Don answers six listener questions covering CD ladders vs. bond funds, global diversification for young investors, allocation shifts for early retirees, HSA documentation rules, 529 plan comparisons, and whether Dave Ramsey-s...
Don swats a studio bug, then swats down the idea of dividend-driven retirement portfolios. Drawing on Jason Zweig’s interview with Richard Thaler, they explain why retirees should focus on total return—spending from a diversi...
Don and Tom open with banter about the weather, baseball playoffs, and studio quirks before diving into what it means to be a “millionaire” today versus in 1890. They explore how much of modern net worth is illiquid, why home...
In this playful and insightful episode, Don and Tom explore how the beloved Friends characters might fare financially if they were retiring today. Using their signature mix of humor and practical investing wisdom, they analyz...
In this extended Friday Q&A episode, Don answers six listener-submitted questions covering a wide range of personal finance and investing topics. He kicks off with a fiery takedown of cryptocurrency as a viable asset class, a...
Don and Tom dive into a new Morningstar report showing that tactical allocation funds—those run by “smart” managers who actively shift investments—significantly underperformed simple buy-and-hold index portfolios. They unpack...
Don and Tom kick off this episode with a satirical bang—mocking the apocalyptic tone of a MarketWatch article about the “Fourth Turning,” a cyclical doom prophecy claiming America faces a cataclysmic reset every 80–100 years....
The show kicks off with a sardonic take on turf wars between delivery drivers—yes, really—before diving into third-quarter market returns, investor behavior, and asset class performance. Don and Tom remind listeners (again) t...
A lively, unscripted listener Q&A episode with no set topic — just a flood of great questions. Don and Tom tackle everything from inheriting farmland to the hidden cost of medical inflation, tax-efficient short-term investmen...
In the longest Q&A episode yet, Don answers seven listener questions covering everything from concentrated stock windfalls and early retirement asset allocation to Roth vs. taxable contributions, the real 59½ withdrawal date,...
Don and Tom tackle Americans’ retirement fears, highlighting a survey where one in five say it would take “a miracle” to retire securely. They stress the importance of planning over wishful thinking, cover the risks of recenc...
Don and Tom tackle the creeping role of AI in financial advice—highlighting Vanguard’s new “nudges” on its platform—before pivoting into lively listener calls. The show explores the balance between saving and living (includin...
Don and Tom open with a tribute to financial writer Jonathan Clements, reflecting on his career and unique investing wisdom. They unpack five of his “pearls,” including saving early, avoiding big mistakes, and living an activ...
Don and Tom tackle the “big three” global equity ETFs—Vanguard VT, Dimensional DFAW, and Avantis AVGE—breaking down their diversification, costs, risk/return assumptions, style tilts (small/value vs large/growth), and geograp...
In this Friday Q&A edition of Talking Real Money, Don tackles listener questions ranging from the dangers of options trading and critiques of Dave Ramsey, to building a simple 60/40 portfolio, comparing flat-fee versus AUM ad...
This episode tackles gold mania in its latest surge, debunking its “safe haven” myth with historical returns and practical comparisons to stocks. Don and Tom expose how Wall Street and fund providers exploit the hype, critiqu...
A candid hour on consumer self-defense. We open with iOS 26’s unknown-caller screening and a New York Times crime reporter nearly duped by a “Chase Bank” spoof—lesson: don’t trust caller ID, don’t transact with inbound caller...
This episode of Talking Real Money tackles myths about the Federal Reserve and interest rates, explains why mortgage and Treasury rates don’t automatically follow Fed moves, and reminds listeners that markets usually price in...
0:04 Why your home isn’t part of your investment portfolio 0:26 The myth of the American Dream and why owning may not make sense 1:33 A buyer’s remorse story from Atlanta 2:35 $3,000/month to own vs. $1,200/month to rent 3:34 Hidden expenses: $13,000 sewer connection surprise 4:31 “I can’t sell my …
Don laments the shortage of voice-submitted questions for the Friday Q&A shows and urges listeners to speak their questions into their phones or computers instead of typing them. He answers four listener questions: whether to...
This episode explores Americans’ financial well-being in 2025, using a Yahoo Finance/Marist survey as the springboard. Don and Tom discuss how their audience differs from the average American listener, how perceptions of fina...
Don goes solo this week and covers the wild state of “investing” in 2025 — including single-stock ETFs, leveraged funds, and zero-day options that look more like gambling than investing. He answers listener questions about Ro...
This week Don hosts solo and brings in “Cath GPT” (ChatGPT) as a "live" guest to explore the rise of AI in personal finance. They cover what types of questions AI is best at answering, its limits for real-time data and stock trading, and the importance of privacy and skepticism. Don emphasizes plan…
Don and Tom take listeners on a “mountaintop” look at today’s frothy markets, exploring elevated valuations, retail trading spikes, and record margin debt. They unpack what these numbers really mean, warn against trying to ti...
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