18 - Greg Canavan on COVID, Life at Zero and a look at the Australian economy in 2021

In this week’s episode of the Bonner Private Research podcast, I’m joined by Greg Canavan, author and editor in chief Greg Canavan’s Investment Advisory. I recently catched up with Greg to talk about all things COVID-related. We also took a deep dive into surviving and thriving in what Greg calls “Life at Zero”, referring to the real interest rate environment, and what that spells for investors. Plus we unpacked some key themes from his recently-released book You, Your Brain and the Stock Market, in which Greg draws on some lessons from the stoics, among others, in learning to master your own emotions during a time of record breaking stock markets. So join me for this week's conversation with Greg Canavan, up next. Bullet Points 00:50 - The different approaches to the pandemic 05:24 - Introducing Greg Canavan 07:24 - The Canavan COVID Caravan: Greg’s family gets outta dodge under tightening pandemic lockdowns 09:15 - Victoria’s COVID response: The Andrews government loses control… and turns to fear, intimidation and violence 14:29 - The Australian government debunks the old trope “it could never happen here.” 15:24 - The mainstream media and the great fear machine... a lesson in tuning out 17:44 - Sober debate and reasoned discussion as a bedrock for civilized societies 20:05 - Are we suffering from collective Post-COVID Stress Disorder? 23:32 - Over the top responses reflect total incompetence or dictatorial impulses 24:16 - Australia’s financial response to COVID and what it means for markets Down Under 26:01 - A sector-by-sector look at the Australian economy in 2021 27:42 - Unemployment benefits and the incentive not to work 28:30 - A look at world debt under the COVID cloud 30:20 - Greg Canavan’s “Life at Zero” and how to preserve your own hard-earned 31:37 - The dangers of rampant speculation in the time of “free” money 32:21 - Australia’s advantage as an “old-school” primary market 33:17 - The art of value hunting in a frothy market 35:25 - The case for “real assets” as an escape hatch for devaluing currencies 37:03 - Find the unpopular that is destined to become popular 39:26 - You, Your Brain and the Stock Market - A sneak peak at Greg’s new book on the psychology of successful investing 40:45 - Using your brain’s evolution to navigate the market’s emotional rollercoaster 41:50 - Riding the golden wave and the danger of succumbing to confirmation bias 43:29 - The stock market as psychologist - lessons from a seasoned investor