Motley Fool Podcasts

Think you know how Social Security calculates your benefit? Chances are, you're missing at least one piece of the puzzle. Host Robert Brokamp takes a listener’s real-world question and turns it into a clear, step-by-step guide to how your benefit is actually built. Key concepts discussed:-The “35 highest-earning years” rule—demystified: How Social Security treats your top earning years, wage inflation adjustments, and what “zero years” can do to your average.-AIME, bend points, and PIA: The three core building blocks of your benefit and why the formula is designed to replace a higher share of income for lower earners.-Claiming strategy matters more than you think: How taking benefits early vs. waiting (up to age 70) permanently changes your payout—and why family benefits (spousal/survivor) should be part of the decision.-How to estimate your benefit with better tools: Where the Social Security statement can mislead (especially if income will drop later), plus the best calculators and resources to model realistic future earnings and claiming ages.Host: Robert Brokamp, CFP®, EAEngineer: Bart Shannon and Kristi Waterworth

Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement.

We’re committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode.

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Demand for AI is exploding and two companies – OpenAI and Anthropic – are driving the industry forward. Everything from hyperscalers to neoclouds to memory stocks are hanging on the demand for tokens they need. We discuss that demand, how debt got involved, and what could go wrong. Plus, what sports franchise would you buy?Travis Hoium, Lou Whiteman, and Jason Moser discuss:- AI IPO Setup- Insatiable Demand- Debt Gets Involved- Restaurant Recovery?- Buying a Franchise- Radar StocksCompanies discussed: Quantum Computing (QUBT), Firefly (FLY), Alphabet (GOOG), Amazon (AMZN), SpaceX (SPCX).Host: Travis HoiumGuests: Lou Whiteman, Jason MoserEngineer: Bart ShannonAdvertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement.
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Both Cisco Systems and Cerebras earnings reports showed two companies with bulging order books, but even that couldn’t satiate the markets appetite. Jon, Matt, and Tyler break down their respective earnings reports and look at some of the major challenges these companies will face and the challenges they present to investors. Plus, a lightning round of earnings reports on our favorite under-the-radar stocks.Have a question? Email us; [email protected]

Tyler Crowe, Matt Frankel, and Jon Quast discuss:

Cisco earnings. Strong hardware, weak software

Cerebras, making sense of its confusing earnings

Can innovations like Cerebras threaten the AI incumbants?

Hidden Gems earnings lightning round

Companies discussed: CSCO, ANET, DELL, CRBS, NVDA, XMTR, MQ, TBBBHost: Tyler CroweGuests: Matt Frankel, Jon QuastEngineer: Bart Shannon

Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement.

We’re committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode.

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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The AI buildout has one big beneficiary today and that’s neoclouds Coreweave and Nebius. These companies buy and rent out GPUs for AI and they’re seing incredible demand for the assets they’re building. We discuss the short-term demand and where these stocks face risks long-term. Plus, we discuss Cava’s results and what inflation is telling us.Travis Hoium, Tyler Crowe, and Rachel Warren discuss:- Coreweave’s Results- Neocloud Financing- Cava’s Traffic Growth- Why Restaurants Are Hard- Inflation Eases- Energy’s Impact PricesCompanies discussed: Coreweave (CRWV), Nebius (NBIS), Cava (CAVA).Host: Travis HoiumGuests: Tyler Crowe, Rachel WarrenEngineer: Kristi Waterworth

Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, "TMF") do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement.

We’re committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠
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Artificial intelligence may feel suddenly everywhere, but AI pioneer Vasant Dhar has had a front-row seat for more than four decades—teaching AI, building companies around it, and bringing machine learning to Wall Street long before ChatGPT entered the conversation.

For the second week of Authors in August, David sits down with Dhar to ask not merely what machines can do, but how humans can think with them. When should we trust AI? When does it sharpen our thinking—and when does it make our brains lazy? If intelligence itself is becoming a commodity, where will tomorrow’s value be created? And in a future where machines become extraordinarily capable, what are humans for?A conversation about AI, investing, trust, judgment, and our increasingly intelligent future.

