Rule Breaker Investing

How David Beats Goliath

22 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week we look at Malcolm Gladwell’s 2009 New Yorker article, “How David Beats Goliath” and extract three inspiring investing lessons. Gladwe...

Deborah Meier’s Habits of Mind

15 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Often the best way to improve our investing is to improve our thinking. And to improve our thinking, it’s often helpful to reach outside of the disc...

Gotta Know The Lingo

08 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

From the earliest days of The Motley Fool, our mission has been to "Educate, Amuse & Enrich." Today we double-down on the "Educate" with an exploratio...

Mental Tips, Tricks & Lifehacks, Vol. 3

01 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Today we present a third installment of tips, tricks and lifehacks—to help you be a better you. Find a hidden superpower in your Kindle app, improve...

February Mailbag: Recipes for Resilience

22 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

February may be a short month, but our mailbag is as full as ever, overflowing with great questions and comments from you, our dear listener. Today we...

5 Stocks The World Needs Right Now

15 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In a world of “fake news” and “alternative facts,” the political climate seems ever more chaotic and unpredictable. But as investors, by defin...

Looking Back: Last Year's Bear Market Picks

08 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This time last year, David picked “5 Stocks to Feed the Bear,” highlighting 5 smaller companies with low risk ratings. Though these were meant as ...

Campfire Stories, Vol. 2: The Early Days

01 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

After last year's Portrait of the Investor as a Young Man, David goes even further back, seeking insights and investing lessons from his early youth. ...

January Mailbag, Plus: Your "Don't Make Me Think" Stocks

25 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

There are plenty of riches in this month's mailbag, including your thoughts on David's biggest losers, how to score your "Golden Ticket" to FoolFest, ...

Great Stocks Don't Make You Think!

18 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In March of 2008, David had just read a wonderful book on information architecture and website design by Steve Krug, entitled. "Don't Make Me Think." ...

David's Biggest Losers, Vol. 2

11 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Last year around this time we released a two-part podcast entitled David's Biggest Losers. Let's make that a tradition here and talk about another hal...

Great Quotes Vol. 5: A Fool To Make You Merry

04 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Happy New Year! In 2017, as always, we predict that the market will go up. But these great quotes will help you face the coming market, regardless of ...

December Mailbag: Market Highs & Tight Shorts

28 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In this final mailbag of 2016 we answer your questions about picking stocks when the market is at all-time highs, what to do when "buy what you know" ...

Why We Invest – Plus, Jack Bogle Interview

21 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Our newly founded Holiday Tradition here at Rule Breaker Investing is a re-reading of David’s 2010 essay entitled Why We Invest. But first, as speci...

Love Letter To Jack Bogle

14 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

December is a month of gratitude here at Rule Breaker Investing. With that in mind, we’re spending today’s episode talking about and, more importa...

5 Stocks To Put Under The Tree

07 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

As the holidays approach, you may be looking for an extra special present for the children in your life. For the gift that truly keeps on giving, toda...

Entrepreneur Month Extra: 10 Commandments of Entrepreneurship with Guy Kawasaki

03 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Guy Kawasaki is currently the Chief Evangelist of Canva, an online tool with the mantra of democratizing graphic design. But his resume goes much deep...

November Mailbag: Investing in the Great Recession

30 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Uh oh, it's both mailbag day and the close of November's Entrepreneur Month. How can we possibly do both? I guess it's time for another RBI Extra epis...

Entrepreneur Month Extra: Getting Things Done Primer With David Allen

26 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

As a professional, at any given time, you probably have 150-220 action items and 30-100 projects on your plate. That’s a lot – in fact too much –...

Entrepreneur Month: Organize Your Business With David Allen

23 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

David Allen did not set out to become a productivity guru, but with the release of his book, Getting Things Done, in 2001, he became just that. You ma...

Entrepreneur Month: The Power of Hospitality with Danny Meyer

16 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Danny Meyer is famous for opening more than a dozen highly successful New York restaurants. And those restaurants – from Union Square Café to Shake...

Entrepreneur Month: Tom Gardner's Tips For Business Owners

09 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Today it's David's brother Tom in the spotlight! Not only is Tom a fellow co-founder of The Motley Fool, he's also made it his life's passion to study...

Entrepreneur Month: How to Succeed on Kickstarter

02 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

We hereby declare November Entrepreneur Month here at RBI! First up: Stonemaier co-founder Jamey Stegmaier is known as a master of the Kickstarter cro...

