Tom and Don are Talking Real Money
Money and funny? Yes, the two can go together. Toss in honesty and transparency, mix with true financial science, and you have the most unique investing podcast in America. Listen as two of the country's top financial broadcasters and educators show you how to stop playing with your hard-earned money and start investing it for YOUR future. Tom Cock was the host of the PBS-TV show “Serious Money” for many years, and Don McDonald hosted a nationally syndicated financial talk show since 1988. Today, Tom and Don are still dishing out simple, straightforward financial advice on one of the most popular investing podcasts in the world.
Recent Episodes
2018
Nov. 10, 2026
Ep. 2018: All Gas, No Brakes
A provocative academic study says retirees should hold 100% stocks—an all-gas, no-brakes strategy that looks great in a spreadsheet. Don and Tom explain why higher expected returns alone ignore sequence risk, the emotional reality of a 50% drawdown, and the practical value of bonds when retirement withdrawals begin.
Then a listener asks about an employer-backed indexed universal split-dollar life insurance plan promising tax-free growth and distributions. The pitch sets off every alarm: complic
Then a listener asks about an employer-backed indexed universal split-dollar life insurance plan promising tax-free growth and distributions. The pitch sets off every alarm: complic
2017
Nov. 9, 2026
Ep. 2017: The Eggs-in-One-Basket Conundrum
Three famous companies in three different industries can still add up to a total loss. Don and Tom revisit Rule 17 from Financial Physics: diversification means much more than owning a handful of familiar stocks. From Enron and WorldCom to hometown favorites, they explain why confidence in a company is no substitute for spreading your investment risk. They also distinguish investments from the firms that hold them, then tackle listener questions about micro-cap funds, building an emergency rese
2016
Nov. 6, 2026
Ep. 2016: Five Questions, Clearer Choices
Five listener questions take Don from retirement income to a young investor’s first $100 a month. When does an immediate annuity make sense? What changes—and what doesn’t—when eligible Vanguard mutual funds become ETFs? And how can a 20-year-old get started with a simple, diversified retirement portfolio? Don also explains where interest from brokered CDs goes and weighs the appeal of a promotional 6% account against the hassle of moving your banking. First, a listener has a paper-saving sugges
2015
Nov. 5, 2026
Ep. 2015: The Smart Money Myth
Harvard, Yale, and other elite endowments hire armies of experts and pour billions into private equity, hedge funds, venture capital, and real estate—yet simple public-market investing often leaves them behind. Don and Tom unpack the numbers, the fees, and the small college that took a much simpler route. Then Darcy calls with a retirement portfolio that gets an enthusiastic A+: globally diversified stocks, a bond ladder, smart asset location, and a flexible spending plan. Her biggest challenge
2014
Nov. 4, 2026
Ep. 2014: The Inflation You Feel
Your grocery bill, insurance premium, and home maintenance costs can tell a very different story from the headline inflation rate. Don and Tom explore why rising prices hit households differently, how lifestyle creep quietly absorbs pay raises, and why a diversified investment portfolio matters when protecting long-term purchasing power. A listener nearing retirement asks whether an annuity or a change to her target-date portfolio makes more sense. Plus, why a fixed bond payment can fall behind
2013
Nov. 3, 2026
Ep. 2013: Betting Against Your Future
A $50 sports bet can cost more than the money you lose today. Don and Tom explore why treating gambling as an investment can put decades of potential growth at risk—and why patient, low-cost, diversified investing offers a very different proposition. They discuss the pull of betting apps, the power of compounding, and the habits that make saving automatic. Listener questions bring the conversation back to flexibility: How firmly should a retiree follow an investment policy statement during a ma
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