Best The Lauder Institute Podcasts (2025)

1
Ep62 “The Cost of Social Compliance: Exploring Preference Falsification" with Timur Kuran 33:37

13d ago33:37

33:37

Is the emperor wearing clothes? Hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen are joined by economist and political scientist Timur Kuran who wrote the book, Private Truths, Public Lies: The Social Consequences of Preference Falsification. This 30-year-old book explains the social phenomenon where people express preferences th…

1
Ep61 “Pursuit for Academic Freedom” with Richard Saller 30:58

28d ago30:58

30:58

If universities believe they should be free from government interference and that students and faculty have the right to freely express whatever viewpoints they hold, then the universities should be held to the same standard, right? Hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen are joined by Richard Saller, an American classis…

1
Ep60 “A Trade Deficit? More Like a Capital Surplus” with John Cochrane 28:17

1M ago28:17

28:17

What exactly is a trade deficit? And why are so many policymakers fixated on it? Lately, the trade deficit in the U.S. is taking the bulk of the blame for the economic situation we’re in and it’s one of the reasons the Trump administration is pushing for sweeping tariffs. But tariffs are likely not the answer, and a trade deficit might be better re…

1
Ep59 “Why Tariffs Are Not The Ultimate Trade Weapon” with Dani Rodrik 32:16

2M ago32:16

32:16

With President Trump’s tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China, and other countries now in full swing, what consequences from an economic standpoint could the U.S. be facing? And what was the path that led us here? Hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen put the tariffs question to economist and author Dani Rodrik. Rodrik is t…

1
Ep58 How Rich Are The Ivy League Universities, Really? University Endowments Explained 24:36

2M ago24:36

24:36

The recent crackdown on federal spending has universities sweating despite the fact that many of them boast huge billion-dollar endowments. So what gives? Why would less money from the federal government be a cause for concern? Where does all that money go? And could there be more to this budget picture than meets the eye? In this episode, hosts an…

1
Rerun: Ep36 “Institutional Neutrality: Open Debate and Moral Stands” with John Etchemendy 25:04

3M ago25:04

25:04

All Else Equal is taking a little spring break, so on this episode we’re revisiting a fascinating conversation on what happens when universities step off the sidelines and take a stance on contentious issues. Are they boarding a roller coaster that they can’t ever get off? Hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen chat wit…

1
Ep57 “Effective Communication: Trump vs. Reagan” with Peter Robinson 36:40

3M ago36:40

36:40

One key to effective negotiation is to keep your opponent guessing by randomizing your strategy. And right now, there might not be a more prolific example of this kind of strategy than President Donald Trump’s communication style. In this episode, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen are joined by Peter Robinson, a re…

1
Ep56 “When Should We Lie for the Greater Good?” with John Ioannidis 34:10

4M ago34:10

34:10

Is it acceptable for doctors to lie to their patients, or withhold some of the truth, if it’s in the patient’s best interest? In this episode, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen welcome back John Ioannidis, professor of medicine at Stanford University, to discuss the ethical implications of concealing the truth in t…

1
Ep55 “The Future Of The MBA: From 3 Top Business Schools” with Madhav Rajan 32:03

4M ago32:03

32:03

As more and more universities move away from full-time MBA programs, what does the future of business education look like? How should it look? In this episode, hear perspectives from three of the top business schools in the U.S.: Stanford Graduate School of Business, The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Booth School of Busi…

1
Ep54 “The Rise And Fall of Great Societies: Lessons from History” with Victor Davis Hanson 29:55

5M ago29:55

29:55

History shows that as societies rise to greatness, the scales eventually tip back and those societies fall. But what leads to that fall and are we heading toward one? In this episode, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen speak with historian Victor Davis Hanson, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution who specialize…

1
Rerun: Ep48 “Why CEOs are Underpaid” with Dirk Jenter 29:09

5M ago29:09

29:09

As we ring in the new year, we’re bringing back one of our favorite episodes! Handpicked by Jules and Jonathan, this previous conversation is perfect for starting your year with thought-provoking insights. Are CEOs overpaid? It’s easy to see million-dollar (or even billion-dollar) salaries and jump to conclusions. But those figures might not captur…

1
Ep53 “The Truth About Inflation and Price Caps: Learn From Argentina” with Veronica Rappoport 26:10

6M ago26:10

26:10

During the 2024 U.S. presidential election, inflation was one of the most talked about issues, and there was one policy idea to get inflation under control that kept coming up: price caps. But history has shown time and time again that price caps do anything but reduce inflation. So why do policymakers still want to try it? In this episode, hosts a…

