Talking Real Money - Investing Talk
Financial talk radio veteran, Don McDonald and former host of Serious Money on PBS, Tom Cock, join forces to talk about real money issues. In each episode, they solve real money problems, dole out real investing (not speculating) advice, and really explain the financial issues that effect all of us. Plus, it's actually fun! Talking Real Money is a podcast designed to provide the real help we all need to enjoy a really great future. Call in with your questions anytime at 855-935-TALK (8255).
Episodes
August 6, 2025 • 44 mins
This Talking Real Money episode dives into America’s millionaire boom—1,000 a day—and what it really takes to join the club. Don and Tom discuss inflation’s impact on wealth, the real sources of millionaire status (spoiler: it’s not crypto), and the critical role of forced savings via homes and 401(k)s. Listeners call in with questions on triple-leveraged ETFs (don’t), deferring capital gains on farmland, and gambling on tech stock...
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August 5, 2025 • 44 mins
Don and Tom open the show with a lighthearted reminder that money doesn’t sleep—so neither do they. They dive into a New York Times article featuring Goldman Sachs researchers who identify five patterns that influence retirement accounts and market behavior. The duo emphasizes that while market predictions are near-impossible, understanding these patterns can inform better investor behavior—particularly the value of diversification...
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August 4, 2025 • 32 mins
In this episode, Don and Tom tackle investor emotion during market highs and use a Schwab-inspired scenario to show how discipline beats market timing—every time. They walk through four fictional investors (lucky, disciplined, unlucky, and fearful) to reveal the long-term value of staying invested. The hosts also answer a listener’s question about breaking into the fiduciary advice world and finish with a blistering takedown of FIB...
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August 1, 2025 • 30 mins
With Don out, Tom Cock and advisor Roxy Butner tackle the increasingly hot question: should you trust a human or a machine with your money? They dig into two recent studies—one showing AI beating most fund managers, and another suggesting no long-term winner at all. Listener questions range from DIY ETF portfolios and Roth IRA conversion pitfalls to a wildly complex $2.5M retirement scenario involving crypto, precious metals, and a...
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July 31, 2025 • 31 mins
Don and Tom take a reality sledgehammer to investors’ wildly inflated expectations for stock market returns. A new survey shows average Americans expect 12.6% after inflation, even as historical real returns rarely crack 9%. They explore how this overconfidence—fueled by recency bias and company loyalty—leads to dangerous behavior like under-saving, over-spending, and poorly diversified portfolios. With real-world client stories, h...
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July 30, 2025 • 45 mins
In this episode of Talking Real Money, Don and Tom dive into the latest crypto chaos, pushing back against Ric Edelman’s bold prediction that ETFs will vanish within five years due to tokenization. They explain why that claim is both misleading and premature. Callers ask about tax shelters disguised as life insurance, sketchy “Tax Act 2020” gimmicks, trust issues with advisors, and the realities of Roth conversions and the pro-rata...
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July 29, 2025 • 45 mins
Despite lousy headlines—tariffs, weak earnings, flat revenues—the market keeps climbing. Don and Tom explain why trying to guess the “why” behind short-term moves is a fool’s errand, and why global diversification (including those long-shunned international small caps) is paying off. Listeners call in with smart, complex questions: million-dollar leftover 529s, the viability of the Hagerty Index for collectibles, catastrophic long-...
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July 28, 2025 • 29 mins
Don takes a fiscal detour into the world of AI, introducing his ChatGPT co-host “Cath” in a strikingly lifelike discussion about the future of jobs, the role of artificial intelligence in our lives, and how we can adapt to massive changes already underway. The episode blends curiosity, caution, and practical insight—with a historical twist that ties today’s tech upheaval to the Luddite resistance of the 19th century. It’s a deeply ...
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July 25, 2025 • 18 mins
Don flies solo for another Question-and-Answer Friday (not Freaky Friday… despite Hollywood’s best efforts). Listener questions cover everything from Roth IRA choices for young investors to tax loss harvesting and reducing portfolio volatility with bond allocations. Don breaks down the pros and cons of popular ETFs, explains the benefits of tilting toward small and value, and gently guides a listener away from a pricey Fidelity fun...
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July 24, 2025 • 32 mins
Don and Tom explore the value of changing your mind in the face of new data—financial and otherwise. Sparked by Christine Benz’s recent Morningstar piece, they reflect on how their own views on DIY investing, target date funds, and even TIPS have evolved over time. Listener questions cover annuity taxes, Bitcoin inflation claims, covered call ETFs, and whether CDs beat bond funds in retirement. Grumpiness levels: elevated but enter...
