In this episode of Talking Real Money, Don and Tom dig into the Washington State pension system’s heavy exposure to private equity, sparked by Jason Zweig’s Wall Street Journal reporting and a Seattle Times investigation. The...
In this episode of Talking Real Money, Don and Tom take aim at “magical” high-yield investments, focusing on why junk bond funds often behave more like risky stocks than stable bonds. Drawing on research from Larry Swedroe, t...
In this Friday Q&A episode, Don answers listener questions on handling backdoor Roth conversions with investment gains, whether Avantis or Vanguard makes more sense for bond investing, and why 529 plans have become even more ...
Don and Tom examine the long disciplinary history of former broker James Tuberosa and his attempt to reinvent himself as a registered investment advisor through a newly formed firm, highlighting how fiduciary language can be ...
Don and Tom break down why hedge funds’ so-called “comeback” doesn’t justify their massive fees, showing how simple index portfolios continue to outperform. They challenge the idea of allocating even small amounts to speculat...
Don and Tom kick off the show with weekend banter and nostalgia about checkbooks before diving into why buying and selling a home remains one of life’s biggest—and most misunderstood—financial decisions. Using a Wall Street J...
Don and Tom tackle fears about U.S. national debt by breaking down who actually owns it (mostly Americans), why “China owns us” is wildly overstated, and why rising interest costs matter more than sensational headlines. They ...
In this listener-driven episode, Don, Tom, and advisor Roxy Butner tackle a wide range of investing questions, starting with the explosive growth of ETFs and why many new funds—especially active, leveraged, and thematic produ...
Don and Tom open with sports banter and TV talk before diving into state-run retirement savings programs, explaining how auto-enrollment boosts participation and what fees and investment options really look like. They discuss...
A chaotic but revealing game-show-style opening leads into a sharp lesson on why market trivia doesn’t matter nearly as much as discipline. Tom and Don walk through eye-opening 2025 market stats, including the real impact of ...
Most retirees aren’t spending anywhere near what they safely could — often barely 2% of their savings — and that hesitation may be costing them the very retirement they worked for. Don and Tom make the case for permission to ...
This Friday Q&A covers real-world money decisions with real consequences, including how to invest life-insurance proceeds after a spouse’s death, why dividend-and-leverage strategies promoted online are fundamentally dangerou...
Retirement income doesn’t have to mean hoarding assets or obsessing over leaving an inheritance. In this episode of Talking Real Money, Don and Tom dig into a topic that still makes many investors flinch: reverse mortgages. U...
This episode dismantles the myth of “one-size-fits-all retirement,” arguing that retirement isn’t a date, an age, or a lifestyle—it’s a personal transition that demands both an income plan and a purpose plan. Don and Tom expl...
Tom Cock and Don McDonald kick off 2026 with a sharp, skeptical look at portfolio simplicity—what it really means, what it doesn’t, and why promises like “no sacrifice in returns” should always raise an eyebrow. Using a Morni...
Predictions feel comforting—but they’re usually nonsense. In this episode, Don and Tom dismantle the illusion of foresight by revisiting last year’s loudest economic forecasts around tariffs, inflation, jobs, recessions, and ...
Investing isn’t a game, and treating it like one can quietly sabotage your future. This episode dismantles the idea of “trying out” investments or advisors the way Wall Street has trained people to do for decades. Don and Tom...
0:04 Remembering the “good old days” of fat commissions 0:33 From $200 trades to zero commissions—what really changed 1:18 Free trading everywhere… so how do brokers make money now? 2:37 Robinhood’s explosive growth and the rise of trading culture 3:15 Trading volume triples in six years—what that …
This episode opens with a reality check on streaming delays before diving into the growing divide between investing and gambling, highlighted by Charles Schwab’s refusal to promote crypto, options, and prediction markets whil...
With Tom on vacation and an eerily convincing AI stand-in holding down the mic, Don kicks off 2026 by tackling one of the most persistent listener questions: how to actually find a true fiduciary—and how to eliminate salespeo...
Wall Street is pitching “fixed-maturity ETFs” as the perfect solution for retirees who want certainty, income, and peace of mind—but are they actually solving a problem that already has simpler answers? In this episode, Don a...
The calendar flipped, but the rules didn’t. In this New Year Friday Q&A, Don tackles listener questions on longevity annuities (QLACs), legacy insurance mistakes, advice-only advisory services, and the growing trend toward co...
This episode dismantles the idea that successful investing comes from finding the next hot thing. Instead, Don and Tom argue that good portfolios are built by eliminating what doesn’t belong: actively managed funds, sector ET...
As the year crawls to a close, Don and Tom torch the ritual of “New Year, New You” financial advice and take aim at the endless lists of five things you must do next year. They break down why year-end deadlines are mostly psy...
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