1
Ep52 “Should Legacy Admissions at Universities Be Illegal?” with Patrick Awuah 26:49

6M ago26:49

26:49

Should legacy admissions at colleges and universities be banned? What are the benefits and tradeoffs of admitting students based on their legacy status? In this episode, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen speak with guest Patrick Awuah, president of Ashesi University, about the Ghanaian university’s unique economic …

1
Ep51 Celebrating 50 Episodes: The Biggest All Else Equal Mistakes 27:24

7M ago27:24

27:24

The All Else Equal: Making Better Decisions podcast has officially done 50 episodes! To commemorate the milestone, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen look back on some of the major all else equal mistakes they’ve covered on the show. With highlights from past guests like Google CFO Ruth Porat and former SEC chair Ja…

1
Ep50 “Is Proxy Advising a Catch-22?” with Chester Spatt 24:16

7M ago24:16

24:16

If the purpose of a proxy advisory firm is to gather information and advise shareholders on how to vote, then how do the firms handle the many different goals and incentives each shareholder brings to the table? Where do the proxy advisory firms’ interests truly lie? In this episode, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsberg…

1
Ep49 “Making Regulation Work” with Jay Clayton 27:24

8M ago27:24

27:24

Regulation is meant to fix problems in the market, but as more and more regulation is introduced, those issues have a tendency to evolve into new ones. So is all this regulation even accomplishing what it set out to do? And how do you even measure the success of regulation to begin with? In this episode, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk a…

1
Ep48 “Are CEOs Underpaid?” with Dirk Jenter 28:45

8M ago28:45

28:45

Are CEOs overpaid? It’s easy to see million-dollar (or even billion-dollar) salaries and jump to conclusions. But those figures might not capture the full picture. So, what really goes into deciding CEO compensation? In this episode, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen welcome back Dirk Jenter, Professor of Finance a…

1
Ep47 “Is the US National Debt Sustainable?” with Mohamed El-Erian 35:36

9M ago35:36

35:36

What is the best way to measure National Debt Sustainability, and how does the US do on those metrics compared to other countries? In the first episode of the new season, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen speak with guest Mohamed El-Erian about the intricacies of the national debt, different measures of sustainabil…

1
Rerun: Ep12 Corporations as Job Security Providers 20:36

9M ago20:36

20:36

This summer break, we'll be taking a pause from uploading new episodes. However, Jules and Jonathan have handpicked some favorite past episodes for new listeners to enjoy and subscribers to revisit! Corporations are often characterized as evil entities that exploit workers. But in fact they enable firms to provide job security and thus serve the im…

1
Rerun: Ep1 "Making a Business Decision" with Ruth Porat 24:52

10M ago24:52

24:52

This summer break, we'll be taking a pause from uploading new episodes. However, Jules and Jonathan have handpicked some favorite past episodes for new listeners to enjoy and subscribers to revisit! When the scientific method began to be applied widely hundreds of years ago, innovation bloomed. Today, those same principles inform business leaders w…

1
Rerun: Ep17 "Can the Free Market Discourage Fraud?" with Marc Cohodes 27:01

10M ago27:01

27:01

This summer break, we'll be taking a pause from uploading new episodes. However, Jules and Jonathan have handpicked some favorite past episodes for new listeners to enjoy and subscribers to revisit! There’s a negative connotation associated with short selling – the act of betting against a stock to perform well. But is this trading practice truly a…

1
Rerun: Ep8 “Why Capitalism Works" with John Cochrane 31:58

10M ago31:58

31:58

This summer break, we'll be taking a pause from uploading new episodes. However, Jules and Jonathan have handpicked some favorite past episodes for new listeners to enjoy and subscribers to revisit! Competitive markets don’t produce the same level of prosperity for everyone. But economist John Cochrane thinks they give us something essential — ince…

1
Rerun: Ep7 Can Investors Effect Social Change? 25:49

11M ago25:49

25:49

This summer break, we'll be taking a pause from uploading new episodes. However, Jules and Jonathan have handpicked some favorite past episodes for new listeners to enjoy and subscribers to revisit! How can investors play a part in accomplishing social change? In this episode of All Else Equal: Making Better Decisions, hosts Jules van Binsbergen an…

1
Rerun: Ep6 "Can (and Should) Corporations Be Taxed?" with Larry Summers 27:37

11M ago27:37

27:37

This summer break, we'll be taking a pause from uploading new episodes. However, Jules and Jonathan have handpicked some favorite past episodes for new listeners to enjoy and subscribers to revisit! In this episode, hosts Jules van Binsbergen and Jonathan Berk discuss the complexities of the corporate income tax with former Treasury Secretary Larry…

