Joel, Eric and Athanasios Psarofagis crack open the mailbag to answer some listener questions about ETFs.

Joel, Eric and Athanasios Psarofagis crack open the mailbag to answer some listener questions about ETFs.

Money goes where it’s treated best. That simple truth is a big reason why more and more money (trillions, in fact) flows into a powerful, low-cost tool that’s quietly transformed investing. Exchange-traded funds let you invest in everything from the stock market to gold like never before. This biweekly podcast will demystify them—and hopefully delight you in the process.

Money goes where it&rsquo;s treated best. That simple truth is a big reason why more and more money (trillions, in fact) flows into a powerful, low-cost tool that&rsquo;s quietly transformed investing. Exchange-traded funds let you invest in everything from the stock market to gold like never before. This biweekly podcast will demystify them&mdash;and hopefully delight you in the process.

Joel Weber and Eric Balchunas demystify the world of exchange-traded funds, or ETFs.

Trillions

The 2025 ETF Mailbag

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/afd17638-de8d-4536-b044-b318002bd76c/transcript

The new Trump Accounts are designed to give millions of American children a head start in the stock market. Besides the kids who are eligible for $1,000 in free money, there's another surprise winner: the State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (SPYM). Thanks to its rock-bottom 0.02% fee, the fund has become the default investment for the new accounts — a designation that could funnel tens of billions of dollars its way and even reshape the competitive landscape for S&P 500 funds.

On this episode of Trillions, Eric Balchunas and Joel Weber explain why SPYM is the ETF of the Moment. They unpack how Trump Accounts work and how they could reshape stock ownership in the US. Then they explore SPYM's surprising backstory, its rivalry with its older sibling, State Street's legendary SPY, and why the policy could, in Balchunas's view, ultimately make the US stock market "too big to fail."

The new Trump Accounts are designed to give millions of American children a head start in the stock market. Besides the kids who are eligible for $1,000 in free money, there's another surprise winner: the State Street SPDR Portfolio S&amp;P 500 ETF (SPYM). Thanks to its rock-bottom 0.02% fee, the fund has become the default investment for the new accounts &mdash; a designation that could funnel tens of billions of dollars its way and even reshape the competitive landscape for S&amp;P 500 funds. On this episode of Trillions, Eric Balchunas and Joel Weber explain why SPYM is the ETF of the Moment. They unpack how Trump Accounts work and how they could reshape stock ownership in the US. Then they explore SPYM's surprising backstory, its rivalry with its older sibling, State Street's legendary SPY, and why the policy could, in Balchunas's view, ultimately make the US stock market "too big to fail."

Which ETF Won Big With Trump Accounts?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/d2e9182c-6c98-4204-8124-b48101355872/transcript

The ETF wrapper has become investing's Swiss Army knife, packaging everything from stocks and bonds to gold and Bitcoin — and now, perhaps, even prediction markets. As issuers race to push the boundaries of what's possible, regulators at the Securities and Exchange Commission are rewriting their playbook in real time.

On this episode of Trillions, Eric Balchunas and Joel Weber sit down with Brian Daly, Director of the SEC's Division of Investment Management, to discuss the explosion of "novel" ETFs, why the agency hit pause on prediction-market funds, and what it's learned from its handling of crypto ETFs. Daly offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at how ETF filings are reviewed, explains why the SEC wants a more predictable process for evaluating new products, and discusses how regulators are balancing innovation with investor protection. Bloomberg News SEC and CFTC reporter Lydia Beyoud joins the conversation.

The ETF wrapper has become investing's Swiss Army knife, packaging everything from stocks and bonds to gold and Bitcoin &mdash; and now, perhaps, even prediction markets. As issuers race to push the boundaries of what's possible, regulators at the Securities and Exchange Commission are rewriting their playbook in real time. On this episode of Trillions, Eric Balchunas and Joel Weber sit down with Brian Daly, Director of the SEC's Division of Investment Management, to discuss the explosion of "novel" ETFs, why the agency hit pause on prediction-market funds, and what it's learned from its handling of crypto ETFs. Daly offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at how ETF filings are reviewed, explains why the SEC wants a more predictable process for evaluating new products, and discusses how regulators are balancing innovation with investor protection. Bloomberg News SEC and CFTC reporter Lydia Beyoud joins the conversation.

Will the SEC Approve Prediction Market ETFs This Year?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/18b47965-92fa-4172-bf1f-b47a010a326e/transcript

SpaceX's record IPO quickly turned into a feeding frenzy in the ETF industry. Within days, about a dozen leveraged funds tied to the company — many of them almost identical — launched at the same time, setting off a battle for assets, attention and trading volume. The frenzy is reminiscent of the rush to launch spot Bitcoin ETFs. And obviously there are many other noteworthy new ETF launches.

On this episode of Trillions, Eric Balchunas and Joel Weber — joined by Bloomberg News cross-asset reporter Isabelle Lee — dig into some new ETFs to watch. They discuss which leveraged SpaceX fund may emerge as the winner (SPCU), how to bet against AI (AIQD), Vanguard's long-awaited entry into high-yield bonds (VCHY), another addition to Corgi's rapidly expanding lineup (CBIL), and a Bitcoin fund (BTCK) that may have arrived a little late to the party. 

(Removes incorrect reference to AIQD in podcast published June 25, 2026.)

SpaceX's record IPO quickly turned into a feeding frenzy in the ETF industry. Within days, about a dozen leveraged funds tied to the company &mdash; many of them almost identical &mdash; launched at the same time, setting off a battle for assets, attention and trading volume. The frenzy is reminiscent of the rush to launch spot Bitcoin ETFs. And obviously there are many other noteworthy new ETF launches.
On this episode of&nbsp;Trillions, Eric Balchunas and Joel Weber &mdash; joined by Bloomberg News cross-asset reporter Isabelle Lee &mdash; dig into some new ETFs to watch. They discuss which leveraged SpaceX fund may emerge as the winner (SPCU), how to bet against AI (AIQD), Vanguard's long-awaited entry into high-yield bonds (VCHY), another addition to Corgi's rapidly expanding lineup (CBIL), and a Bitcoin fund (BTCK) that may have arrived a little late to the party.&nbsp;
(Removes incorrect reference to AIQD in podcast published June 25, 2026.)

New ETFs to Watch: 2x SpaceX, -3x AI, Plus Bonds and Bitcoin

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/0846cf86-1ae0-4d47-bb74-b473010d7117/transcript

The 2025 ETF Mailbag

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