Trust Company Talks

Hosted by Trust Company of the South

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May 2026

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Trust Company Talks is an investing and wealth management podcast brought to you by Trust Company of the South. Hosted by Bill Noble and Burke Koonce, Trust Company Talks features guests discussing a wide range of topics of interest for individual and institutional investors with a particular focus on wealth management. Enjoy!

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46 recent

May 21, 2026Episode 4553 min

The Difference Between Service and Hospitality: A Conversation with Van Eure

There's a question every long-running business has to answer: How do you keep doing the work well, year after year, after the founders are gone, the industry has changed and customer expectations have only climbed? Few restaurants in North Carolina have answered it as clearly as The Angus Barn.On the newest episode of Trust Company Talks, hosts Bill Noble and Burke Koonce sit down with Van Eure, owner and operator of The Angus Barn, the legendary Raleigh steakhouse her father co-founded more than six decades ago. Eure recounts the restaurant's origin story, her own unlikely path back into the family business after five years teaching school in Kenya and the leadership philosophy that has carried The Angus Barn into its current era.Most of the conversation centers on what Eure calls real hospitality, the kind that goes well past customer satisfaction into an experience that guests remember for years. She speaks to a hiring process focused on servant-hearted candidates, a service model that gives every employee the authority to resolve a guest issue on the spot and a set of practices that keep the entire team, including the dishwashers, focused on the same guest experience.In the conversation:The difference between customer service and real hospitalityThe hiring philosophy that produces a 4% turnover rate, against a 30% to 40% industry averageThe Opie Test and how it sharpens performance reviewsWhy every manager, including Eure herself, works the dish pit during busy shiftsEure's advice on sustainable leadership This is a conversation about people, the work of taking care of them and what it takes to do that well for a very long time.Trust Company Talks is a production of Trust Company of the South, one of the premier wealth management firms in the Southeast. Trust Company is a privately held firm based in Greensboro, NC, with offices in Charlotte and Raleigh. You can find more episodes of Trust Company Talks on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Receive the episodes as soon as they premiere by subscribing today.

April 23, 2026Episode 4453 min

How to Think About Alternatives Today: A Conversation with Greg Brown

Every investor who considers alternatives is eventually faced with the same question: Is the added complexity worth it? The honest answer depends on what part of the category you're talking about, how you access it and what you're trying to accomplish with the allocation.The newest episode of Trust Company Talks takes that question on directly. Hosts Bill Noble and Burke Koonce are joined by Dr. Greg Brown, Distinguished Professor of Finance at the University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School and founder and research director of the Institute for Private Capital, for a conversation covering the full breadth of the alternatives category.Greg has been researching hedge funds, private equity and private credit for more than two decades, and he brings academic rigor to a space often clouded by marketing language. He explains how each category actually behaves inside a portfolio and why the economic case looks quite different for each one.In this episode:The two economic reasons alternatives belong in a portfolioWhy the median venture fund disappoints while the average fund looks strongHow hedge fund alpha has decayed as more capital has entered the spaceThe redemption pressures currently playing out inside evergreen private credit fundsWhat individual investors should weigh before committing capital: liquidity, taxes and due diligenceGreg's take on alternatives in DC plans and the broader retailization of private marketsFor investors, advisors and board members working to make sense of a category that has grown well beyond its original definition, this episode is an hour well spent with one of the foremost academic voices on private markets.Trust Company Talks is a production of Trust Company of the South, one of the premier wealth management firms in the Southeast. Trust Company is a privately held firm based in Greensboro, NC, with offices in Charlotte and Raleigh. You can find more episodes of Trust Company Talks on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Receive the episodes as soon as they premiere by subscribing today.

March 26, 2026Episode 4335 min

Foundations, Endowments and How to Run Them: A Conversation with Walker Douglas

The assets inside a foundation or endowment were never meant to be spent all at once. They exist to support a mission today and keep supporting it decades from now, which means the way those assets are managed carries real stakes for real communities.In the newest episode of Trust Company Talks, hosts Bill Noble and Burke Koonce sit down with Walker Douglas, a CFP and wealth advisor in Trust Company's Greensboro office, for a wide-ranging conversation on what it actually takes to manage these pools of capital well. Walker works closely with nonprofits, foundations and endowments across the state and brings both the technical depth and the boardroom perspective that comes from years of doing this work alongside some of the region's most well-run institutions.Walker covers the dual mandate at the heart of every endowment—meeting current spending needs while preserving purchasing power for the future—and what that requires from asset allocation, spending policy and governance. He also gets into the concentration risk hiding inside major indices today, and why chasing a benchmark that is effectively 40% in 10 stocks may be the wrong objective for an institution built to last a hundred years.Their conversation covers: Why 60/40 gave way to 70/30, and when to go more aggressiveHow spending policy smoothing works and why it mattersWhat alternatives bring to an endowment portfolio and the complexity they introduceHow Trust Company approaches governance, performance reviews and donor gifting strategyWhat foundation boards are focused on right now: fundraising, revenue diversification and AIWalker's single piece of advice for any board managing assets for the long termWhether you manage one of these relationships or sit on the board overseeing it, this episode covers a lot of ground.Trust Company Talks is a production of Trust Company of the South, one of the premier wealth management firms in the Southeast. Trust Company is a privately held firm based in Greensboro, NC, with offices in Charlotte and Raleigh. You can find more episodes of Trust Company Talks on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Receive the episodes as soon as they premiere by subscribing today.