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July 23, 2025 • 41 mins
Don and Tom defend the long-maligned 60/40 portfolio, diving into a 150-year Morningstar study that reveals its lower volatility and emotional survivability—even if it underperforms an all-stock portfolio over time. They tackle fixed indexed annuities head-on, debunking the myth of market returns without risk, citing high commissions, surrender charges, lack of liquidity, and poor transparency. Several listener calls highlight conf...
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July 22, 2025 • 41 mins
Don and Tom highlight what may be today’s biggest stock market bargain: small-cap value stocks, which have drastically underperformed large-cap growth and now appear poised for long-term reversion to the mean. They explain why chasing big winners like Nvidia and Apple could backfire, and why broad diversification with a tilt toward small and value still makes sense. Callers get help with tax drag from old mutual funds, switching fr...
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July 21, 2025 • 33 mins
Don and Tom dive into the new “big, beautiful” tax bill with humor and skepticism, covering changes to Social Security taxation, tips and overtime exemptions, expanded SALT deductions, and the controversial $1,000 baby bonus. They also tackle listener questions on Roth vs. IRA asset protection, portfolio rebalancing confusion, and lazy robo-advisory allocations. Bonus: helium speculation, trade school love, and a jab at politicians...
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July 18, 2025 • 25 mins
Don answers a handful of listener questions, offering sharp, practical insight on investing myths, flexible retirement withdrawals, taxable brokerage accounts, and misleading financial scare tactics. He critiques Suze Orman’s confusing advice, breaks down the logic of the 4% rule, and dismantles a fear-mongering insurance pitch claiming to “save retirement.” Expect sarcasm, clarity, and one well-aimed diatribe at the insurance-indu...
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July 16, 2025 • 44 mins
Don and Tom dive into the wild world of “speculative” ETFs inspired by Jason Zweig’s WSJ piece, mocking the absurdity of funds like the Icelandic stock market ETF (35 stocks, really?) and those tracking things like crude oil shipping futures. They debunk the myth that “ETF” means safe and highlight the rise of investing as entertainment. Later, they discuss disclaiming inherited assets, why tax planning and estate titling matter, a...
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July 15, 2025 • 48 mins
Don and Tom take on the ever-persistent phrase “This time it’s different,” as Bloomberg and NYT articles suggest AI, financial fragmentation, and inflation have permanently changed the investing game. The duo questions whether these changes actually warrant different investing behavior—or if they’re just the latest in a long line of panics dressed up as paradigm shifts. Along the way, they debate market melt-ups, the logic of diver...
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July 14, 2025 • 32 mins
Tom returns from his surprise Canadian adventure and the duo dive into the age-old retirement question: How do I get my money out? They break down the three most common withdrawal strategies—dividends, total return, and hybrid—and make the case for why a well-managed total return strategy usually comes out on top. Listener questions cover Roth IRA gifts to a niece, inherited IRA distribution rules, Paul Merriman’s small-cap stance,...
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July 11, 2025 • 26 mins
Don tackles six listener questions in a rare full-stack Q&A Friday. He breaks down a shady universal life insurance pitch, dismantles the myth of “smart” market timing with limit orders, and offers clarity on Roth conversions, rebalancing strategies, and inherited IRA hacks. A master class in how to stop making dumb money moves.
0:04 Intro – Friday Q&A episode with a goal: 6 questions in one show
1:18 How to ask your questions (a...
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July 10, 2025 • 42 mins
Don is joined by Mike DeJoseph from Vanguard to unpack the meaning and real-world impact of Advisor’s Alpha—Vanguard’s research showing how good financial advisors can add up to 3% annually in net value to client portfolios. They break down the origins of the concept (internally coined back in 2001), clarify what alpha actually means, and dig into where that added value comes from: behavioral coaching, tax-efficient strategies, low...
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July 9, 2025 • 46 mins
Don and Tom kick off this episode by responding to a one-star Apple Podcast reviewer who promised to upgrade to five stars—if they correct their allegedly false Bitcoin claims. Challenge accepted. Don clarifies his earlier “nobody uses Bitcoin” remark by digging into the actual numbers: only 15,000 businesses worldwide accept it, out of over 359 million—roughly 0.0004%, making it statistically more rare than a lightning strike. The...
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