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Episodes

We post new episodes verey weekday (except holidays).
Nov. 17, 2023

Pre-Turkey Q&A

In this episode, Don addresses the following: Why should a portfolio be rebalanced regularly? Is a state teacher's pension pre-tax money or can it be rolled over tax-free? What is the difference between the pre-tax, Roth, and after-tax 403b options? Finally, a listener appreciates the Medicare epis…
Nov. 16, 2023

Are Advisors Obsolete?

As AI grows exponetially more knowledgable, are investors ready to move from human to many investing advice? Are there skills that people have that artificial intelligence can't mimic? Plus, listeners ask: What is the best or...
Nov. 15, 2023

Most Don't Know

When Tom finally sits down with the finance guy to buy his car, he is pitched a bunch of extra warranties and given some terrible investing advice. So, today, we discuss all of the mistaken beliefs people have about investing...
Nov. 14, 2023

World of Opportunities

With U.S. stock prices running hot versus the rest of the world, could your portfolio benefit from more international stocks? Tom and Don share some numbers and historical data. We ask, is Robin Hood's 1% IRA contribution wor...
Nov. 13, 2023

Hedge Fund Fail

We share yet another example of the premise that luck is behind the success of most professional money managers. A new book portrays Ray Dalio, the founder of the giant hedge fund Bridgewater Associates, as just another avera...
Nov. 10, 2023

Four Q Day

This Friday, Don answers questions about: How many beneficiaries of a 529 plan can transfer $35,000 into a Roth IRA? Does a micro-cap fund have a place in a portfolio? Should a retirement lump sum be investing in rolling matu...
Nov. 9, 2023

A Mere Million?

The average American family’s net worth has risen to 1 million dollars, yet few of us have the money for a $500 million yacht. However, there are 16 million mini-millionaires in the United States. How do you join the milliona...
Nov. 8, 2023

Working in Retirement

Retiring later seems like a viable option for those who failed to save enough to afford retirement. What is the reality of working past 65? What are the new 2024 retirement plan contribution limits? We take listeners' questio...
Nov. 7, 2023

Fiduciary Future?

After failing several times, the Department of Labor will try again to make all retirement plan advisors act as true fiduciaries. The insurance industry will be suing to keep you paying them high fees and commissions. If you ...
Nov. 6, 2023

Rent and Invest?

Buying a home may not be as smart as renting. Rising interest rates have pushed the cost of home ownership far above the price of renting a similar home. Yet, home prices have not fallen enough to offset the differences. Plus...
Nov. 3, 2023

T.G.I.F.B.I.A.Q.

It's Friday, and Don takes your questions: What's with the weird ticker symbols for retirement plan funds? Does it make sense only to fund a mega-backdoor Roth IRA? Is it smart to loan a child money for a home? Should money f...
Nov. 2, 2023

Small Investors Win?

Have small investors finally gotten smarter than the market? Using misleading data from Robin Hood, The Wall Street Journal tries to make traders appear prescient. Then, we answer these questions: Which Vanguard bond fund do ...
Nov. 1, 2023

High Costs of "Free"

Every year we are inundated with ads for Medicare Advantage plans. So, are there any real advantages and what are the downsides? One caller criticizes Medicare Advantage programs Others ask: About contributing to a company 40...
Oct. 31, 2023

Spike Setbacks

Don goes it alone for a couple of episodes. It appear that mist of the financial setbacks over the past fifty years have followed periods of rapidly rising rates. What can you do to protect against risng (and falling) interest rates? What is the historical norm for rates? Plus, Don talks about the …
Oct. 30, 2023

Fysics: Diversification

In this episode, we open Don's "good" book, Financial Fysics to the section on the power of a well-diversified investment portfolio. We take some questions, too: What should be done with two maturing annuities? How should a $...
Oct. 27, 2023

403 and Annuity Q-Day

On today's Q&A show: Why is an attractive-sounding annuity a bad idea? Are there times when a 403b shouldn't be rolled into an IRA? How can someone complain about insurance products in a 403b? When can a contribution be made to a mid-year HSA? What's the best way to invest in various types of a…
Oct. 26, 2023

Hard to Retire Here

Far too many Americans fall through the cracks in the U.S. retirement system. In an age of few pensions, many don't invest for retirement and can't survive on just Social Security. How do we get more workers to save more and ...
Oct. 25, 2023

Whither Interest Rates?

We discuss the current state of the bond market and the possibilities for the future. Is there any way investors can outguess the bond market (or any other securities market)? Plus, we talk about Tom's new iPhone 15. Listener...
Oct. 24, 2023

60/40 Dead Again?

Six month's later, the Wall Street Journal contradicts itself in the debate about the efficacy of a 60% stock/40% bond portfolio. Understand how a short period can influence our long-term perception. Plus, what are your alternatives to traditional stock/bond investing? Our listeners ask: Why would …
Oct. 23, 2023

Is Betting Better?

Could betting markets predict the future? The evidence shows that the "wisdom of crowds" has been pretty accurate. In finance, they call it "the efficient market." Essentially, this means that, in aggregate, a large crowd (like the global stock market) is likely to be a more accurate future prognos…
Oct. 20, 2023

Many Questions and Answers

This week: Why do we like the Utah 529 Plan? Should BND be sold to create a ladder even if it's down? Why don't we mention M1 Finance? What do we think of the Fidelity Zero funds? Can a corporate bond ETF replace a money mark...
Oct. 19, 2023

Annuities Are Sold...

Because they are so popular with financial salespeople, we need to talk about the confusing world of annuities. What are they and what are those who sell them failing to disclose? Discover the realities of these very complex ...
Oct. 18, 2023

Too Much Cash

Young investors have a lot of money in cash because they fear the stocks market. Yet, the best time to invest is when you are young because you have time to ride the ups and down of the market. Then it's question time: What c...
Oct. 17, 2023

Crypto Sucks...

How much might Bitcoin appreciate per year? Someone claims to know. Then, a Bitcoin farm can consume the energy of a small city and while the Chinese won't allow them in China, they have no problem consuming our power and may...