February 26, 2026Episode 4238 min

What the Tax Law Changed and What It Didn't: A Conversation with Chris Sutherland

The estate tax exemption is now the highest it's ever been. For a lot of families, that's created a sense of breathing room. Chris Sutherland, senior wealth advisor and principal in Trust Company's Charlotte office, would push back on that.In the newest episode of Trust Company Talks, hosts Bill Noble and Burke Koonce sit down with Chris for a conversation that covers what the recent legislation actually did, why Chris puts the word "permanent" in quotes and why some folks who were on the doorstep of major gifting decisions stopped moving once the urgency disappeared.Chris also introduces the idea of reverse estate planning, where those who did smart work moving assets out of their estate years ago, when exemptions were much lower, may now want to bring some of those assets back to capture a step-up in basis. And he lays out what everyone should be reviewing on a regular basis, whether or not they have a taxable estate.The conversation touches on:Why the estate tax exemption being "permanent" still requires planning, and what post-2028 might look likeReverse estate planning and when it makes sense to bring assets back into the estateAsset titling, beneficiary designations and asset location as annual review itemsGeneration-skipping trusts, qualified charitable distributions and Roth conversionsInsurance reviews and the long-term care conversationWorking with younger generations on trust basics and personal financeIf tax season has you wondering whether your own plan still fits, this episode is a good place to start.Trust Company Talks is a production of Trust Company of the South, one of the premier wealth management firms in the Southeast. Trust Company is a privately held firm based in Greensboro, NC, with offices in Charlotte and Raleigh. You can find more episodes of Trust Company Talks on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Receive the episodes as soon as they premiere by subscribing today.

January 29, 2026Episode 4133 min

Volatility Travels in Packs: A Conversation with Dan Tolomay on the 2026 Outlook

2025 rewarded equity investors, but it was not a straight line.In this episode of Trust Company Talks, hosts Bill Noble and Burke Koonce are joined by Trust Company of the South Chief Investment Officer Dan Tolomay to recap what drove markets last year and frame the investment outlook for 2026.Dan breaks down key themes that shaped markets in 2025, what may matter in 2026, and focuses on how Trust Company uses valuation discipline and diversification to manage risk. The group also reflects on the spring "Liberation Day" sell-off and the quick rebound that followed, reinforcing Dan's reminder that "volatility travels in packs" and that a durable allocation matters most when markets move quickly.The conversation touches on:Why international led in 2025, and how currency moves matteredWhat "Magnificent Seven" concentration means for index exposureWhat past market leaders can teach investors nowWhat valuation discipline looks like when prices are stretchedWhy big down days and big up days often clusterAllocation considerations for retirees and long-term investorsWhy planning beats forecastingListen for a practical look at what worked in 2025, the questions investors are carrying into 2026 and how to think about diversification and valuation discipline when markets feel uncertain, especially for retirees and pre-retirees managing portfolio risk.Trust Company Talks is a production of Trust Company of the South, one of the premier wealth management firms in the Southeast. Trust Company is a privately held firm based in Greensboro, NC, with offices in Charlotte and Raleigh. You can find more episodes of Trust Company Talks on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Receive the episodes as soon as they premiere by subscribing today.

December 18, 2025Episode 4049 min

Housing, Rates and the Affordability Squeeze: A Conversation with Jim Parrott

If it feels like housing has become a harder math problem, you're not imagining it. Prices moved up, rates followed and the homes that used to serve first-time buyers and move-up families are not being built in the same volume.In the newest episode of Trust Company Talks, hosts Bill Noble and Burke Koonce talk with Jim Parrott, a nonresident fellow at the Urban Institute and co-owner of Parrott Ryan Advisors, about what is really driving the affordability crunch and what might realistically help. This conversation stays practical. It covers why the problem is mostly a supply problem, why local rules matter so much, why the post-2008 building pipeline never fully recovered and why quick fixes can create new problems. They also explore the longer-term impact of delayed homeownership on wealth building, plus one policy idea that could help free up inventory by reducing friction for long-time owners who want to downsize.The conversation touches on:Why housing affordability is mostly a supply problemWhere the middle of the market is falling short, and who gets squeezedThe early cost drivers, including land, permitting and approvalsHow post-2008 changes reshaped building and lendingWhy some rent limits can reduce new construction and upkeepA case for updating capital gains rules on home salesWhat rate outlooks could mean for buyers holding offListen to the episode to hear Jim's clear take on what is keeping housing tight, and what could help loosen it.Trust Company Talks is a production of Trust Company of the South, one of the premier wealth management firms in the Southeast. Trust Company is a privately held firm based in Greensboro, NC, with offices in Charlotte and Raleigh. You can find more episodes of Trust Company Talks on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Receive the episodes as soon as they premiere by subscribing today.

