Rich Habits at the New York Stock Exchange: ETF Central x Rich Habits Podcast

Episode Date: December 19, 2025
Hosts: Austin Hankwitz & Robert Croak
Guest Host: Bilal (ETF Central)
Location: New York Stock Exchange

Overview

This special crossover episode features Austin Hankwitz and Robert Croak of the Rich Habits Podcast as guests on ETF Central, hosted by Bilal. The conversation blends insights from personal finance and ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds), focusing on the habits, strategies, and tools that empower both new and seasoned investors. Filmed inside the iconic New York Stock Exchange, the episode marks the launch of a partnership between Rich Habits Podcast and ETF Central, exploring the democratization of financial information, actionable resources, and accessible investment opportunities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Building the Rich Habits Audience & Community

• Early Struggles and Growth Hacking

  • Austin shares that initial episodes had little listenership but things changed with strategic use of TikTok Live, leveraging both hosts’ sizable online audiences.
  • Quote: “No one listens to the first 30 episodes, right? So we were talking to ourselves. But the real growth... started to come when Robert and I got a little bit more growth hacky.” – Austin (04:40)
  • Consistency and authenticity became signature values.
    • Regular podcast schedule (Mon/Thurs/Fri), evolving from a single weekly episode with added Q&As and “Rich Habits Radar” news coverage.

• Catering to Listeners

  • Evolved content based on listener questions, providing both foundational and more advanced financial topics.
  • “Balancing the let’s all learn together... with hey, we know you guys got questions.” – Austin (06:36)

2. Approach to Market Trends & Investor Confidence

• Building Trust Through Transparency

  • The show’s guiding principle: demystifying hard topics and breaking news into actionable lessons, regardless of audience wealth or experience.
  • Quote: “If you’re surprised by anything in the markets, we’re not doing a good enough job.” – Robert (08:39)
  • “Our job is to break [the news] down for everyone and just tell them to... relax and we’ll walk them through what is really going on in the market so they don’t fall victim to those headlines.” – Robert (09:13)

• Key Principles for Listeners

  • You don’t have to be a market expert to succeed as an investor.
  • Simple maxims: “When in doubt, zoom out,” “Own what you know,” and “Live on less than you make and invest the margin.” – Austin (09:52)
  • Transparency about not selling products and no hidden motives; focus on reducing fear and empowering listeners to participate.

3. The Evolving Sophistication of the Retail Investor

• Audience Surprises

  • Austin notes the listeners’ hunger for advanced strategies; more are asking about diversifying beyond the S&P 500, into themes like precious metals and emerging markets.
  • “I underestimated how hungry they were for the more advanced strategies. There’s more sophisticated investors now... than ever.” – Austin (14:27)

• Authenticity over Gatekeeping

  • The Rich Habits ethos is to never hold information behind a paywall or “upsell.” Monetization, when it happens, doesn’t restrict education.
  • “As soon as they get a following, they no longer provide value... For us, the two big things are authenticity and not gatekeeping the information.” – Robert (16:06)

4. Market Outlook and Thematic Opportunities

• Macro Perspective (2025 and Beyond)

  • Austin is optimistic, citing ongoing productivity booms (AI, deregulation, loose monetary policy, rising capex from major companies).
  • “There’s still juice left in this bull trend run... It’s still early stages for artificial intelligence.” – Austin (18:13)
  • Cautions that certain sectors may be in a bubble (unprofitable, high-beta names), but sees S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 as backbone investments for long-term growth.

• Robert’s View

  • Emphasizes secular trends (AI, nuclear, energy infrastructure) and encourages investors to think in 2-5 year windows, resisting the urge to chase fads.
  • “Let’s back up a little bit, look at it more long term... AI still has a long way to go. Nuclear is a good category.” – Robert (20:38)

• Thematics Favored by the Hosts

  • Austin: Healthcare (beat down sector), cybersecurity, select real estate subsectors, cautious on precious metals (“was late to the game”), opportunity-driven.
  • Robert: Precious metals (especially silver), nuclear ETFs (URA, NU KZ), AI-centric ETFs (AIQ, VUG).

• Exposure to Digital Assets and Tokenization

  • Robert notes excitement about real world asset tokenization and coins such as Ondo and Pendle.
    • “That’s going to open up another completely different world of investing for the average person.” – Robert (41:23)
  • Bilal sees digital assets/EFTs as vehicles for transformation due to speed, efficiency, and decentralization (22:32).