October Mailbag: USA Core Values

26 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

It’s the end of another month, and here at RBI, that means mailbag! We touch on the new Fool School, the Cubs’ run for the World Series, and then ...

Non-Political Pre-Election Special

19 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

After a few years of brutal campaigning, the U.S. presidential election is upon us! Always the Rule Breaker, David’s take on politics is decidedly n...

Mental Tips, Tricks & Lifehacks, Vol. 2

12 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Today we return to the subject of mental tips and tricks, and a few Lifehacks to boot. Get things done in two minutes, win a drink at ro-sham-bo, and...

Financial Literacy: Interview with Dr. Annamaria Lusardi

05 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The Motley Fool has long been an advocate of financial literacy in our schools. Crazy talk, right? Today, David has the pleasure of hosting one of the...

Extra: Interview with Candice Millard, Bestselling Author and Honorary Fool

01 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

When one of your favorite authors stops by the office, a 10-minute interview just won't do! Lucky for us, Candice Millard was generous with her time h...

Foolish Heroes: Interview With Author Candice Millard — Plus: September Mailbag

28 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Candice Millard is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The River of Doubt and Destiny of the Republic, which David has praised in earlier epi...

A Portrait Of The Investor As A Young Man

21 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Ah, the Folly of youth! Today David takes a tour of some of his earliest investments, from mistakes to multi-baggers. Find out which companies went...

When Robots Rule The Earth

14 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In a century or so, humans might be able to scan our brains and run emulations or "ems" on futuristic supercomputers. That means conscious, digital mi...

5 Low-Risk Stocks For The Next Year

07 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A year ago, here on the Rule Breaker Investing Podcast, David picked 5 Stocks For The Next 5 Years. Today we check in on those companies, because we’...

JCOC Part 2: Lessons From Our Military Leaders

31 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

What your business can learn from the US Military, why America will keep on winning, how to conduct a public Q&A session, and other learnings from Dav...

JCOC Part 1: A Visit With Our Armed Forces

24 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Today David inspects an F-35, fires an M-16, overlooks combat operations, flies in a Blackhawk helicopter, and lands on an aircraft carrier. Has he ...

Great Quotes Vol. 4: Lessons From Past & Present

17 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In this fourth installment of RBI's "Great Quotes" series, we're digging into the past with words of wisdom from philosophers and founders, and then j...

Lessons From A Great Business

10 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In 1998, Tom & David made an appearance on ABC's The View and recommended a company for investment. Six weeks later, they were invited back to explain...

"I Own The Water:" A Fool's Brush With Donald Trump

03 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In 1997 The Motley Fool publicly shorted Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts (DJT). In 1999, after the stock had dropped significantly, David got a cal...

July Mailbag: Should The Motley Fool Go Public?

27 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Should you buy in thirds or set limit orders? What's the big deal about Pokemon Go? Why would anyone ever own a bond with a negative interest rate? An...

Pet Peeves & Other "Cool Stuff"

20 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

State lotteries, disclaimers, and soaps that don’t lather… From the sublime to the ridiculous, David shares his list of pet peeves. Learn more abo...

The Brexit Inspired Stock List

13 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Five companies that we like over the next 3 years - all inspired by The United Kingdom's recent move to withdraw from the European Union.   Learn mor...

Investing Lessons From An 8 Year Old Gardner

06 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Motley Fool CAPS (caps.fool.com) is a free service you can use to test your stock-picking prowess. You don’t have to risk any money in the market, b...

June Mailbag: Is Diversification Overrated? Should You Be Picking Stocks? Do You Have a Buy Discipline?

29 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Are you cut out to pick stocks or should you stick to index funds? Should your first thought be your final thought? Is what to buy when to sell? All ...

Extra: Interview with Rob Daviau, Rule Breaking Game Designer

25 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A few minutes with Rob Daviau in last week's podcast was simply not enough! In today's extended interview, David digs deeper into Daviau's disruptive ...

5 Board Games That Will Make You A Better Investor

22 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

What's more exciting than the next hot IPO? The release of the next blockbuster board game, of course! Today we delve deep into David’s greatest obs...

Mental Tips And Tricks

15 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Today David wants you to stay sharp with these simple life hacks. Tweak your thinking just a bit and soon you will be winning bar bets, giving great t...

Great Quotes Vol. 3: Lessons from Buffett

08 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In this third installment of RBI's "Great Quotes" series, we're going all Buffett all the time! What is the market really for? Do we need to watch ou...

Campfire Stories Vol. 1: What is Better Than The Big Idea?

