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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

May Questions
May 15, 2026

May Questions

Don opens this Friday Q&A episode with a personal reflection on finally releasing his historical fiction novel The Line Uncrossed , inspired by his great-great-grandfather’s imprisonment at Andersonville during the Civil War....

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Retirement Relocation Reality
May 14, 2026

Retirement Relocation Reality

Don and Tom explore one of retirement’s biggest emotional and financial questions: where should you actually live once work winds down? They discuss the hidden realities behind “low-tax” retirement states, including insurance...
Selling Fear
May 13, 2026

Selling Fear

Don and Tom take aim at the booming annuity industry, arguing that most annuities are sold through fear, confusion, and unrealistic promises rather than honest financial planning. They explain why indexed annuities are especi...
Red Hot or Icy Blue?
May 12, 2026

Red Hot or Icy Blue?

Don and Tom tackle the strange psychology of politics and investing, exploring how Republicans and Democrats consistently perceive the economy and markets differently depending on who occupies the White House. Drawing on rese...
Active Management Myth
May 11, 2026

Active Management Myth

Tom and Don take aim at the persistent myth that active management adds meaningful long-term value, using a new study highlighted by Larry Swedroe showing that 1,260 balanced mutual funds dramatically underperformed simple lo...
Another Busy Q&A Day
May 8, 2026

Another Busy Q&A Day

This Q&A episode of Talking Real Money covers a wide range of listener questions, from proposed “youth retirement accounts” and 529 plans to the deceptive marketing tactics behind indexed annuity steak dinners. Don also share...