Don answers listener questions on funding a taxable brokerage account, clarifies what “more buyers than sellers” really means, explains why fixed income is about psychology rather than income, gives advice on setting up joint...
Don and Tom dig into international investing — why diversification across borders is essential, why timing international markets is a mistake, and how currency fluctuations affect returns. They revisit Japan’s lost decades, t...
In this episode, Don and Tom dig into the podcast rankings to explain why Talking Real Money isn’t at the top—and why Dave Ramsey still is, despite offering more shame than substance. They explore the concept of financial sha...
Don and Tom break down the overhyped expectations around recent market returns, referencing Jason Zweig’s analysis of 230 years of stock market data. They emphasize that spending and saving habits matter more than chasing 15%...
Don and Tom dive into the emotional, financial, and practical realities of supporting adult children. From layoffs to loans, down payments to dog surprises, this episode tackles the growing trend of parents funding their 20- ...
In this Friday Q&A edition, Don fields listener questions on rolling over a large 401(k) after a layoff, whether IRA money should ever be used to buy real estate, Vanguard’s new active ETF offerings, choosing between Vanguard...
Don and Tom dismantle the “passive bubble” trope, walk through Morningstar’s active/passive scorecard (great one-year anecdotes vs brutal long-run stats), and recap the steady shift of investor dollars toward indexing. A call...
Don and Tom mark Labor Day weekend with a lively discussion of the so-called September Effect—Wall Street’s superstition about historically negative returns in September. They remind listeners that short-term market timing is...
Tom kicks off with a check-in on bond market returns, reminding listeners that bonds are about stability, not yield-chasing. He’s joined by advisor Roxy Butner, who helps answer listener questions about fixed-allocation vs. t...
Don fields listener questions from Asheville in this Friday Q&A edition. Topics include calculating investment returns with XIRR versus simple time-weighted methods, rebalancing U.S. vs. international allocations in a Vanguar...
This episode of Talking Real Money digs into recency bias—our human tendency to expect the future to look like the recent past—and how it’s quietly reshaping retirement portfolios. Don and Tom examine rising stock allocations...
Tom Cock takes the reins while Don visits family, leading a live call-in show that covers liquidity risks in private investments and university endowments, skepticism over deferred income annuities, housing sale costs, Vangua...
Tom Cock hosts this week’s Talking Real Money solo while Don visits his mom. He reflects on Appella Wealth’s annual client event, where clients talked more about travel, grandkids, and weather than money—showing that the firm...
Don and Tom revisit their long-standing skepticism of Yieldstreet after CNBC’s investigation reveals major investor losses. They highlight how promises of high returns and low risk almost always end in disaster, connecting th...
This question heavy episode of Talking Real Money dives into six listener questions ranging from umbrella insurance and portfolio rebalancing to small-cap value allocation, AI’s role in financial planning, and advisory fees. ...
Why has the stock market been so persistently resilient despite crises like COVID, wars, and inflation? Don and Tom explore whether the current generation of investors is simply too inexperienced to remember real bear markets...
Don and Tom explore why real-life investors consistently underperform the market—thanks to emotional decisions, frequent trading, and flashy sector bets. They break down Morningstar’s “Mind the Gap” study and explain why your...
This lively episode of Talking Real Money features trivia-packed investing fun, smart listener questions, and sharp commentary from Don and Tom. They dive into a Wall Street Journal quiz on investing genius, exploring surpris...
In this episode, Don and Tom confront the emotionally charged—and often financially tragic—decision to claim Social Security early. They debunk three common justifications: fear of system insolvency, false break-even math, an...
Listener Q&A covering early retirement feasibility, VT vs. SPGM ETF comparison, tax-efficient liquidation of a legacy mutual fund, recommended financial planning resources and Monte Carlo tools, and the pros and cons of ladde...
Tom Cock interviews Megan Gorman, author of All the President’s Money, exploring how U.S. presidents have handled their personal finances and the lessons investors can take from their successes and failures. Gorman shares sto...
Don and Tom rip apart a sponsored “news” piece from the Puget Sound Business Journal pushing a company called FISYN, which promises to buy investors out of their annuities and deliver a “safe” 12% tax-free return via raw Texa...
Today’s show exposes how Barron’s ran an undisclosed advertorial from a high-fee bond fund manager pushing junk-heavy, risky products while trashing traditional bonds with misleading comparisons. Don and Tom explained why saf...
Don opens with a rant about Wall Street’s love of unnecessary complexity, focusing on “structured equity products” and other layered investments that promise protection but deliver lower returns at higher costs. The discussio...
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