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Episodes

We post new episodes verey weekday (except holidays).
Sept. 12, 2023

Who Will Protect You?

Because people have been known to rip off customers, the financial industry is heavily regulated, with a few exceptions. We explore how indexed annuity salespeople get away with misleading customers and how hard it is to stop...
Sept. 11, 2023

Your Investment Priorities

Advisor Diana Bacon joins Tom and Don to discuss those future purposes for which you need to invest. Should you invest for a house, education, retirement, or beer, and how much for each? Listeners ask: Is a Fidelity investor ...
Sept. 8, 2023

Saturday Eve Qs and Cs

In this Q&A (and C) episode: What's the best way to sell gold for an estate and what are the tax ramifications? What type of 401k is better for charitable contributions? Those Vanguard transaction fees get paid back into the ...
Sept. 7, 2023

Past Isn't Prologue

For decades, bonds moved differently from stocks. Then they moved together. So, what will happen in the future? In addition, can you know things that the "market" doesn't? Why do we refuse to jump on "investing" bandwagons li...
Sept. 6, 2023

Keep Messing Up

In this episode, we explore a couple of the big mistakes investors make and clearly and simply explain how to avoid. But, we know most of you will ignore our advice. Thank you! Listeners ask: Is a 401k plan better than an IR...
Sept. 5, 2023

Bleak Future for Gen X?

Is Generation X in retirement funding trouble? With few pensions, low savings, and small portfolios, will Gen X be able to retire comfortably? The listeners ask Don and Tom: What do we think of "defined outcome" funds? What ...
Sept. 1, 2023

Pre-Labor Day Q&A

In today's end-of-week edition of interaction between listeners and Don: Would the tax savings from a deductible 401k beat the tax-free aspect of a Roth 401k? Will savings be adequate to provide income while waiting until age...
Aug. 31, 2023

Too Large to be Small

If you want to overweight small cap stocks, be aware that small cap index funds are filling with larger sized securities. How can you make sure your small cap portfolio is actually small? Then, listeners ask: Would it be bett...
Aug. 30, 2023

Can You Bank On Riches?

Investing is risky. CDs are safe. So, why not put your money in the bank for ten years at high rates? Tom and Don debunk the popular myth that there is easy, safe money. Remember, the money media will tell you what you want t...
Aug. 29, 2023

Quacks Like a Commission

We discover that Vanguard charges fees to buy and sell some of their mutual funds. What's the difference between a transaction fee and a commission? Plus, are friends and family the best resource for fiduciary financial advice? What's the best way to find a great financial advisor? After Bob Barker…
Aug. 28, 2023

Be a Famous "Stopped Clock"

Apparently, to become a famous market prognosticator, you only need one accurate guess. Tom and Don wonder why we still hang on the advice of those who rarely, if ever, make a correct guess about market direction. Then we hea...
Aug. 25, 2023

More Friday Questions

Here are today's questions: Is a friend working with a good advisor? What's the best way to move money from an appreciated mutual fund to a more tax-advantaged fund? How does an organization determine the proper risk profile? How can a a well-diversified ETF portfolio created? At what age does a cu…
Aug. 24, 2023

New No-Risk ETF

We all want to make lots of money with no risk. Well, you can't have both. That hasn't stopped many in the financial and insurance business from creating products designed to make it appear you can receive wealth without risk...
Aug. 23, 2023

Retirement Is In Your Hands

Most of us are not ready for a financially secure retirement. Americans are increasingly on their own when it comes to creating a life-long retirement income stream. What will it take to make us better retirement investors? O...
Aug. 23, 2023

Interest Rates: Up or Down?

First, "they" said rates could never fall to almost zero. Then,"they" said rates wouldn't go this high. Therefore, it's apparent that "they" don't have a clue. So, what should you do? Should you buy long-term bonds? Should you buy a house? Then listeners ask: When does it makes sense to buy long-te…
Aug. 21, 2023

Loud, Obnoxious, and Amoral

His prices may have been insane, but "Crazy" Eddie Antar was a cold, calculating criminal who used his incredible fame to rip people off for over a decade, from the late 1970s and late 1980s. Tom talks about his many crimes f...
Aug. 18, 2023

Q Friday, A

On today's Friday Q&A episode: Is there a way to move from one appreciated fund to another without a tax hit? How many stocks are in AVGE? What is the best way to give appreciated assets to charity and receive an income? Is i...
Aug. 17, 2023

Passive Leaders

We share which passive, unmanaged funds have made the most over the past decade? However, does past performance tell you anything aboit the future? Then, we answer questions from a couple of listeners: Should new money be use...
Aug. 16, 2023

Balance Beats Target

Does the fact that target-date funds (which hold international stocks) have underperformed their balanced competitors (with generally on US companies) tell you anything about their future?Plus, why is the financial media keep...
Aug. 15, 2023

Product Peddler Piqued

The show starts with a relatively tame discussion of the reccomendation to sell I-bonds and move the money into long-term Treasury bonds. Then, our first call sets off fireworks as attempts to claim that equity indexed annuit...
Aug. 14, 2023

Don’s European Vacation

Talking Real Money Special Travelogue Edition After taking his longest vacation in many years, Don share his thoughts about the trip, the ship, and his feelings about vacationing. To follow along with pictures, please visit t...
Aug. 11, 2023

Post Vaca Q&A

Back from vacation, Don shares some programming changes then answers listeners questions: Should a bunch of funds be moved into to new Avantis Value ETF, AVGV? How should childrens' Roth IRAs be invested? With Voya as 401k custodian, what should be expected? Does it make sense to move to a more agg…
Aug. 10, 2023

Are Homes Too Expensive?

Don is back from vacation while Tom is well into vacation and yet they managed to get together to discuss the relative unaffordability of single family homes. Are homes more expensive than ever? Plus, homeowners are borrowing...
Aug. 9, 2023

Cash Is King?

Don is still away, but will be back soon. In the meantime: Who needs those risky stocks? A brilliant 25-year claims to have discovered the incredible power of nice, safe CDs and savings. How and how much should be invested in...