Talking Real Money - Investing Talk

Don McDonald
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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).

  1. vor 14 Std.

    The Big Question Pile

    Listener questions take over the studio as Don and Tom work through a very big pile without sacrificing any more forests than necessary. The quick tour runs from life insurance in retirement to the seductive yield on floating-rate bank-loan ETFs—and why extra income usually comes with extra risk. Then a live call turns asset allocation into an actual retirement plan: how a couple can move from 90/10 to 70/30, use Roth space intelligently, and rebalance without guessing what the market will do next. The hosts also weigh simplifying banking at Fidelity or Schwab, the Social Security shortfall, and the limits of retiring at 53 on a $2.8 million 401(k). It’s a brisk, practical Q&A about making portfolios safer, simpler, and realistic—plus expensive vacations, old television, and the strange persistence of paper. 00:00 A special midweek Q&A 03:29 Life insurance after retirement 06:47 The risk behind high-yield bank-loan ETFs 11:12 Bonds inside Roth accounts 13:14 Moving a portfolio from 90/10 to 70/30 22:54 Spending more after years of saving 25:18 Consolidating banking at a brokerage 26:53 How to repair Social Security 31:10 Can $2.8 million fund retirement at 53? Questions? Comments? Click!

    The Big Question Pile

  2. vor 1 Tag

    Bubble Trouble?

    AI stocks are booming, valuations are stretched, and capital spending is surging. Does that add up to a bubble—or just another story investors cannot reliably time? Tom and Don walk through Fidelity’s warning signs without pretending anyone can ring a bell at the top. The practical conclusion is less exciting and more useful: stay diversified, keep realistic expectations, include the fixed income your plan needs, and do not mistake a recent gain for money the market owes you forever. Then a caller pressure-tests the flexible 5% withdrawal idea, followed by questions on delaying Social Security after leaving work and why convertible bonds add complexity without much benefit for individual investors. 00:00 Time compression and the AI boom 02:42 Is artificial intelligence in a bubble? 04:51 Earnings, cash flow, and valuation signals 07:14 Capital spending and the rate-cycle argument 08:56 Fidelity’s verdict—and the diversified response 11:13 The greed hidden inside market timing 13:04 How flexible is a flexible 5% withdrawal? 19:56 Delaying Social Security after stopping work 23:44 Convertible bonds and a very expensive C-share fund Questions? Comments? Click!

    Bubble Trouble?

  3. vor 2 Tagen

    Fluctuation Is the Feature

    Markets fluctuate. That sounds obvious—until a favorite stock climbs for years and investors start treating gravity as optional. Tom and Don revisit Financial Physics and the essential difference between a temporary market decline and permanent single-company damage. The cure is not predicting the next dip. It is connecting the return you need with the volatility you can tolerate, then owning thousands of companies and rebalancing instead of reacting. Questions range from IRA eligibility for business owners to building a global portfolio in Singapore, choosing bonds near retirement, using a self-directed 401(k) window, and making a retirement plan before the calendar makes one for you. 00:00 Money Monday and the law of financial fluctuation 02:57 Why individual winners eventually stumble 05:04 Temporary market declines versus permanent stock losses 06:56 Return, volatility, and the tradeoff nobody escapes 09:32 Diversification across roughly 10,700 companies 12:16 IRA contributions for LLCs, partnerships, and corporations 15:54 A listener’s investing journey from Singapore 18:08 Fixing a concentrated U.S. portfolio overseas 21:17 Bonds as retirement approaches 23:40 Self-directed 401(k) windows and overthinking 24:31 Build a retirement life—not just a retirement date Questions? Comments? Click!

    Fluctuation Is the Feature

  4. vor 5 Tagen

    Brakes, Balance & $5 Million

    Bonds are supposed to be the brakes in a portfolio—but should those brakes be BND, a shorter-term fund, CDs, or a Treasury ladder? Don explains why duration, yield stability, and personal comfort make the answer more nuanced than one ticker. The Friday questions keep coming: pairing AVGE with VT, moving $5 million from real estate into a retirement portfolio, understanding an emerging-markets fund that became legally non-diversified, and building 529s for grandchildren. The final stretch is all planning: Roth conversions and IRMAA, choosing a HELOC over a 401(k) loan, and resisting the urge to let the tax tail wag the retirement dog. 00:00 A full inbox of financial questions 02:30 BND versus short bonds, CDs, and Treasury ladders 06:45 AVGE plus VT—or unnecessary overlap? 10:23 Moving $5 million from real estate into markets 14:51 When an index fund becomes legally non-diversified 18:18 Building 529s and Roth head starts for grandchildren 22:16 Roth conversions, RMDs, and IRMAA 25:23 HELOC or 401(k) loan for renovations? 28:01 The tax tail and a long Roth-conversion plan Questions? Comments? Click!

