The Social Hour format loosens things up, and this time Ryan Detrick, Chief Market Strategist at Carson Group, and Sonu Varghese, Chief Macro Strategist at Carson Group, are joined by Cullen Roche, founder of Discipline Funds and author of Pragmatic Capitalism and Your Perfect Portfolio.

What makes this conversation different is Cullen’s dual lens. He thinks like a macro investor, but he builds portfolios like a financial planner. That combination leads to a deeper discussion around matching assets to liabilities, duration, inflation realities, and how advisors should think through long-term construction instead of reacting to headlines.

Key Takeaways:

• Narrative vs. numbers: Headlines move quickly, but underlying data often tells a steadier story
 • Sentiment remains dynamic: Investor positioning continues to shift alongside economic signals
 • Leadership rotation continues: Sector performance reveals subtle changes beneath the surface
 • Macro themes persist: Growth, inflation, and policy remain central drivers of direction
 • Perspective matters: Long-term discipline still anchors sound decision-making

Cullen Roche is not affiliated with CWM, LLC. Opinions expressed by this individual may not be representative of CWM, LLC.

Jump to:

0:00 - Live Kickoff And Colin’s Books

2:50 - First Principles Over Financial Noise

6:10 - Origins Of Pragmatic Capitalism And QE

11:30 - From Anonymous Blogger To Public Voice

13:40 - We’re Savers, Not Stock Pickers

17:53 - Inflation Jitters And Market Divergences

23:30 - Diversification Vs Diversification

28:20 - Simplicity, Costs, And Portfolio Design

32:40 - Behavioral Bias: You Are The Risk

38:00 - Macro Claims And What Doesn’t Compute

44:00 - AI’s Disruptive Decentralization

50:10 - Labor, Layoffs, And Data You Can Trust

55:20 - Small Caps, International, And Factors

Connect with Ryan:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryandetrick/

• X: https://x.com/RyanDetrick 

Connect with Sonu:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonu-varghese-phd/

• X: https://x.com/sonusvarghese?lang=en

Connect with Cullen:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cullenroche/ 

• X: https://x.com/cullenroche 

Questions about the show? We’d love to hear from you! factsvsfeelings@carsongroup.com