In this episode of the Planet Money Indicator podcast, the hosts delve into how U.S. Congress members invest and whether those strategies yield positive results. They track two exchange-traded funds (ETFs)—one based on the trades of Democratic lawmakers, dubbed "Nance," and the other on Republican trades, called "Cruz." As they examine the portfolios of these funds, striking contrasts emerge, especially in their investments in the oil and gas industry. The discussion raises important ethical questions about politicians trading individual stocks, weighing arguments both for and against such practices, and highlights research showing that, on average, Congress members fail to outperform the market. The episode wraps up with a six-month update on the hosts' investment experiment, revealing that while Nance outperformed Cruz, both funds lagged behind the S&P 500.
