Avoid Bad Advice

Written By Don McDonald

In this episode, Don and Tom want to keep you from falling victim to a Ponzi scheme or greedy stock brokers. Their advice: Stick to fee-only fiduciaries and keep those investments as diversified as possible. We look at how to check up on possible advisors using BrokerCheck, answer some questions on stable value funds and bonds indexes, look at the state of pensions in Seattle and advise that if you want to play the market you might as well head off to the casino.

  • The reason why people like Bernie Madoff are not more uncommon.
  • Using BrokerCheck to your investment advantage.
  • Do not get caught out by the multitude of Ponzi schemes out there.
  • A reminder about the Vestory risk quiz and how easy it is to take it.
  • Don looks back on his dark history as a broker.
  • Some traveling advice on shuttles from Don and his trip.
  • A strange similarity between index funds and Uber rides. 
  • The differences between a fee-only fiduciary and a stock broker. 
  • Choosing between a stable value fund and a bond index fund. 
  • Is there an alternative to equities?
  • Seattle’s pension problems and what this shows us. 
  • Why picking stocks is no better than going to the casinos. 
  • How to get ready for retirement the smart way. 
Don McDonald
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