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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

Fewer Questions
June 12, 2026

Fewer Questions

Don answers a diverse collection of listener questions covering Roth conversions, indexed annuities, emergency fund management, TSP contributions, inherited money, and portfolio construction. He delivers a forceful warning ab...

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How Bonds Work
June 11, 2026

How Bonds Work

Don and Tom tackle rising bond yields and the anxiety they create for investors, explaining why higher bond yields mean lower bond prices and why recent moves in long-term Treasury rates have sparked comparisons to the period...
Hot IPOs, Cold Returns?
June 10, 2026

Hot IPOs, Cold Returns?

Don and Tom examine the coming wave of blockbuster IPOs, including rumored offerings from SpaceX, Anthropic, and OpenAI, and explain why investor excitement often leads to disappointing results. Drawing on research from Dimen...
What is Risk?
June 9, 2026

What is Risk?

Don and Tom explore the difference between smart risk and dumb risk in investing, sparked by new survey data showing younger investors increasingly believe they must take big risks to achieve their financial goals. They discu...
Not Bogle's Vanguard
June 8, 2026

Not Bogle's Vanguard

Don and Tom question whether the investment industry—and increasingly Vanguard—keeps creating new products simply to stay relevant rather than solve real investor problems. They critique Vanguard’s new Target Retirement Lifet...
Stormy Q&A DAY
June 5, 2026

Stormy Q&A DAY

Don records through a booming Florida thunderstorm while tackling five listener questions. He discusses a thoughtful strategy for using a UTMA account to teach investing and potentially fund a future Roth IRA, then provides a...