November 20, 2025Episode 3933 min

From AI Stocks to Crypto: A Conversation with Wes Crill of Dimensional Fund Advisors

AI headlines, meme stocks, crypto and mega-cap tech have all been front and center this year. For long-term investors, the harder question is what actually deserves a place in a disciplined portfolio.In a new episode of Trust Company Talks, hosts Bill Noble and Burke Koonce sit down with Wes Crill, Senior Client Solutions Director and Vice President at Dimensional Fund Advisors, to sort through the noise and return to core principles.Wes shares how he's thinking about the themes investors are asking about most right now, including AI-driven market concentration, the role of traditional investment premiums and the questions surrounding small caps. He also discusses how research helps separate signal from noise in a year filled with new products, rapid narratives and shifting expectations.The conversation touches on:AI's influence on market behavior and investor expectationsHow concentrated performance shapes the broader discussionWhat research shows about premiums across different marketsWhere speculation shows up in headlines and portfoliosHow investors can stay grounded when new products or trends emergeWes closes with a simple message for investors in an anxious, headline-heavy year: broad diversification, clear goals and steady implementation tend to matter more than the latest market story.Trust Company Talks is a production of Trust Company of the South, one of the premier wealth management firms in the Southeast. Trust Company is a privately held firm based in Greensboro, NC, with offices in Charlotte and Raleigh. You can find more episodes of Trust Company Talks on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Receive the episodes as soon as they premiere by subscribing today.

October 23, 2025Episode 3849 min

Private Investing Today: A Conversation with Mark Roberts of Ironsides Asset Advisors

Private investing looks very different depending on where you sit, whether that be from the state pension board or in a family office.In this episode of Trust Company Talks, hosts Bill Noble and Burke Koonce sit down with Mark Roberts, CIO at Ironsides Asset Advisors, to discuss how families can think about private portfolios in a changing market environment.Mark shares lessons from decades in family office management and his recent governance work with North Carolina's public pension system, explaining how those experiences shape his approach to building customized portfolios for clients.They cover:The case for smaller buyout managers and disciplined vintage pacingInterest rate impacts on private equity distributionsThe challenges of liquid alternatives and evergreen fundsPressures facing university endowments and venture allocationsAligning investment horizons with family objectivesThe discussion shows how private investing, done with patience and purpose, can support a family's goals for decades.Trust Company Talks is a production of Trust Company of the South, one of the premier wealth management firms in the Southeast. Trust Company is a privately held firm based in Greensboro, NC, with offices in Charlotte and Raleigh. You can find more episodes of Trust Company Talks on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Receive the episodes as soon as they premiere by subscribing today.

September 18, 2025Episode 3737 min

Understanding the One Big Beautiful Bill: A Conversation with Jonathan Henry

Tax rules shape real-life decisions, from how families give, to how business owners structure cash flow and the way parents save for a child's future.In this episode of Trust Company Talks, hosts Bill Noble and Burke Koonce sit down talk with Senior Wealth Advisor and Principal Jonathan Henry, CFP®, CPA to walk through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and what it may mean for clients and their families.Jonathan explains where the law extends 2017 provisions and where it changes the playing field, including:Where 2017 tax provisions were extended and why the added clarity mattersThe updated SALT deduction cap and its phase-out rangeEstate exemption changes and essential estate-planning housekeepingCharitable giving strategies, including bunching and the new small deduction for standard deduction filersChild tax credit and AMT updatesThe new "Trump accounts" for minors, including contribution rules, timing and the power of compoundingJonathan's full commentary on the Act is available here: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act.Trust Company Talks is a production of Trust Company of the South, one of the premier wealth management firms in the Southeast. Trust Company is a privately held firm based in Greensboro, NC, with offices in Charlotte and Raleigh. You can find more episodes of Trust Company Talks on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Receive the episodes as soon as they premiere by subscribing today.

August 21, 2025Episode 3631 min

Financial Planning for Newlyweds: A Conversation with Lindsey Stetson

Marriage brings plenty of new beginnings, and finances are no exception.In this episode of Trust Company Talks, hosts Bill Noble and Burke Koonce sit down with Lindsey Stetson, CFP®, wealth advisor in our Charlotte office, to discuss how couples can approach money matters early in their marriage. Drawing on years of advising families, Lindsey outlines practical steps for building a solid financial base together, touching on essentials such as:Why estate documents like wills and powers of attorney should be in placeHow to review and update beneficiaries on retirement accounts and insurance policiesCombining (or not) bank accounts and subscription servicesThe role of communication in avoiding financial surprisesSetting investment priorities for short- and long-term goalsLindsey also shares personal context, from meeting her husband in a college math class to working with younger families today, showing how experience and planning help strengthen financial decision-making.For more on this, see Lindsey's earlier piece Financial Considerations for Newlyweds.Trust Company Talks is a production of Trust Company of the South, one of the premier wealth management firms in the Southeast. Trust Company is a privately held firm based in Greensboro, NC, with offices in Charlotte and Raleigh. You can find more episodes of Trust Company Talks on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Receive the episodes as soon as they premiere by subscribing today.