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
June 21, 2025 • 29 mins
CORRECTION: During the 13:45 caller, I gave erroneous advice on the withdrawal rules for an inherited IRA. Given that this was his father’s IRA, he is not eligible to wait until the end of the 10-year period. So he will need to distributions and, then, make a charitable gifts. -Don
Don tackles a stack of listener questions in this rapid-fire Friday Q&A, covering what a financial plan should cost, how tipping might work in a cashle...
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June 18, 2025 • 45 mins
Don and Tom dive into the human obsession with prediction—especially in finance—and why models fail us more than they help. They dissect the CAPE ratio, Fama vs. Shiller, and why “knowing” the market is a fool’s errand. Listeners also get lessons on ETF pricing myths, market cap misunderstandings, SEP Roth IRAs (spoiler: they’re basically unicorns), and whether dad deserves a gift or just more responsibilities.
0:04 We crave certa...
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June 17, 2025 • 45 mins
Don and Tom tackle the behavioral trap of “home bias” in investing—why U.S. investors tend to overinvest domestically and why it’s dangerous. They compare global fund allocations across countries, poke fun at nationalist investing instincts, and explain why international diversification is essential. Listener calls cover early Social Security regret, 72(t) withdrawals, covered calls on Palantir, and what happens to target date fund...
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June 16, 2025 • 28 mins
In this episode of Talking Real Money, Don and Tom take aim at one of the most persistent investing mistakes: owning individual stocks. With humor and sharp skepticism, they explore why investors—even those who say they follow the show’s advice—still concentrate wealth in a few companies like Apple, NVIDIA, or their employer’s stock. Referencing Jason Zweig’s Wall Street Journal column and legendary research from Bessembinder, they...
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June 13, 2025 • 25 mins
Tom and Roxy dive into listener questions with sharp advice and sharper metaphors—like why a 1,000-point drop in the Dow is more like a slight temperature dip than a financial catastrophe. They cover smart asset location (where to put what), consolidation tips for retirement accounts, the often-overlooked costs of rental real estate, and the emotional tug-of-war between risk tolerance and capacity as retirement nears. Plus: a gentl...
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June 12, 2025 • 31 mins
This episode explores the psychological and financial side of retirement planning through the lens of entropy. Don and Tom dive into an article from Kiplinger that cleverly compares retirement to the second law of thermodynamics: left unmanaged, both money and purpose tend toward chaos. Only 4% of retirees say they're "living the dream"—and the duo explores why that number is so shockingly low. From maintaining routine and finding ...
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June 11, 2025 • 45 mins
Don and Tom dig into America’s $1.7 trillion in forgotten retirement accounts—29 million of them! They walk listeners through how to search for their own missing funds and share their own finds (or lack thereof). They answer questions about where to park $100K in short-term savings, when (or if) to convert to a Roth in your 70s, the pros and cons of ETFs versus mutual funds in taxable accounts, and the murky territory of backdoor R...
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June 11, 2025 • 45 mins
Don and Tom salute high-schoolers who tackled the National Personal Finance Challenge, then test listeners (and each other) with the same nine-question quiz—covering basics like principal vs. balance, Roth RMD rules, CDs, vesting, inflation risk, callable bonds, and limit orders. Call-in segments dig into real-world money puzzles: whether to sink home-sale proceeds into a new mortgage at today’s 7 % rates, how (and whether) to valu...
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June 9, 2025 • 29 mins
Don and Tom explore the evolution, promise, and pitfalls of Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). While ETFs have become the dominant investment vehicle, boasting $8 trillion in assets and more than 4,000 choices, the duo cautions against the “novelty trap” that lures investors into trendy, high-cost, low-diversification funds. They advocate sticking with time-tested providers like Vanguard, Schwab, and Avantis, and urge listeners to focus...
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June 6, 2025 • 32 mins
In this Friday Q&A episode, Don answers a wide range of listener questions, covering everything from market timing behavior and condo pitfalls to portfolio simplification and strategic debt repayment. He offers heartfelt financial guidance with his usual mix of candor and compassion—including a personal confession about his own Social Security decision. Plus, he pleads (just a little) for positive Apple Podcast reviews to combat th...
