Episodes

After a year in which most securities took a beating, the "no-risk" investment touting free steak dinner offers should soon be filling mailboxes across the country. Don't let your emotion drive you to make foolish decisions. Then, listeners chime in: Have they picked a reasonable ETF allocation for an IRA? What does Don think of his 403b investment options? Does this five-year fixed annuity make sense? Which accounting method should be used for selling securities? What is the best withdr...

Every year about 133 million babies are born. Is there any way to predict which of them will die famous enough to make the TV retrospectives? Of course not. Do you believe you can predict when the investment markets will rise again (and fall again, thereafter)? Then, the phones light up: Does it make sense to use a regular 403b to help reduce income enough to qualify for a Roth IRA? What's the best way to own bonds in a portfolio? Is there reason to be concerned about market volatility during...

Tom and Don look at your top financioal resolutions and what they believe you should do to start growing your wealth. Plus, we take a question: Why do we prefer total market funds as opposed to a US dividend funds? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

Most people have no idea how much they are paying for their investments and investing advice. In this case what you don't know can really hurt you in the future. Plus Tom gets a surpriningly larger number of holiday calls: One listener call him out for using the show to get out of holiday choses and also seeks advice on fixing a bad mortgage loan. Another wants to know more about tax-loss harvesting. One caller wants to talk about qualified charitable distributions (QCDs). Tom helps figure o...

With Don on vacation, Tom shares a semi-poetic ode to his absent co-host. He discusses 401k auto-enrollment. ConsumerMan, Herb Weisbaum stopes by to discuss protecting your wealth during the holidays. Are mortgage buy downs worthwhile? Plus, some holiday callers arrive: The first "caller" looks for help dealing with violent holiday financial discussions (sort of). What should be done with a multiple stock portfolio? In 2023, should an employee take advantage of new Roth 401k matching? Learn ...

After recently declaring the 4% withdrawal rule dead, Morningstar has decided it's still kicking out income. A listener wonders if the Paul Merriman two-fund portfolio is a sensible way to go? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

Home prices rise and they fall. Those fluctuations are not predictable. With prices down recently, should you be a buyer or a seller? Plus, house flippers took s betaing in 2022. A listener wants to know if it makes more sense to contribute more to a regular pre-tax retirement account? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

Those who sell "the return of the market, with no risk" is a bald-faced lie. Indexed annuities by any name can't possibly deliver what they promise. That makes those most (if not all) of those who sell them liars. The story of Disney's mismanagement shows just how scary individual stocks can be. Plus, we discuss the best performing stock of 2022. Then we hear from listeners: Should his financial advisor be fired and replaced by a target-date fund? Should she buy an energy ETF to replace her...

We lie to ourselves about our prognosticative abilities. We remember making market predictions that were wildly different than we actually did. Plus, retail stock traders have had a very bad year. Listeners ask: How to get into an inexpensive small cap value fund? When we say "risk," don't we really mean volatility? How can listeners hear our Saturday radio show after it airs? Are total market funds appropriate for an 50+ investor? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi...

Tom and Don discuss those perpetual online subscriptions. They are good for businesses and often terrible for you. Find out how the regain control and slow the money leaks. Plus, a listener wants to know about an insurance policy being offered by a commissioned "financial adviser." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

For some reason one listener really dislikes Don (he's fine with Tom). He disagrees with so much – CBDCs, bonds, cryptocurrencies – that we made an episode of it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

Another downside to active funds, market declines can lead to dramatic taxable gains. It's like losing even more. Plus, we scold "Mr. Wonderful" for his support of failed crytocurrency exchange, FTX. Then we hear from listeners: The Question: How can I make more money with total safety? How can someone cover long-term care in later years. How solvent are public retirement systems? Are 35 securities in a portfolio indictative of hodgepodgeitis? Which 403b provider is the best of some bad ...

Investor left billions of dollars on the table by keeping too much money in regular checking and savings accounts. Bad advice on YouTube for millennial investors from ClearValue tax and Meet Kevin. What should you do with their advice? Non-public REITs can do some dangerous things with your money. Then we hear from listeners: Does "Arrived" appear to be good investment? Sold a rental house, how should the proceeds me invested. Non-public REITs can do some dangerous things with your money. Le...

Don takes on a variety of questions: How should a son invest in his new 401k? Should he switch American Funds for something less expensive? What's the best way to name beneficiaries on accounts? Why do we suggest some higher cost ETFs? What are the potentail problems when gifting to kids? What do I think of another YouTube financial guru? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

The crazies who pleyed the proverbial meme stocks and failed may be turning in a new direction, gambling with bonds. Then a listener wants to know if brokered CDs might be better than a stable value fund. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

We address our favorite question: What should be done with a sudden financial windfall? Then, we answer questions: Is a 100% investment in AVGE too aggressive? Should a small cap value fund be added? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

Tom and Don share some of older Americans biggest financial regrets. Then, we hear from a lot of you: What kind of advisors do I need? Old stock guy is back. Should he invest in company stock options? She regrets not spending enough. What should be done with low-yielding fund? How to invest windfall from toy sale? How far back does Social Security look? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

Most of the "next new things" are neither new nor hot. Beware of trendy investments, because very few things stand the test of time. Plus, we "Meet Kevin" and his expensive exchange-traded fund (ETF). Plus, callers want to know: Does it make sense to retire early and, if so, how should a lump-sum payout be invested? What can be done with an old share of Warner Brothers Studios? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

This episodes questions: With a new child on the way, what should be done financially? What are collective investment trusts? Daughter being sold a structured annuity, what it it? Does it make sense to pay of home mortgage? Does it make sense to transfer a 403b to an IRA and what are the drawbacks? Can a health savings account (HSA) be moved to another HSA? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

Once again, we enter the gift giving season frustrated by trying to pick the perfect present. While things are quickly forgotten a gift of a financial future can literally last a lifetime. Plus, listeners want to know: The best way to allocate money between our "three-fund" suggestions? Does it makes sense to wait on buyiong bonds right now when building a 60/40 portfolio? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

Tom and Don get them, too. Those e-mails that offer you a free gift or inform you a gift that couldn't be delivered. Don't get scammed for Christmas. Plus listeners chime in: More agruments against actively managed mutual funds and ETFs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

If bonuses could cause a large group of Wells Fargo employees to cheat, why impact might large comissions have on financial "advice?" Plus a couple of questions: Can I change my Roth back to a regular IRA and take a tax loss? Should I consider the new indexed annuity in my compnay's 401k? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

We recently heard about a non-profit financial education organization, F3E (or Foundation for Financial Education) which claims to provide an unbiased fiscal education. After further review, we found some glaring problems with those who provide this "education." They all appear to be selling insurance products. Plus, a listener wonders if Securities America is a legitimate custodian. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

Why would a CBS News reporter tout gold IRAs? Don explains why buying gold in your retirement account is a terrible idea. Plus, he explains what is wrong with most financial advice and why it continues to be so bad. Then, our last caller proves Don's point while trying to to call him out. Your questions: What is wrong with ESG investing? Does it make sense to slowly move an IRA to a Roth? A former crypto gambler looks for a way to invest kid's gifts. An the insurance salesman's response to D...