Talking Real Money - Investing Talk

Don McDonald
  • 4.5 (825)
  • 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. 21h ago

    Yesterday’s News, Today’s Price

    Rule Seven of Financial Physics says there is no new news: by the time public information reaches you, the market has already reacted. Don and Tom explain why neither headlines nor illegal insider tips offer ordinary investors a durable edge, why fast trading and miracle systems disappoint, and why accepting market returns is the saner path. Then they compare JAAA with BND, help a student balance FAFSA concerns with emergency savings and a Roth IRA, warn against reaching for yield, and untangle a Roth 401(k) rollover. 0:44 The shortest investing book 1:54 Rule Seven: No New News 3:27 Public information versus insider information 6:48 Why trading the headlines is futile 9:37 Efficient markets and accepting market returns 11:27 The trouble with miracle trading systems 14:13 Talking Real Money music online 17:17 JAAA versus BND for bonds 20:21 FAFSA, emergency savings, and a Roth IRA 22:28 Reaching for yield with riskier bonds 24:49 Rolling over a Roth 401(k) Questions? Comments? Click!

    Yesterday’s News, Today’s Price

  2. 3d ago

    The Jester’s Portfolio

    Friday’s question pile ranges from the safest bond fund around to the harder question of what retirement is actually for. Don sorts through the choices with his usual preference for simple, sturdy answers. He weighs the TSP G Fund against BND, checks the bona fides of Raisin and The College Investor, and argues that leaving work makes sense only when something better is waiting on the other side. Then comes a candid disagreement over 21-fund portfolios, followed by a pension decision for a well-funded couple who can afford to self-insure. The court may have advisors, but Don is still happy being its jester. Topics 03:26 Is the TSP G Fund enough fixed income? 05:47 Raisin and The College Investor: useful and legitimate? 09:44 Retirement needs a purpose, not just an age 12:37 Twenty-one funds, advisor complexity, and honest disagreement 16:11 Single-life versus joint-survivor pension choices 18:57 Social Security timing, RMDs, and a very strong retirement plan Questions? Comments? Click!

    The Jester’s Portfolio

  3. 4d ago

    Smart Enough to Know Better

    Being great at running a company does not make anyone a market oracle. Don and Tom unpack the money regrets of successful CEOs—and the costly confidence that often follows success. They draw the line between business skill and investment skill, explain why financial literacy matters, and make the case for diversification over hindsight, stock-picking games, and concentrated bets. Then they turn to listener questions on catching up at 43, investing a church endowment, an underperforming robo portfolio, and where stock dividends should go near retirement. Topics 03:46 CEOs, money regrets, and false confidence 08:10 Financial literacy without the stock-picking game 10:21 Tesla hindsight and the bets we didn’t make 11:41 Asset allocation and the cost of being too conservative 15:20 Business owners and concentration risk 17:48 Catching up on retirement saving at 43 21:22 A 60/40 church endowment with a 2.5% draw 23:12 When a robo portfolio badly trails the market 25:35 Dividends, bonds, and rebalancing near retirement Questions? Comments? Click!

    Smart Enough to Know Better

  4. 5d ago

    Who Calls the Financial Plays?

    Could a nation of steadier 401(k) investors make markets calmer—or will algorithms, options, and meme-stock behavior keep the ride bumpy? Tom and Roxy weigh the forces pulling volatility in both directions. Next, an almost-80-year-old with a $4 million portfolio asks who should coordinate the inheritance plan. The answer is a team effort, with the financial advisor calling the plays and the CPA and estate attorney handling their specialties. They also decode RIA versus IAR, flag the conflicts that can come with dual registration, and tackle asset location, TSP diversification, inherited money, and whether to sell Vanguard ETFs before adding DFA or Avantis. Timestamps: 0:44 A French café opening 2:40 Will more investors mean less volatility? 7:12 Who quarterbacks an estate plan? 10:15 RIA, IAR, broker-dealer, and fiduciary conflicts 15:25 Inherited money, TSP, Roth, and brokerage choices 21:21 Adding DFA or Avantis to Vanguard ETFs Questions? Comments? Click!

    Who Calls the Financial Plays?

  5. 6d ago

    Bond. Very Long Bond.

    AI’s appetite for data centers is sending tech giants to the bond market—and some of that debt will still be around in 2075. Don and Tom look at the scale of the borrowing and why a tempting yield deserves a closer look. They separate coupon rate from yield to maturity, explain senior unsecured debt, and show how brutally interest-rate-sensitive a 50-year bond can be. The verdict: these bonds may belong in a broad index, but they don’t belong on your personal shopping list. Listener questions cover sequence-of-return risk, Roth IRAs versus 529s for children, and the smart savings order for a 19-year-old earning real money for the first time. Timestamps: 0:38 AI, data centers, and corporate debt 3:40 The $50 trillion U.S. bond market 5:21 Big Tech’s borrowing binge 7:06 Coupon rate versus yield to maturity 8:10 The danger in a 50-year bond 12:45 Sequence-of-return risk in retirement 16:05 Roth IRAs and 529s for children 20:14 A young saver’s order of operations Questions? Comments? Click!

    Bond. Very Long Bond.

  6. Aug 17

    Nobody Knows Nothing

    Why is financial forecasting so persuasive when its track record is so poor? Don and Tom open the Book of Financial Physics to Law No. 6—“Nobody Knows Nothing”—and explain why stock pickers, market timers, and highly paid pundits cannot reliably tell you what comes next. Then they answer listener questions about permanent life insurance and deferred income annuities, trusted contacts and two-factor authentication, and whether a wealthy client can copy an advisor’s portfolio while paying for advice on only part of the assets. Finally, they simplify a 529 allocation for a three-year-old and detour through vacation smoke, Disneyland prices, and the value of ignoring suspicious messages. 00:39 The sixth law of financial physics 01:48 Nobody Knows Nothing 04:19 The real cost of active management 05:14 What prediction makes investors miss 07:00 Active funds lose market share 10:22 Pundit performance versus the index 12:00 Send in your questions 13:27 Permanent life insurance and deferred annuities 17:36 Securing investment accounts 21:02 Why trusted contacts matter 22:14 AUM fees and copying a portfolio 25:45 The simple 529 allocation 28:24 Smoke, Disneyland, and family vacation Questions? Comments? Click!

    Nobody Knows Nothing

  7. Aug 14

    RMDs Without the Fire Sale

    Required minimum distributions don’t have to trigger a fire sale. Don explains how an in-kind transfer can move an investment from an IRA to a brokerage account while preserving the holding and resetting its cost basis. Then it’s back to school: a cut-off Coverdell question, the unusual strength of the TSP G Fund, and a surprisingly useful 4% money market account that can behave a lot like checking. The finale sorts out UTMA 529 rules, beneficiary control, and why a low-cost age-based portfolio is often the simplest college-saving choice. Timestamps: 0:43 Friday listener Q&A begins 3:26 RMDs without selling investments 7:16 Moving a Coverdell into a 529 8:24 Why the TSP G Fund stands out 10:12 A 4% money market checking alternative 12:50 UTMA 529s, control, and age-based funds Questions? Comments? Click!

    RMDs Without the Fire Sale

  8. Aug 13

    The House Takes a Cut

    Wall Street can promise dazzling returns, but private equity’s fees, illiquidity, and tax drag may leave investors with far less than the headline number. Don and Tom unpack research showing how ordinary index funds and municipal bonds can deliver comparable after-tax results with much less risk. Then a startling poll claims many Americans believe stocks only help the richest—and that gambling may beat investing. The hosts push back with the math, then tackle when taxable brokerage accounts belong after retirement savings. They close with practical answers on international bonds, paying college costs from a 529, and the surprisingly complicated quest for a signed copy of Don’s novel. 03:47 — Private equity promises vs. after-tax reality 10:38 — Do stocks only benefit the top 1%? 13:03 — Gambling or investing: which odds win? 16:36 — Retirement accounts before taxable brokerage 19:47 — Do you need international bonds? 21:08 — The cleanest way to use 529 money 22:32 — A signed copy of The Line Uncrossed? Questions? Comments? Click!

    The House Takes a Cut
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4.5
out of 5
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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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