01 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Gather around our campfire for some stories about long-term thinking, investing in people, and the biology of business. Also, monkeys! Learn more abou...

May Mailbag: When to Add to Winners, Movie Villain Clichés, Short Selling, and More

25 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Should you add a new stock to your portfolio or double down on one of your winners? Why are corporations always the evil villains in the movies? Shoul...

How To Spot A Potential Buyout

18 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Today David looks at 4 potential buyout scenarios, and names 3 stocks in each that—for better or worse—look ripe for the picking. While it's fun ...

10 More Traits of a Great Company Culture

11 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Kara Chambers and Lee Burbage are “Resources for Humans” here at The Motley Fool. Today David brings them back to the show to discuss some incredi...

Five Winners in a Thinking World

04 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Today we present five stocks that are poised to win in the information economy – or as David puts it, the thinking economy. Tomorrow’s leading ent...

April Mailbag: Portfolio Management, Business vs. Stock Performance, and More

27 Apr 2016

Contributed by Lukas

How to manage a Rule Breaker portfolio, why a company's performance matters more than its stock's, thoughts on company buy backs, and more. Plus, w...

What The Top 3 Stocks of 2015 Have In Common

20 Apr 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Investing is about looking forward, not back, but we can always learn by examining our winners. Last year’s top 3 stocks in the S&P 500 were Netflix...

How Sports-Talk Radio Makes You a Better Investor (Part 2 of 2)

13 Apr 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Wrapping up this two-part series on investing through the lens of sports, David presents five examples of misguided thinking that are frequently repea...

How Sports-Talk Radio Makes You a Better Investor (Part 1 of 2)

06 Apr 2016

Contributed by Lukas

March brought us the Madness of college basketball, and April, opening day for Major League Baseball. In this two-part series, David describes his lov...

March Mailbag

30 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

As always, the last show of the month is mailbag time! Today David answers your questions about risk ratings, conscious capitalism, and when to sell s...

Great Quotes, Vol. 2

23 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Investing books are all well and good, but life offers myriad sources of more inspiring material. Today David turns to gurus and geeks to find investi...

Calculating Risk Foolishly: CRI vs. VA (3/3)

16 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

It's week 3 of Risk Month here at the RBI Podcast, and today we wrap up with points #21 - #25 of our risk scoring system. With these final questions w...

Calculating Risk Foolishly: CRI vs. VA (2/3)

09 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

March is Risk Month here at the RBI Podcast, and today we continue with points #11 - #20 of our quantitative investment risk scoring system. The comp...

Calculating Risk Foolishly: CRI vs. VA (1/3)

02 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

As promised, March is Risk Month here at the RBI Podcast, and today David lays out the structure of his unique 25-point system for quantifying the ris...

February Mailbag

24 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The last Wednesday of the month means it's mailbag time! David answers your questions about how to avoid watering weeds, why adding to winners is the ...

Dark Clouds I Can See Through

17 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

How do you spot Amazon in 1997? Or Starbucks in 1998? How do you know to double down on Netflix in 2004? Today David looks at how we can see the light...

5 Stocks to Feed the Bear

10 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

We don't believe in timing the market, but we do believe in taking advantage of a market drop to buy long-term positions in stellar companies. Today D...

The Language of Investing

03 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The words we choose when we talk about investing reveal a lot about our thoughts, biases, and motivations. This week, a little rant on diction, etymol...

January Mailbag

27 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

It's the month-end mailbag episode! David Gardner answers questions about hating through inheritance, beating the efficient market, what Star Wars mea...

The YODA Method of Measuring Management

20 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Not to be mistaken for Luke Skywalker's little green guru, YODA is a helpful mnemonic for some (though not all) of the key traits that David likes to ...

New Year’s Resolution: Get Invested! And Ignore the Market Drop

13 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

If your New Year’s Resolution for 2016 was to get into the stock market, you might be worried that you made the wrong move. Fear not! A little histo...

Focus

06 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

As Rule Breaking investors, we often focus on things that others miss. David shares what he'll be focusing on in 2016, and invites you to share your f...

December Mailbag

30 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Maintaining our new end-of-month tradition, David Gardner answers listeners’ investing questions submitted on Twitter (@RBIPodcast). Learn more abou...

Why We Invest

23 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

We work hard for our money. Why would we forfeit the enjoyment and utility of using this capital now? As investors, we forgo the instant gratification...

Great Quotes, Vol. 1

16 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Cyberpunks, Dead Heads, Fools… not all of the best investing ideas come from business books. Today David shares some of the most inspiring quotes he...