1
Rerun: Ep4 "Making Bad Investments Profitable" with Pete Briger 27:50

12M ago27:50

27:50

This summer break, we'll be taking a pause from uploading new episodes. However, Jules and Jonathan have handpicked some favorite past episodes for new listeners to enjoy and subscribers to revisit! When it comes to investments, value sometimes resides in unlikely places. Pete Briger, CEO of Fortress Investment Group, specializes in buying bad debt…

1
Ep46 "May Contain Lies" with Alex Edmans 29:04

1y ago29:04

29:04

What is the real problem with misinformation? Are our biases so ingrained in us that we are unable to think critically about the world and the systems around us? What happens when large institutions attempt to push a heterodox narrative? Do we simply need more education to overcome misinformation, or do we need something much deeper—to learn to thi…

1
Ep45 “The Future of Higher Education Part 2” with Niall Ferguson 30:19

1y ago30:19

30:19

What are the unseen costs of administrative bureaucracy and an ideology that favors victimhood over scholarly debate? What caused the ideological shift from classical liberalism to the illiberal leanings that now permeate universities, and what does it mean for the future of intellectual innovation and freedom? In this episode, hosts and finance pr…

1
Ep44 “The Future of Higher Education Part 1” with Carmen Twillie Ambar and Kimberly Wright Cassidy 30:31

1y ago30:31

30:31

Should universities be primarily research and teaching institutions or should they have broader social responsibilities to today’s youth? How are institutions navigating the delicate dance of institutional neutrality among very hot-button and controversial issues? In this episode, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen …

1
Ep43 Examining Bad Investment Advice 22:56

1y ago22:56

22:56

Is Suze Orman giving out bad investment advice? Should you ever not refinance rates drop? Is dilution of stock a bad thing for the early stockholders? Should you dollar cost average? In this episode, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen evaluate three pieces of widely given investing advice and drill down for why each…

1
Ep42 Waiting to Invest 25:43

1y ago25:43

25:43

What could be the reason to delay investing in an option that will make you money? How do your investment opportunities expand when you make that choice? In this episode, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen discuss the concept of real options in finance, focusing particularly on investment decision-making. They also …

1
Ep41 “Understanding the SEC's New Climate Disclosure Rules” with Lawrence Cunningham 26:37

1y ago26:37

26:37

Why should climate risk be singled out for mandatory disclosure by the SEC, and how does this change the investment landscape? Can climate disclosure legislation walk the fine line between transparency and information overload? In this episode, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen welcome Lawrence Cunningham, Research…

1
Navigating Workplace Power Dynamics with Deborah H. Gruenfeld feat. ‘If/Then’ Podcast 28:35

1+ y ago28:35

28:35

Today, we’re sharing a special episode from If/Then, the new podcast from our friends at Stanford Graduate School of Business. If/Then is made for curious people looking for answers to challenging questions, featuring experts and thought leaders engaged in cutting-edge research on topics like AI, immigration, sustainability, and power - all framed …

1
Ep40 “Why the Private Debt Markets Have Exploded” with Laurence Gottlieb 27:57

1+ y ago27:57

27:57

There has been a rising trend in the importance of private debt as a way of financing companies. But what are the differences between private debt and public debt? Why is it increasing in popularity? What advantages does it offer over traditional banking models? In this episode, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen we…

1
Ep39 “Why Does the Non-Profit Model Work?” with Daniel Diermeier 28:56

1+ y ago28:56

28:56

Without a residual claimant, who sets the agenda of a non-profit organization like a university? Who makes sure that the organization follows that agenda rather than serving the interests of the administrators running the organization? Who are the stakeholders in a non-profit organization, and how does the organization prioritize their competing in…

1
Ep38 "The Power of Non-Monetary Incentives: Lessons from the Military" with Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick 24:59

1+ y ago24:59

24:59

Picture a workforce driven not by the promise of a paycheck, but by a shared sense of purpose and the thrill of contributing to something greater than themselves. How can you can ignite a passion in a team that money simply can't buy. In this episode, based on a question from a listener, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Bins…

1
Ep37 Five Common Finance Mistakes 29:47

1+ y ago29:47

29:47

Today, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen discuss five common mistakes financial decision-makers often make. There is much misinformation and bad advice in financial markets. In this episode, Jonathan and Jules discuss strategies for avoiding bad advice and making better decisions. Submit your questions to the show …

1
Rerun: Ep15 "Shareholder vs. Stakeholder Capitalism" with Alex Edmans 25:44

1+ y ago25:44

25:44

For the end of the year, Jules and Jonathan are taking some well-deserved time off, and wanted to rerun a past episode they love for the new audience who has joined since then. Imagine being able to see through all the layers of corporate decision-making to uncover whether businesses should prioritize profits for shareholders or the well-being of a…

