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
1991
Oct. 2, 2026
Ep. 1991: Seven Questions, Clear Answers
Seven listeners bring seven practical money decisions, and Don moves through them without the usual detours. He compares ETFs with mutual funds, untangles realistic stock returns and retirement withdrawal rates, and explains where a short-term bond fund may fit.
Then he tackles the tax tail on an expensive legacy fund, why reverse-mortgage proceeds should stay safe, the real job of emergency savings, and what to have ready for a free advisor conversation.
2:13 ETFs vs. mutual funds
4:56 Real r
Then he tackles the tax tail on an expensive legacy fund, why reverse-mortgage proceeds should stay safe, the real job of emergency savings, and what to have ready for a free advisor conversation.
2:13 ETFs vs. mutual funds
4:56 Real r
1990
Oct. 1, 2026
Ep. 1990: Luck Isn’t Skill
One lucky streak can feel like investing genius—but anecdotes are not evidence. Don and Tom examine leveraged ETFs such as TQQQ, the brutal losses leverage can magnify, and why surviving a good run does not prove a strategy is sound. They answer a federal employee’s question about the TSP C, S, and I funds, explaining why a favorable 2003–2025 backtest cannot tell us what comes next and why diversification is still about reducing concentration risk. Then they dissect slick “hybrid pension” annui
1989
Sept. 30, 2026
Ep. 1989: Two Clocks, One Plan
Retirement planning becomes a two-clock problem when spouses are a decade or more apart in age. Don and Tom explain why one household may need to fund two timelines—and why healthcare, Social Security timing, survivor taxes, and account ownership deserve extra attention. The older, higher-earning spouse may need to delay Social Security to age 70 to protect the younger survivor. A strong plan also models the household after one spouse dies, when income and filing status can change abruptly. List
1988
Sept. 29, 2026
Ep. 1988: The Guarantee Mirage
Don and Tom examine the promises behind fixed, indexed, and immediate annuities—and why the word ‘guaranteed’ deserves closer scrutiny. They explain how insurers invest policyholder money, what state guaranty pools actually cover, and why complexity can hide both cost and risk. Listener questions cover when to claim Social Security, how delaying benefits can protect a surviving spouse, the interaction between Social Security COLAs and Medicare Part B premiums, and where TIPS may—or may not—belon
1987
Sept. 28, 2026
Ep. 1987: The Fee Machine
Higher fees do not buy higher returns. Don and Tom unpack the fee-to-risk/reward ratio, show how fund costs compound against investors, and compare low-cost index funds with expensive active funds, hedge funds, and private equity. Then they answer listener questions about converting Vanguard mutual funds to ETFs without triggering taxes, leaving a home to a stepson while preserving the step-up in basis, and spotting financial articles that are really advertisements in disguise. 3:22 The fee-to
1986
Sept. 25, 2026
Ep. 1986: Six Questions, Straight Answers
Six listener questions drive this Friday edition, starting with whether a pre-retirement car purchase belongs on a 401(k) withdrawal. Don explains why preserving tax-deferred growth usually matters more than trying to micromanage one year's tax bracket. The conversation moves through realistic return assumptions, global diversification, and the cleanest way to donate appreciated stock. Don also weighs the risks and costs of a non-traded real estate fund and reviews a thoughtfully conservative re
Listen On
