Ep.31 How Investment Professionals Think About Risk, Returns, and Staying the Course

In this episode of Juggling Mind and Money, Steve sits down with Laurentius van den Worm, Head of Investment Strategy at Timeline Portfolios, for a candid conversation about how sensible portfolios are built, why markets test people’s patience, and what to do when your instincts start shouting louder than your plan.  

Rather than chasing predictions, they focus on process: why a rules-based approach exists in the first place, how “factors” like value and smaller companies fit into long-term investing, and why the hardest part of financial planning often has nothing to do with spreadsheets and everything to do with human behaviour.  

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What you’ll take away
 
• A plain-English explanation of value investing (using a simple property analogy you won’t forget).  
 
• Why some portfolios deliberately tilt towards smaller and cheaper companies, and how profitability can help avoid obvious traps.  
 
• The real-world issue with momentum strategies: why they can look brilliant on paper… and messy in practice.  
 
• A clear discussion on the “Magnificent Seven”: why they’ve dominated headlines, what concentration risk actually means, and why extreme reactions (either way) can be costly.  
 
• A practical, planner-friendly way to handle clients who want to sell out and “buy back in later” when markets feel nervy.  
 
• How currency moves can change what UK investors experience, and why currency risk is treated differently across growth assets vs defensive assets. 

If you want a clearer, more grounded way to think about portfolio construction, market leadership, and investor behaviour, this episode is well worth your time. Watch or listen now, and if you find it useful, subscribe/follow so you do not miss the next one.