Talking Real Money - Investing Talk
Financial talk radio veteran, Don McDonald and former host of Serious Money on PBS, Tom Cock, join forces to talk about real money issues. In each episode, they solve real money problems, dole out real investing (not speculating) advice, and really explain the financial issues that effect all of us. Plus, it's actually fun! Talking Real Money is a podcast designed to provide the real help we all need to enjoy a really great future. Call in with your questions anytime at 855-935-TALK (8255).
Episodes
1997 episodes
Ep. 1997: The Lemmings Didn’t Jump
Don and Tom use Disney’s infamous lemming myth to explain investor herd behavior, recency bias, and the danger of chasing whatever has recently been hot. Then they answer questions about simplifying a diversified portfolio, evaluating a long-he...
Ep. 1996: Growth, Value, and When to Retire
Don tackles listener questions about growth versus value stocks, choosing the right time to retire, Medicaid and estate-planning concerns, the problems with infinite-banking whole-life policies, when annuities may make sense, and how mutual-fun...
Ep. 1995: The Homeownership Trade-Off
Is a home always a great investment? Don and Tom compare buying with renting, explain why leverage can make home returns look better than they are, and lay out when owning makes sense. Then they answer listener questions about one-fund versus m...
Ep. 1994: The $31,000 Advice Bill
Don and Tom unpack what financial advice should cost after a retired couple discovers they’re paying $31,000 a year. They compare fee-only, fee-based, and commission models, explain how hidden fund expenses compound the damage, and show why eve...
Ep. 1993: The High-Yield Trapdoor
Covered-call ETFs trade away upside for income and still carry market risk. They also discuss TSP Roth conversions, an Avantis balanced fund, a possible X Money cash offer, and other media projects.
Ep. 1992: The Enemy Is Us
The biggest drag on an investment portfolio may be the investor. Don and Tom examine the behavior gap—the difference between what investments earn and what people actually keep after fear, greed, overconfidence, and badly timed decisions take t...
Ep. 1991: Seven Questions, Clear Answers
Seven listeners bring seven practical money decisions, and Don moves through them without the usual detours. He compares ETFs with mutual funds, untangles realistic stock returns and retirement withdrawal rates, and explains where a short-term ...
Ep. 1990: Luck Isn’t Skill
One lucky streak can feel like investing genius—but anecdotes are not evidence. Don and Tom examine leveraged ETFs such as TQQQ, the brutal losses leverage can magnify, and why surviving a good run does not prove a strategy is sound. They answe...
Ep. 1989: Two Clocks, One Plan
Retirement planning becomes a two-clock problem when spouses are a decade or more apart in age. Don and Tom explain why one household may need to fund two timelines—and why healthcare, Social Security timing, survivor taxes, and account ownersh...
Ep. 1988: The Guarantee Mirage
Don and Tom examine the promises behind fixed, indexed, and immediate annuities—and why the word ‘guaranteed’ deserves closer scrutiny. They explain how insurers invest policyholder money, what state guaranty pools actually cover, and why compl...
Ep. 1987: The Fee Machine
Higher fees do not buy higher returns. Don and Tom unpack the fee-to-risk/reward ratio, show how fund costs compound against investors, and compare low-cost index funds with expensive active funds, hedge funds, and private equity.Then t...
Ep. 1986: Six Questions, Straight Answers
Six listener questions drive this Friday edition, starting with whether a pre-retirement car purchase belongs on a 401(k) withdrawal. Don explains why preserving tax-deferred growth usually matters more than trying to micromanage one year's tax...
Ep. 1985: The Just-Right Path
Retirement planning gets dangerous when people drift toward either extreme. Don and Tom unpack a survey in which savers wildly overestimate the nest egg they need, yet also assume they can safely withdraw 10% a year. The better answer is a port...
Ep. 1984: Before the Bear Arrives
Winter comes for markets, too. Don and Tom ask the useful question before the next bear market arrives: will your portfolio—and your nerves—be ready? They revisit painful declines, concentrated bets, and why a plan matters most when selling fee...
Ep. 1983: Coast FI’s Missing Passengers
Coast FI promises that if you save enough early, your retirement money can coast the rest of the way. Don and Tom run the numbers and find the missing passengers: inflation, Social Security, uncertain returns, and the messy surprises of real li...
Ep. 1982: The Price of Excitement
Exciting investments often arrive wrapped in a great story—and hide a much bigger risk. Don and Tom revisit Financial Physics Rule 10, explain the price of chasing sizzle, and separate investing from speculation.Then they answer whether...
Ep. 1981: Money Questions, Sorted
Friday’s listener questions cover the kind of decisions that sound simple until the details arrive. Don weighs the ease of Vanguard’s total bond fund against building a Treasury ladder, and explains why convenience can be a perfectly sensible i...
Ep. 1980: Don’t Crack the Nest Egg
Americans’ 401(k) balances are hitting records—but nearly one in five workers has an outstanding plan loan. Don and Tom explain why a properly sized emergency fund should protect retirement savings from life’s inevitable surprises.They ...
Ep. 1979: Bonds Help You Sleep
Bond prices are falling as long-term rates rise, but that doesn't mean bonds have failed. Don and Tom explain why bond prices and yields move in opposite directions, why a normal yield curve can look painful, and why the real job of bonds is st...
Ep. 1978: Garbage In, Money Out
Financial advice is everywhere, but useful investing guidance is strangely hard to find. Don and Tom sort through the stock-picking headlines, social-media hype, and finfluencers who turn excitement and fear into clicks.Then Randy sends...
Ep. 1977: The Confusion-to-Risk Ratio
If an investment takes longer than a minute to explain, the confusion may be doing the selling. Don and Tom examine the confusion-to-risk ratio through structured notes, CDOs, variable annuities, equity-index annuities, leverage, hidden tradeof...
Ep. 1976: Questions Behind the Numbers
Retirement questions rarely have one-number answers. Don works through a couple’s ambitious retirement goal after a late start, a new retiree’s urge to attack a 7% mortgage with Roth money, and the tax-smart sale of expensive mutual funds. He a...
Ep. 1975: Put the Brakes on Buy Now
The best portfolio cannot help much if every spare dollar disappears at checkout. Don and Tom debate practical ways to slow impulse purchases, automate saving, and build better money habits—without banning the things that make life enjoyable. A...
Ep. 1974: Who Watches the Insurers?
Who is looking out for insurance customers—and who is paying the people who set the standards? Don and Tom examine insurance-industry incentives, questions about the NAIC’s funding and transparency, and why consumers should ask about commission...
Ep. 1973: One Size Fits Nobody
Target-date funds promise a simple glide path from growth to safety—but people with the same retirement date can have completely different needs. Don and Tom compare Vanguard, Fidelity, and BlackRock funds, examine costs and stock-bond mixes, a...
