Investing Is Dull

Don and Tom tackle investor “magical thinking,” especially the belief that private equity, non-traded REITs, and other illiquid “exclusive” investments offer hidden superior returns. They walk through Jason Zweig’s recent reporting on a Florida pension fund that locked up money, paid higher fees, and earned under 1% a year. The conversation underscores why liquidity, transparency, and diversification matter far more than complexity or exclusivity. The episode also features listener questions on retirement withdrawal sequencing for a $9M portfolio, evaluating cash balance plans, and deciding between traditional vs. Roth 401(k) contributions. A recurring theme: boring portfolios win. 0:05 Magical thinking and the fantasy of “special” investments 1:52 Private equity realities: higher fees, no liquidity, often lower returns 2:46 The Indian Shores pension fund case 3:44 Withdrawal limits and 0.7% 5-year returns 4:34 Why endowments can do illiquid assets but you probably shouldn’t 5:21 “Roach motel” investing and lack of transparency 8:35 How mutual funds must provide daily liquidity vs. private funds that don’t 8:49 Excitement is bad; investing should be boring 9:54 Caller: $9M portfolio—withdraw taxable first or convert IRAs? 11:51 Traditional IRAs vs taxable sequencing strategy 14:17 Why taxable first lowers tax impact and preserves flexibility 16:03 Blackstone senior housing REIT losses and why “sure things” fail 17:39 Diversification protects you when single bets go bad 18:06 Why private deals appeal emotionally (exclusivity + status) 20:38 Caller: Tesla & concerns about private equity creeping into ETFs 23:07 Why mainstream ETFs won’t adopt illiquid private assets 24:43 REIT ETFs behave more like stabilizing bond substitutes 26:02 LeaveMeAlone email-unsubscribe tool discovery 28:04 Listener questions: send via site or voice form 30:51 Cash balance plan concerns—likely a stable value/insurance product 33:08 Another listener: Edward Jones 401(k) with American Funds C-shares 34:30 High-fee small-plan 401(k)s—why they happen and how to fix 36:27 Caller: Should we switch to Roth 401(k) contributions? Probably not here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices