Talking Real Money - Investing Talk

Don McDonald
  • 4.5 (829)
  • Investing
  • Updated Daily

Financial talk radio veteran, Don McDonald and former host of Serious Money on PBS, Tom C**k, 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. 1d ago

    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 also explains why target-date funds can improve real-world results, clarifies the rules for new Trump accounts, and shows how spending from a brokerage account can create room for a Roth conversion. The common thread: run the right numbers before making an irreversible move. Questions? Comments? Click!

    Ep. 1976: Questions Behind the Numbers

  2. 2d ago

    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 live listener call turns to TIAA and 403(b) costs, diversification, and where stocks and bonds belong across Roth and traditional accounts. Then they discuss why a pension promise depends on who stands behind it, and what investors trade when they move from a total-market fund to a factor-tilted portfolio. Questions? Comments? Click!

    Ep. 1975: Put the Brakes on Buy Now

  3. 3d ago

    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 commissions and costs. Then a listener challenges their take on rising equity glide paths and sequence-of-returns risk. They revisit the competing research and the role of personal risk tolerance, explain AVGE’s fund-of-funds expenses, and compare a broad-market portfolio with a factor tilt. Questions? Comments? Click!

    Ep. 1974: Who Watches the Insurers?

  4. 4d ago

    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, and explain why simple does not mean specific. Then they revisit decades of failed crash predictions from Rich Dad, Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki. Want more Money Music? Hear extended versions from Don’s fictional AI band, The Financial Fysicist, on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/let-the-boring-money-in/6805953759 or Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0G06JEvGsyw6SISfAOxLt6?si=ah2uVVWuQwmxTqjBeta8AQ Questions? Comments? Click!

    Ep. 1973: One Size Fits Nobody

  5. Sep 4

    Ep. 1972: Your Questions, No Detours

    Should retirement spending pass through a Roth? Can a nonprofit offer a 401(k) with ETFs? Does active management really win overseas? Don works through a packed listener-question episode covering Roth conversions, retirement-plan rollovers, SPIVA versus Morningstar, Treasuries and CDs, dividend reinvestment in retirement, and whether a variable universal life policy still earns its keep. Want more Money Music? Hear extended versions from Don’s fictional AI band, The Financial Fysicist, on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/let-the-boring-money-in/6805953759 or Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0G06JEvGsyw6SISfAOxLt6?si=ah2uVVWuQwmxTqjBeta8AQ Questions? Comments? Click!

    Ep. 1972: Your Questions, No Detours

  6. Sep 3

    Ep. 1971: Trust, But Verify

    A CFP mark reflects meaningful education, but it does not guarantee clean disciplinary history, fee-only advice, or an unwavering fiduciary relationship. Don and Tom examine the gap between reassuring credentials and the disclosures investors may find through FINRA BrokerCheck and SEC adviser records. They explain what investors should verify before hiring anyone: compensation, dual registration, product sales, disclosures, and a written fiduciary commitment. The designation can matter—but it cannot replace due diligence. Questions? Comments? Click!

    Ep. 1971: Trust, But Verify

  7. Sep 2

    Ep. 1970: The 11% Trapdoor

    An 11.15% coupon sounds irresistible—until you read the trapdoors. Don and Tom unpack a listener’s BNP Paribas auto-callable structured note and ask the question Wall Street hopes nobody asks: what actually has to happen before you get paid? The answer includes contingent coupons, the worst-performing of three indexes, a five-year lockup, bank credit risk, and a cliff where a 41% market loss can become your 41% loss. Add a 1.5% advisory fee, and this complicated promise fails the show’s favorite tests: simplicity, transparency, and liquidity. Then the phones open for retirement-planning software, a 19-year spousal age gap, fears about Japan dumping Treasuries, an Irish financial jingle, and the difference between a mega backdoor Roth and an ordinary backdoor Roth. 1:05 — The structured note pitch: 11.15% with fine print 4:03 — Contingent coupons and the worst-of-three rule 6:50 — The 40% buffer cliff and five-year lockup 9:34 — Simplicity, transparency, and liquidity fail 11:50 — How big is the structured-note market? 13:20 — The Financial Fysics album makes its debut 15:35 — DIY retirement-planning tools and a big age gap 21:56 — Could Japan dump a trillion dollars of Treasuries? 25:16 — Compound interest meets an Irish pub 27:26 — 401(k), mega backdoor Roth, and contribution limits Want more Money Music? Hear extended versions from Don’s fictional AI band, The Financial Fysicist, on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/let-the-boring-money-in/6805953759 or Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0G06JEvGsyw6SISfAOxLt6?si=ah2uVVWuQwmxTqjBeta8AQ Questions? Comments? Click!

    Ep. 1970: The 11% Trapdoor

  8. Sep 1

    Ep. 1969: Stay Calm

    Dimensional Fund Advisors founder David Booth joins Don and Tom to explain why better investing begins with accepting uncertainty instead of pretending to predict it. They discuss staying calm through frightening markets, controlling what investors can control, and why missing a rebound can permanently damage a plan. Booth also traces the evidence behind factor investing—market, size, value, and profitability—and explains why robust research must survive different countries, decades, and data sets before it belongs in a portfolio. Click here to order David's Book "Stay Calm" Questions? Comments? Click!

    Ep. 1969: Stay Calm
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4.5
out of 5
829 Ratings

About

Financial talk radio veteran, Don McDonald and former host of Serious Money on PBS, Tom C**k, 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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