The Damodaran Bot is available for public use at: damodaranbot.com

Vasant's monthly newsletter can be found at: vasantdhar.substack.com

Host: David GardnerGuest: Vasant DharProducer: Bart Shannon
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Whenever RocketLab reports earnings these days, investors and analysts are far more interested in Neutron rocket updates than anything else. No wonder it was the most discussed topic on the conference call. Travis, Matt, and Tyler dissect Rocketlab’s earnings and opportunities in the space economy. Plus, ON Holdings decides to prioritize margins, and eVTOL companies Archer Aviation & Joby Aviation try to one up each other.

Have a question? Email us; [email protected]

Tyler Crowe, Travis Hoium, and Matt Frankel discuss:

- RocketLab’s earnings and the Neutron schedule- Investing opportunities in the space economy- On Holdings earnings- The give and take of DTC sales for retailers- eVTOL acquisitions

Companies discussed: RKLB, ONON, NKE, UA, ACHR, JOBY, BA

Host: Tyler CroweGuests: Travis Hoium, Matt FrankelEngineer: Kristi Waterworth

Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, "TMF") do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement.

We’re committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Lost in the commotion of earnings season, Cloudflare co-founder and CEO Matthew Prince made an extraordinary claim about how internet traffic is changing at an exponential rate, motivating Jon to ask Matt and Tyler to dissect the news and look for investment opportunities. The trio also discusses the latest news in the mining industry as well as Intel’s latest equity sale.

Jon Quast, Matt Frankel, and Tyler Crowe discuss:

-Agentic AI internet traffic surpassing human traffic-The investment opportunities if agentic traffic increases exponentially-The government’s investment in mining education-Whether there are buying opportunities for mining stocks-Why Intel is raising cash

Companies discussed: Cloudflare (NET), GE Vernova (GEV), Quanta Services (PWR), Intel (INTC), Alphabet (GOOG)(GOOGL), Oracle (ORCL)

Host: Jon QuastGuests: Matt Frankel, Tyler CroweEngineer: Kristi Waterworth

Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, "TMF") do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement.

We’re committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode.

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By 2030, cyber fraud is projected to cause $15.6 trillion in damage — enough to make it the third largest economy in the world. So how does the company processing 180 billion transactions a year stay ahead of it? Motley Fool CEO Tom Gardner sits down with Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach on the day of Mastercard's second quarter earnings to break down how the world's most powerful payment network actually works, why cybersecurity has become Mastercard's fastest growing business, and what the rise of stablecoins really means for everyday investors — threat or opportunity. 

Host: Tom Gardner

Guest: Michael Miebach

Producers: Bart Shannon, Lauren Budabin

Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement.

We’re committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode.

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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

That vacation, RV, or home renovation you're planning in retirement might cost a lot more than the price tag suggests. One extra withdrawal from your IRA can set off a chain reaction of higher taxes and even surprise Medicare surcharges — for years to come. Robert Brokamp breaks down the hidden math behind retirement spending, and what you can do now to keep more of your money.Key topics discussed:-The tax "snowball" effect: how one year of higher spending can force bigger withdrawals in following years just to cover the tax bill, compounding the cost over time-Uncle Sam loves seniors: tax benefits for the 65-and-older crowd result in a lot of tax-free income – but spending beyond certain levels can result in a quickly accelerating tax bill-Two hidden costs of spending more: how bigger withdrawals can trigger taxes on Social Security benefits and surprise IRMAA surcharges on Medicare premiums-How to soften the blow: why building up Roth assets and paying off debt before retirement can protect you from these tax trapsHost: Robert Brokamp, CFP®, EAEngineer: Bart Shannon

Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement.

We’re committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode.

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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices