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PODCAST

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).

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All Episodes

29:15

Looking Back

Talking Real Money - Investing Talk ·

2025/08/28

This episode of Talking Real Money digs into recency bias—our human tendency to expect the future to look like the recent past—and how it’s quietly reshaping retirement portfolios. Don and Tom examine rising stock allocations in 401(k)s and target-date funds, even among older investors, and why this performance-chasing is dangerous. They highlight the risks of target-date fund managers pandering to investors, the importance of rebalancing, and the need to stick to long-term allocation plans based on

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44:13

Illiquid Alternatives

Talking Real Money - Investing Talk ·

2025/08/27

Tom Cock takes the reins while Don visits family, leading a live call-in show that covers liquidity risks in private investments and university endowments, skepticism over deferred income annuities, housing sale costs, Vanguard ETF gaps, the importance of diversification beyond the S&P 500, and why long-term investing discipline beats reacting to short-term volatility. Callers ask about annuities, real estate commissions, balanced ETFs, 100% stock allocations, and Wellington vs. total market

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39:19

Making Life Better

Talking Real Money - Investing Talk ·

2025/08/26

Tom Cock hosts this week’s Talking Real Money solo while Don visits his mom. He reflects on Appella Wealth’s annual client event, where clients talked more about travel, grandkids, and weather than money—showing that the firm’s real value is helping people worry less about markets and more about life. Tom takes listener calls covering whether to renew CDs or move into bond funds, the high costs of closed-end muni funds, portfolio planning with Roth IRAs and target-date funds, estate planning with

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27:49

Should Have Yielded

Talking Real Money - Investing Talk ·

2025/08/25

Don and Tom revisit their long-standing skepticism of Yieldstreet after CNBC’s investigation reveals major investor losses. They highlight how promises of high returns and low risk almost always end in disaster, connecting this lesson back to their 2022 warnings. The episode underscores the dangers of “magical” investments, the myth of passive income, and why retirement accounts should avoid private assets. Listener questions focus on Roth vs. pre-tax strategy, bracket management, and conversion

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26:49

Busy Day of Q&A

Talking Real Money - Investing Talk ·

2025/08/22

This question heavy episode of Talking Real Money dives into six listener questions ranging from umbrella insurance and portfolio rebalancing to small-cap value allocation, AI’s role in financial planning, and advisory fees. Don critiques umbrella policies as overpriced peace-of-mind products, gives practical strategies for balancing across multiple accounts, stresses the value of both U.S. and international small-cap value, discusses the disruptive potential of AI in advice (with a cameo from

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32:24

Still Rising

Talking Real Money - Investing Talk ·

2025/08/21

Why has the stock market been so persistently resilient despite crises like COVID, wars, and inflation? Don and Tom explore whether the current generation of investors is simply too inexperienced to remember real bear markets—and what that means for the future. They reflect on market history, including the 2000–2009 “lost decade,” and warn against overconfidence and overconcentration in U.S. large caps. The episode covers lessons from diversification, the value of bonds, the illusion of wealth

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44:37

Mind the Gap

Talking Real Money - Investing Talk ·

2025/08/20

Don and Tom explore why real-life investors consistently underperform the market—thanks to emotional decisions, frequent trading, and flashy sector bets. They break down Morningstar’s “Mind the Gap” study and explain why your behavioral return often lags the market return. Listener questions lead into heated critiques of 403(b) plans packed with annuities, an exploration of the risks of overconcentration in the S&P 500, second-home planning in retirement, and the tax headache of unwinding inherited

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45:52

Investing Trivia Time

Talking Real Money - Investing Talk ·

2025/08/19

This lively episode of Talking Real Money features trivia-packed investing fun, smart listener questions, and sharp commentary from Don and Tom. They dive into a Wall Street Journal quiz on investing genius, exploring surprising historical returns and market myths. Listener calls span a range of financial planning topics—from special needs trusts and Roth IRAs for kids to emergency fund placement and ETF selection.0:04 Don and Tom banter about working weekends and boomers in the office 1:55 Wall

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27:33

Social Insecurity?