5. Tools and Resources for Investors

• Favorite Resources

  • Investopedia, Seeking Alpha, Yahoo Finance, Fast Graphs, Koifin, Google Finance (“completely revamped product”).
  • “Lean into the ChatGPTs of the world... It boggles my mind how often we get asked a question that... you can probably should have just googled that.” – Austin (26:55)
  • The importance of understanding the entire “value chain” of an investment theme, not just headline companies.

• Ongoing Learning

  • “It’s always be learning... always reading and you’re always learning.” – Robert (27:37)
  • Robert highlights predictive markets (e.g., Poly Market, Cal) as unconventional indicators.

6. ETFs, Portfolio Construction, and Democratization

• ETF Philosophy

  • “We preach ETF every single day... Too many people try to move too fast to get too fancy... The billionaires also have a lot of their money in ETFs.” – Robert (31:39)
  • Simple, low-cost ETF portfolios as the best foundation for beginners before diversifying into alternative assets.

• Unlocking Private Investments

  • Recent Rich Habits initiative: multi-asset SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) providing retail investors access to pre-IPO and private deals.
  • “How do we unlock that access to everyone else? Pre seed up to pre IPO is kind of the tagline.” – Austin (32:57)
  • This includes names like SpaceX, OpenAI, MrBeast’s Feastables, Acorns, etc. (34:00)

7. Building Community & Event Plans

• Upcoming Collaborations
  • Discussion of a contest/event to bring listeners to the NYSE—focusing on fairness and broad access, not geography or privilege.
  • “I want it to not be all about access, giving access to the everyday person.” – Austin (38:23)
  • “An event like that would be really cool because it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.” – Robert (39:04)

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Persistence in Podcasting
  “No one listens to the first 30 episodes, right? So we were talking to ourselves...”
  – Austin (04:40)

• Authenticity & Accessibility
  “If you're surprised by anything in the markets, we're not doing a good enough job.”
  – Robert (08:39)

• Building Wealth: Key Principles
  “When in doubt, zoom out. Have that long-term mentality. Own what you know.”
  – Austin (09:52)

• On the Audience’s Evolution
  “There's more sophisticated investors now... than there ever was in history.”
  – Austin (14:27)

• Against Gatekeeping
  “There's a way to monetize your ecosystem like we do, without gatekeeping the information.”
  – Robert (16:06)

• Being Early vs. Chasing Trends
  “I don't skate to the puck, I skate where the puck is going. That's the number one message...”
  – Robert (27:37)

• ETF Strategy
  “Build your base, keep it simple, have a basket of low-cost ETFs, and then go from there...”
  – Robert (32:40)

• Democratizing Pre-IPO Access
  “If I’m in the room, how do I invite other people in the room with me?”
  – Austin (34:19)

• Vision for the Future
  “You’re creating space for the underdog. That’s the American dream. That’s the American story.”
  – Bilal (37:24)

• End-of-Year Excitement
  “Humanoid robots... 10 years from now, we’re going to look back and be like, that was the most obvious trade of my life.”
  – Austin (40:12)

  “Real world assets and the tokenization... is going to open up another completely different world of investing for the average person.”
  – Robert (41:23)

Segment Timestamps

• Introduction & Partnership Announcement – 00:59–03:17
• How Rich Habits Grew & Built Community – 04:03–07:51
• Building Trust & Setting Financial Strategy – 07:52–10:49
• Audience Sophistication & Learning – 13:30–16:06
• Market Outlook Going Into 2027 – 18:13–21:47
• Favorite Themes: AI, Healthcare, Cybersecurity, Precious Metals – 22:32–25:04
• Favorite Tools & Resources Discussion – 25:33–29:27
• ETF/Fund Flow Insights – 29:34–31:33
• Pre-IPO Access for Retail & New Product Development – 32:56–37:21
• Event & Community Plans at NYSE – 38:17–39:41
• Exciting Market Areas for the Future – 40:12–41:59

Tone & Style

The conversation is energetic, practical, and candid. Both hosts exemplify transparency—never shying away from their own learning journeys, mistakes, or disagreements. The rapport with Bilal is friendly and collaborative, blending Wall Street savvy with everyday accessibility.

Summary for New Listeners

Whether you’re just starting your financial journey, looking for actionable resources, or craving advanced market insights, this episode delivers a rich blend of practical tips, thoughtful strategies, and motivation for everyday investors. The Rich Habits Podcast champions authentic, open financial education—demystifying the habits and vehicles used by the wealthy—while advocating for a community where everyone can join the table, access new opportunities, and learn to build wealth step by step.