Styleboxing

09 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Frameworks – especially those that can be explained in a matrix – are common in investing, but what should rule-breaking investors think about the...

10 Traits of a Great Company Culture

02 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wondered how companies create a great company culture -- and how The Motley Fool has created and sustains an award-winning culture of it...

November Mailbag

25 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Mixing it up this holiday week, David Gardner answers listeners’ investing questions that were submitted on Twitter (@RBIPodcast). Learn more about ...

Meet the World’s Worst Investor

18 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

We all feel like the world's worst investor sometimes. David coaches on how to handle yourself - and your portfolio - when the market is down and your...

5 Lesser-Known Rule Breakers

11 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

You’ve heard about Netflix – but what about Middleby? David Gardner talks about MIDD and four other lesser-known – but compelling – companies....

A Rule Breaker's Special Sauce

04 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

David Gardner shares three principles he uses when evaluating potential rule-breaking investments -- plus several principles from our listeners. Learn...

Seven Principles for All True Investors

28 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

David Gardner explains seven Foolish principles that investors can use to guide how they invest – and introduces a challenge for listeners. Learn mo...

The Businesses That Win

21 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

There are five important qualities that all great businesses share. David Gardner unpacks these traits and how both investors and entrepreneurs can us...

What Is The Hype Cycle?

14 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

You’ve probably heard of the Hype Cycle. But what is it, and how does it apply to long-term investing? David Gardner explains. Learn more about your...

How Investors Should Think About Thinking

07 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Investing is as much about psychology and intellect as it is reading financial statements. David describes three kinds of thinking that investors can ...

5 Ways to Think About Investing in a Kurzweilian World

30 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

How do you invest in a world that is changing faster than ever before? David Gardner shares five insights into how rapid innovation impacts investing....

Extra! Periscope Live Event Next Week

24 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Just a quick announcement that David will be hosting a live Q&A on Periscope on Tuesday at 12:30 ET. Download the Periscope app and tune in to our cha...

The Tale of Spiffy Pop: Baidu and Netflix

23 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

A spiffy pop is a beautiful thing. David Gardner explains the roots of this very Foolish term – and why only long-term investors usually experience ...

Of Killers & Kings: What Netflix Gets That Most Investors Don't

16 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Is content king? Is the Kindle an iPad killer? Binary thinking like this is easy to fall into, but it can hold you back as an investor. Learn more abo...

Netflix, Amazon, and the Future

09 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

You can’t predict the future of the stock market, but you can try to find businesses that have many possible futures. David Gardner shares four trai...

5 Stocks for the Next 5 Years

02 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In the midst of market turmoil, renowned investor David Gardner looks past the near term to 5 stocks he favors as market-beaters over the long term. L...

Coping with a Volatile Market

26 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

David offers 4 rules-of-thumb to help you keep your head in a volatile market. And a couple of bonus tips to help you win bets at the ballgame! Learn...

David's Biggest Losers - Part 2

19 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Wrapping up this two-part series on losers, David explores the lessons we should -- and shouldn't -- learn from investing mistakes. Learn more about y...

David's Biggest Losers - Part 1

12 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In Part 1 of this two-part series, David shares his five biggest losers. (And next week, he’ll talk about what we can learn from them.) Learn more a...

The Greatest Investing Secret of All

05 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

The greatest investing secret of all is simpler than you might think. David takes us back in time to a formative event in his investing career and sha...

The Top 5 Stocks of the Past 10 Years

29 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

The top 5 performing stocks of the past 10 years are all Rule Breakers. David takes a deeper dive into these all-star Rule Breakers. Learn more about ...

Buy What You Like - And What the Financial Media Doesn't

22 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Companies with strong customer appeal that are, paradoxically, perceived to be "overvalued" by the financial media are often Rule Breakers in the maki...

Buy High?

15 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

'Buy low, sell high,' huh? Maybe not! Revealing two more key Rule Breaker traits, David takes down this classic piece of conventional wisdom. Learn mo...

What Makes Starbucks, Ambarella, and Netflix Different

08 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Top dogs with great management and more – David shares the six key traits that define Rule Breaker companies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...

Are You a Rule Breaker?

08 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Go against the conventional wisdom – buy a stock directly, and buy it to hold. David explains the importance of these actions and how anyone can be ...

Finding the Lead Husky

08 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Baidu and Salesforce.com both share a key trait: the top dogs in emerging industries. David explains why this, coupled with a sustainable advantage, i...