A century-long study by Hendrik Bessembinder reveals a stunning truth about investing: while the U.S. stock market produced enormous overall wealth, the vast majority of individual stocks were losers, with just 46 companies r...
This Friday Q&A episode of Talking Real Money features a surge in listener questions, covering key retirement and investing topics including IRA inheritance strategies, borrowing in retirement, how to find fiduciary advisors,...
Don and Tom tear into Kiplinger’s roundup of “best money advice,” separating the genuinely useful from the obvious, the flawed, and the downright silly. They agree that core principles like living below your means, automating...
This episode cuts through the marketing fog around “financial advisors,” breaking them into three real categories—brokers, insurance agents, and fiduciary investment advisors—and exposing how incentives, commissions, and murk...
Don and Tom kick things off with a colorful history lesson on 19th-century “bucket shops,” drawing a sharp parallel to today’s emerging world of tokenized securities—digital representations of stocks traded on blockchain plat...
This episode shifts from investing to the growing threat of scams—especially targeting older adults—breaking down how common fraud tactics work, from fake virus alerts and spoofed calls to AI-driven voice cloning and recovery...
This Q&A episode tackles a mix of practical retirement and investing questions, starting with why spousal Social Security benefits rarely change the core advice to delay claiming. Don explains the limits of basic retirement c...
This episode opens with a blistering takedown of sensationalized financial media, using a Kiplinger income piece as the latest example of how risky, high-fee junk bond products get dressed up as safe income solutions for yiel...
In the final hour of the radio show, Don and Tom blend nostalgia with a blunt reality check—highlighting the looming Social Security shortfall that could force 20–25% benefit cuts within a decade. They explore politically pai...
The final live radio episode of Talking Real Money blends nostalgia, listener appreciation, and core investing philosophy. Don and Tom reflect on nearly four decades of broadcasting while reinforcing their timeless message: c...
This episode mixes studio banter with a surprisingly substantive look at education and investing trade-offs. Don and Tom walk through data on the lowest-paying college majors, highlighting that many bachelor’s degrees—especia...
A lively Friday Q&A kicks off with some unintended voice effects courtesy of Don’s grandkids before diving into listener questions on money market funds versus high-yield savings accounts, Roth vs. traditional 401(k) decision...
The idea of a universal “retirement number” gets dismantled as misleading and overly simplistic, with Don and Tom arguing that retirement planning is deeply personal and depends on spending, income sources, and lifestyle. The...
As Talking Real Money moves into its final week on terrestrial radio, Don and Tom mix transition talk with a practical rundown of common retirement myths. They push back on the idea that expenses automatically fall in retirem...
With geopolitical tension rattling markets and investors stampeding into cash, gold, and energy, Don and Tom step back to deliver a familiar message: nobody knows what’s next—and anyone claiming otherwise is selling something...
The housing market is stuck in an unusual freeze, driven by the lingering effects of ultra-low COVID-era mortgage rates, reduced housing inventory, and sharply higher income requirements for buyers. With fewer people moving, ...
Don fields listener questions on asset allocation, advisor timing, and investing complexity with his usual bias toward simplicity and self-awareness. He emphasizes that the decision to add bonds isn’t about age but about emot...
Morningstar’s latest research nudges the “safe” withdrawal rate down to 3.9%, but Don and Tom make it clear there’s no magic number—just tradeoffs. They walk through fixed vs. flexible withdrawal strategies, why spending adap...
The show opens with a major announcement: Talking Real Money is leaving terrestrial radio and going fully podcast-only, marking the end of a 16-year Saturday run. A heartfelt surprise call from Don’s wife Debbie reflects on d...
As Talking Real Money prepares to leave terrestrial radio and become a podcast-only show, Tom and Don pivot from logistics to a deeper issue: the growing financial fragility of retirees. With fewer than 3% of Americans over 6...
This Friday Q&A episode tackles several thoughtful listener questions covering 401(k) investment choices, Roth conversion strategies, bond market fears, inherited IRA planning, and investment club mechanics. Don explains why ...
Exchange-traded funds began as simple, low-cost index vehicles, but their popularity has sparked a flood of increasingly speculative products. Don and Tom explain how more than 1,000 new ETFs launched in the past year—many in...
In this Friday Q&A episode, Don answers four listener questions covering fund recommendations, special-needs financial planning, retirement withdrawal strategy, and tax-efficient health savings. First, he addresses whether Ta...
A debate over jelly bean flavors quickly pivots into a takedown of a flashy Inc. Magazine article claiming people shouldn’t save for retirement. Don and Tom dissect the “cash-flow over investing” pitch from entrepreneur Josep...
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