Season 1
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Episode 47
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37:27
Ep 46 | Ron Pernick | Power and Infrastructure: Beyond the Political Narratives | ROI Podcast
Ron Pernick is the founder of Clean Edge, a firm specializing in thematic research surrounding clean energy, transportation, water, and the power grid. In this episode, we discuss the evolution of these themes and how a new administration...
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Season 1
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Episode 46
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38:32
Ep 45 | Brian Wesbury | Trading Quarter-Zips for Farmland | ROI Podcast
Brian Wesbury shares his views on why the Trump Administration is upending global trade, why tariffs may be an insufficient cure for problems created by big government, and where the US economy is headed for the rest of 2025.
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Season 1
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Episode 45
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59:00
Ep 44 | Bob Stein | Tariffs, Taxes, and Trade: Decoding the New Administration | ROI Podcast
Bob Stein provides perspective on likely economic outcomes that may result from the evolving policy mix of the new Trump Administration. Plus…Bob shares an early peak at potential contenders for the 2028 US Presidential election.
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Season 1
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Episode 44
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45:55
Ep 43 | Bill Housey | Separating the Signal from the Noise in the Bond Market | ROI Podcast
Bill Housey explores how fixed income investors can navigate rising uncertainty—from trade policies to inflation and beyond—in this deep dive into the bond market’s shifting dynamics.
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Season 1
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Episode 43
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34:43
Ep 42 | Dave McGarel | Down but Not Out: New Opportunities Emerge as Equity Markets Broaden | ROI Podcast
Amid a sharp drawdown in US equities, Dave McGarel highlights the risks and opportunities that may lie on the horizon.
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Season 1
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Episode 42
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33:04
Ep 41 | Gibson Smith | Actively Managing Through Uncertain Times | ROI Podcast
Gibson Smith, founder and CEO of Smith Capital, discusses some of the unique challenges—and opportunities—facing fixed income investors today.
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Season 1
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Episode 41
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35:01
Ep 40 | Jim Murchie | Who Benefits from the Growing Power Demands of AI, Reshoring, and EVs? | ROI Podcast
Electricity demand is poised to soar after decades of slow growth, driven by AI, reshoring, and EVs. Jim Murchie, CEO and portfolio manager at Energy Income Partners, unpacks how natural gas, nuclear power, and renewables will fuel this s...
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Season 1
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Episode 40
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1:01:21
Ep 39 | Brian Wesbury | Why Government Spending Cuts May Cause Short-Term Pain, But Long-Term Prosperity | ROI Podcast
Brian Wesbury explains why cutting government spending could be painful in the near-term but boost longer-term economic growth, similarities and difference between Trump and Reagan, and how he thinks about investing in an overvalued market.
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Season 1
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Episode 39
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47:52
Ep 38 | Mandeep Singh | What’s Next for Artificial Intelligence? | ROI Podcast
Mandeep Singh, Global Head of Technology Research at Bloomberg Intelligence, joins the podcast to explore how massive investments in artificial intelligence made over the past few years could drive future innovations and profits. From humanoid ...
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Season 1
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Episode 38
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39:34
Ep 37 | Ryan Issakainen | Ripple Effects & Second Order Investment Opportunities Arising from AI | ROI Podcast
Companies are investing billions to build out artificial intelligence capabilities. Ryan shares First Trust’s perspective on various investment themes that may benefit—either directly or indirectly—in the years ahead.
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Season 1
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Episode 37
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24:37
Ep 36 | Paul Black and Mike Trigg | Why Culture Matters When Seeking to “Defy the Fade” for International Equities | ROI Podcast
Paul Black and Mike Trigg are portfolio managers and co-CEOs at WCM Investment Management. They join the podcast to discuss WCM’s unique path to becoming a leading global equity manager, highlighting WCM’s unconventional approach for iden...
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Season 1
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Episode 36
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57:35