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June 5, 2025 • 29 mins
A chaotic day leads Don into a deep (and entertaining) dive into the futility of market timing, spurred by a recent Morningstar article on Pacer’s Trendpilot ETF. Don and Tom break down the mechanics of the fund’s strategy, its underperformance compared to a simple 60/40 portfolio, and the long-term cost of trying to avoid downturns. Listener questions bring up diversification, Roth IRAs, and the eternal struggle with ticker symbol...
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June 4, 2025 • 44 mins
Don and Tom unpack Morningstar’s latest “5 of the Best” investing methods, praising the simplicity of balanced and target-date funds but warning against high-fee versions. They emphasize that no portfolio fits everyone and push for low-cost index solutions. Listeners call in with 401k rollover questions and political discomfort around financial firms—sparking a candid, occasionally funny chat about ethics, emotions, and retirement ...
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June 3, 2025 • 45 mins
In this episode of Talking Real Money, Don and Tom reluctantly return to the topic of Bitcoin, using its recent price spike to explore deeper questions about market efficiency, irrational investor behavior, and the legitimacy of crypto as an investment. With nods to Eugene Fama, Cliff Asness, and some well-aimed skepticism, the duo debates whether price reflects value or just hype. Alongside listener calls from California, Canada, ...
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June 2, 2025 • 27 mins
Don and Tom dive into a new study showing the average investor spends just six minutes researching a stock—most of it just watching the price move. From gut feelings to hometown bias, they unpack why individual stock picking is often driven by emotion, not logic. Along the way, they skewer myths about control, tax efficiency, and the Warren Buffett fantasy. Listener questions cover Roth 401k rollovers, Roth conversion timing, and F...
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May 30, 2025 • 28 mins
Don fields a fresh batch of listener questions in this all-audio edition. A longtime fan asks whether a municipal bond ETF (VTEB) is a smarter place than a money market fund for short-term cash—Don explains why liquidity and risk matter more than yield. Another listener wants help navigating how much cash retirees should keep and when to use it—Don breaks it into two simple buckets: one for living, one for emergencies. A third call...
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May 29, 2025 • 45 mins
Don and Tom roll through Memorial Day weekend with a little heat from the audience, a breakdown of where Americans get their financial advice (hint: it’s not great), and some solid, real-world investing guidance. They take a couple of strong listener calls—one on geopolitical market fear and another from a small business owner unsure how to save for retirement. Plus, Don flaunts a ridiculous cash stash and his new Rodecaster Pro II...
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May 28, 2025 • 45 mins
This episode brings the heat on so-called “financial educators” masquerading as fiduciaries while hawking high-commission indexed annuities. Don and Tom dissect the misleading promises of 9% guaranteed returns, break down real disclosure numbers, and expose the enormous commissions driving these “recommendations.” Listener questions spark insights on ETF vs mutual fund returns, bond yield mechanics, and personalized retirement with...
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May 27, 2025 • 27 mins
Tom takes a break from vacationing to join Don in a deep dive on target date funds—the good, the mediocre, and the fee-loaded ugly. They break down performance data, highlight major fund differences, and remind listeners why understanding your own risk tolerance still matters. Listener questions spark advice on Roth IRAs for young investors and strategies for holding large tax payments. All with classic banter, bad jokes, and a qui...
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May 23, 2025 • 25 mins
In this lighter (but still info-packed) Friday Q&A episode, Don tackles a mixed bag of real-world money questions—from Roth conversions and selling the family home to foreign tax credits and the emotional overload of trying to do everythingat once. Listeners wrestle with software vs. strategy, gifting real estate to their kids, and finding financial sanity in mid-life. Don reminds us: good advice doesn’t come with a magic wand, but...
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May 22, 2025 • 29 mins
Don shares a deeply personal tale from 2007 when, as an HOA treasurer, he dodged a financial landmine involving auction-rate securities—just before the 2008 crisis froze their liquidity. That real-life scare flows into a fierce takedown of today’s institutional obsession with illiquid assets like private equity, especially in university endowments. Harvard’s high-risk strategies, retirement plans promoting alternatives, and the sed...
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