    Brakes, Balance & $5 Million

  5. vor 6 Tagen

    Robot Advisor, Human Judgment

    AI can crunch a portfolio, harvest losses, and explain an investment concept in seconds. But can it stop a nervous investor from selling at exactly the wrong moment—or understand the life behind the spreadsheet? Tom and Don test the robot-advisor promise, even asking ChatGPT to weigh in. The verdict is a useful division of labor: let technology handle repeatable mechanics, while human judgment, fiduciary responsibility, and behavior coaching remain hard to automate. Then the questions get wonderfully strange: whether a 0.70% advisory fee earns its keep, how a concentrated tech fund hides risk behind a huge return, whether a $100 million Bitcoin Roth story adds up, and how to invest an inherited account. 00:00 Are AI advisors coming for financial planners? 03:06 ChatGPT offers its own cautious verdict 04:14 Where automation helps—and where humans matter 09:36 What investors should ask their advisory firms 12:10 Is a 0.70% advisor fee earning its keep? 16:50 The concentrated tech fund with a dazzling record 21:12 A purported $100 million Bitcoin Roth 25:22 Building an inherited-account portfolio Questions? Comments? Click!

    Robot Advisor, Human Judgment

  6. 22. Juli

    Kid Money, Sorted

    A quarter in the piggy bank has grown into a maze of UTMAs, 529s, custodial Roth IRAs, and the new child investment accounts. Tom and Don sort the options by what the money is actually for—and who keeps control. The 529 emerges as the flexible favorite, especially with its education uses and limited Roth rollover. Then the conversation turns to concentrated factor ETFs, the familiar Bitcoin argument, and whether private markets are really swallowing public investing. The through-line is refreshingly simple: match the account to the goal, favor broad diversification, and resist stories that make investing sound more complicated than it needs to be. 00:00 Pshaw, Wordle, and the kid-money maze 03:00 UTMAs and UGMAs: control has an expiration date 05:34 Why 529 plans remain the flexible favorite 09:01 Custodial Roth IRAs and an enormous head start 11:15 New child accounts versus the 529 16:02 MOAT and COWZ: clever ticker, concentrated portfolio 20:48 Bitcoin, volatility, and the meaning of value 26:51 Public markets versus the private-market story Questions? Comments? Click!

    Kid Money, Sorted

  7. 21. Juli

    Chasing Returns, Catching Losses

    Chasing performance feels like the easiest way to make money—but buying what has already gone up often means arriving late and leaving with less. In this episode of Talking Real Money, Tom and Don examine the “behavior gap”: the difference between an investment’s return and what investors actually earn after buying high, selling low, and chasing the latest market story. They explain why disciplined diversification and a sensible asset allocation usually beat a portfolio built around hot ideas. They also answer listener questions about retirement withdrawal order, Roth conversions, reinsurance funds, high investment costs, and whether financial recommendations are influenced by commissions. 00:20 Why buying what’s hot usually means arriving late 01:42 Chasing performance without ever catching it 03:03 How Bitcoin rose while Bitcoin ETF investors lost money 04:58 The costly confusion between “has gone up” and “is going up” 05:53 Morningstar’s “Mind the Gap” research 06:44 AI, chips, and the latest performance-chasing cycle 07:37 Asset allocation versus a collection of hot ideas 09:21 Why trying to beat the market often backfires 10:16 Listener Question: Retirement accounts and withdrawal order 12:29 Taxable, pre-tax, or Roth—which money should come first? 15:35 Listener Question: Do reinsurance funds belong in a portfolio? 16:58 Catastrophe risk, complexity, and nearly 2% in expenses 21:33 Listener Question: Are fund recommendations influenced by compensation? 23:27 Why “trust us” isn’t a convincing financial argument Questions? Comments? Click!

    Chasing Returns, Catching Losses

  8. 21. Juli

    Less Means Paying More

    The episode covers market bubbles, diversification, Social Security timing, and retirMarkets aren’t mysterious—they’re driven by one of the oldest economic principles there is. In this episode of Talking Real Money, Tom and Don explain why supply and demand can send prices soaring in the short run… and why disciplined investors should usually ignore the excitement. You’ll also hear practical answers to listener questions about Social Security timing, investment clubs, umbrella insurance, and protecting retirement assets. 00:12 Financial Fysics returns: Rule #2—Supply and Demand 02:04 Tom returns from vacation 03:32 Reviewing Rule #1 before diving into Rule #2 04:10 Why supply and demand mostly affects short-term prices 05:25 The difference between investors and traders 06:18 The dot-com bubble and today’s AI enthusiasm 08:35 Market efficiency, trading volume, and why surprises matter 10:55 Every bubble eventually runs out of buyers 12:35 Listener Question: Delaying Social Security versus investing the money 17:55 Why Social Security decisions are always personal 19:25 Listener Question: Are investment clubs worthwhile? 23:48 Listener Question: IRA protection, lawsuits, and umbrella insurance 30:05 What actually determines umbrella insurance costs 31:42 AI accidentally creates an extremely “chunky” Tom Questions? Comments? Click!

    Less Means Paying More
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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).

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