1
Rerun: Ep5 "Why You Can't 'Agree to Disagree" with Robert Aumann 35:08

1+ y ago35:08

35:08

For the end of the year, Jules and Jonathan are taking some well-deserved time off, and wanted to rerun a past episode they love for the new audience who has joined since then. Is it possible to unravel the paradox of disagreement in rational decision-making? How should we dissolve discord? In this episode, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Ber…

1
Rerun: Ep3 “Why Good Stocks Are Not Good Buys” with Cliff Asness 29:10

1+ y ago29:10

29:10

For the end of the year, Jules and Jonathan are taking some well-deserved time off, and wanted to re-present a past episode they love for the new audience who has joined since then. Investing in stocks isn’t just prowess in numbers but a mental marathon as well. But prowess in numbers isn't all there is; this episode also explores the mental marath…

1
Ep36 "Institutional Neutrality: Open Debate and Moral Stands" with John Etchemendy 24:43

1+ y ago24:43

24:43

What happens when universities and step off the sidelines and take a stance on contentious issues? Are they boarding a roller coaster that they can’t ever get off? In this episode, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen welcome John Etchemendy, former Provost of Stanford University, for a discussion about Institutional …

1
Ep35 “Does Common Ownership Affect Product Market Outcomes?” with Martin Schmalz 27:39

1+ y ago27:39

27:39

It turns out your airline ticket prices might be affected by common ownership in mutual and index funds, but how? In this episode, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen welcome Martin Schmalz, Professor of Finance and Economics at Oxford Saïd and Academic Area Head for the FAME faculty group (Finance, Accounting, Manag…

1
Ep34 “Why Has Private Equity Grown So Much?” with Eric Zinterhofer 29:15

1+ y ago29:15

29:15

What accounts for the recent growth of private firms? In this episode of All Else Equal: Making Better Decisions, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen welcome Eric Zinterhofer, Founder of Searchlight Capital Partners, to discuss the fundamental tradeoff between Public Equity and Private Equity, and how having a manage…

1
Ep33 How Risky Should Your Retirement Savings Be? 24:06

1+ y ago24:06

24:06

In this episode of All Else Equal: Making Better Decisions, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen discuss the second half of the retirement equation, after going over how much you need to save, they now elaborate on how to think about investing what you have saved, and what theories make for optimizing your own persona…

1
Ep32 “Labor Unions and Detroit Struggle” with Larry Katz 26:31

1+ y ago26:31

26:31

With recent strikes making big news, what are the complexities at hand when Unions become involved in the labor force? Some are well known but other effects, both good and bad, have been less obvious. Exact data can be hard to discern, but In this episode of All Else Equal: Making Better Decisions, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jul…

1
Ep31 How Much Should You Save? 27:16

2y ago27:16

27:16

How much are you supposed to save for retirement and how do you get there? What is the different advice for people with different plans or risk tolerances?In this episode of All Else Equal: Making Better Decisions, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen discuss the ins and outs of long term investing, and how to make a …

1
Ep30 “Becoming a Better Communicator” with Matt Abrahams 25:47

2y ago25:47

25:47

Are you breaking some basic rules of communication without knowing it? What are the things you can start doing right now to communicate better? In this episode of All Else Equal: Making Better Decisions, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen are joined by Matt Abrahams, lecturer at Stanford GSB, and host of the highly …

1
Ep29 “How Do You Become CEO?” with Dirk Jenter 32:55

2y ago32:55

32:55

A lot has been written and said about CEOs and their compensation, but who are they really and how did they get there? According to the data, what are the most likely paths to become one? In this episode of All Else Equal: Making Better Decisions, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen are joined by Dirk Jenter, Profess…

1
Ep28 Incentives and Externalities 25:33

2y ago25:33

25:33

Humans respond to incentives, and so incentives predict behavior and sometimes the behavior can be detrimental. In this episode of All Else Equal: Making Better Decisions, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen discuss a range of less obvious examples of how incentives produce negative externalities — long legal contrac…

1
Ep27 "The Future of AI" with Michal Kosinski 30:16

2y ago30:16

30:16

The speed at which AI is getting smarter is on everybody's mind these days. In this episode of All Else Equal: Making Better Decisions, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen discuss with Stanford Professor Michal Kosinski what we should expect from the coming wave of AI technology, how it relates to the research on "Th…

1
Ep26 “Investigating Implausible Theories: The Case of COVID” with Matt Ridley 29:15

2y ago29:15

29:15

When COVID-19 shut down the world economy in 2020 many wondered where it had begun and why the pandemic had even started in the first place. In this episode of All Else Equal: Making Better Decisions, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen discuss with Matt Ridley (biologist and author of Viral: The Search for the Origi…

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