Talking Real Money - Investing Talk ·

2025/08/18

In this episode, Don and Tom confront the emotionally charged—and often financially tragic—decision to claim Social Security early. They debunk three common justifications: fear of system insolvency, false break-even math, and “I just want my money.” Don shares his own benefit numbers as a real-world example of the value of waiting, especially for married couples. They also address why many can’t wait and explore whether alternatives like balanced portfolios or annuities make sense. Later, they

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24:12

More Money Answers

Talking Real Money - Investing Talk ·

2025/08/15

Listener Q&A covering early retirement feasibility, VT vs. SPGM ETF comparison, tax-efficient liquidation of a legacy mutual fund, recommended financial planning resources and Monte Carlo tools, and the pros and cons of laddering target-date funds.1:36 Can $120K a year work with two pensions and a 7% return? 4:57 VT vs. SPGM — same global reach or hidden differences? 8:58 Selling Grandma’s mutual fund without gifting Uncle Sam 11:44 Best deep-dive planning books and free Monte Carlo

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26:18

Pecuniary Presidents

Talking Real Money - Investing Talk ·

2025/08/14

Tom Cock interviews Megan Gorman, author of All the President’s Money, exploring how U.S. presidents have handled their personal finances and the lessons investors can take from their successes and failures. Gorman shares stories of leaders from George Washington to Ronald Reagan, Eisenhower, Nixon, and Clinton, illustrating how factors like marriage, frugality, grit, emotional control, and adaptability shaped their financial outcomes. She notes that while the basic principles of money management

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44:57

Bad to Worse

Talking Real Money - Investing Talk ·

2025/08/13

Don and Tom rip apart a sponsored “news” piece from the Puget Sound Business Journal pushing a company called FISYN, which promises to buy investors out of their annuities and deliver a “safe” 12% tax-free return via raw Texas land. They expose the misleading fine print, the founder’s disciplinary history, and the high-risk, illiquid nature of such private equity deals. Calls and questions cover long-term care insurance riders on annuities, portfolio allocation in deferred comp plans, Roth vs

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44:30

Barron’s Bond Blunder

Talking Real Money - Investing Talk ·

2025/08/12

Today’s show exposes how Barron’s ran an undisclosed advertorial from a high-fee bond fund manager pushing junk-heavy, risky products while trashing traditional bonds with misleading comparisons. Don and Tom explained why safe bonds should stay short-to-intermediate term and simple, called out a Starlink “$127 for life” internet scam, and fielded listener questions on tax-adjusted rebalancing between traditional and Roth IRAs, trimming long-held Microsoft vs. American Funds, Social Security timing

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30:15

Avoid Complexity

Talking Real Money - Investing Talk ·

2025/08/11

Don opens with a rant about Wall Street’s love of unnecessary complexity, focusing on “structured equity products” and other layered investments that promise protection but deliver lower returns at higher costs. The discussion covers the deceptive pitch, the billions invested in these products, and why a straightforward stock/bond mix is usually better. Larry Swedroe’s principles for prudent investing are highlighted, along with a reminder about diversification beyond the S&P 500—especially into

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30:44

Your Q, Don's A

Talking Real Money - Investing Talk ·

2025/08/08

In this Friday Q&A edition, Don tackles five listener questions spanning kids’ UTMAs vs. 529 plans, Roth vs. pre-tax 403(b) contributions, filling portfolio gaps when a workplace plan lacks small-cap value, why indexed annuities are a costly sales pitch wrapped in deceptive promises, and how to help a recently divorced 26-year-old daughter find hope and financial focus. Along the way, he delivers mic technique tips, portfolio simplification advice, and a blistering breakdown of annuity sales

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31:18

The End... Again?

Talking Real Money - Investing Talk ·

2025/08/07

Don and Tom dive headfirst into the wild world of bad financial predictions—specifically, the apocalyptic ramblings of Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki. They dissect his decades-long streak of failed forecasts, poke holes in his fear-fueled pitch for gold, silver, and Bitcoin, and remind listeners that gurus don’t predict the future—they profit from pretending they can. Listener questions cover 529 plan choices, 457(b) vs Roth IRA, the small-cap allocation in AVGE, and a plea for Don to

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44:46

Millions of Millionaires

Talking Real Money - Investing Talk ·

2025/08/06

This Talking Real Money episode dives into America’s millionaire boom—1,000 a day—and what it really takes to join the club. Don and Tom discuss inflation’s impact on wealth, the real sources of millionaire status (spoiler: it’s not crypto), and the critical role of forced savings via homes and 401(k)s. Listeners call in with questions on triple-leveraged ETFs (don’t), deferring capital gains on farmland, and gambling on tech stocks in retirement (also don’t). Plus, how to evaluate a financial

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44:39

What Drives Markets?

Talking Real Money - Investing Talk ·

2025/08/05

Don and Tom open the show with a lighthearted reminder that money doesn’t sleep—so neither do they. They dive into a New York Times article featuring Goldman Sachs researchers who identify five patterns that influence retirement accounts and market behavior. The duo emphasizes that while market predictions are near-impossible, understanding these patterns can inform better investor behavior—particularly the value of diversification. Listener questions cover whether you still need a financial advisor

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32:58

Just Invest!

Talking Real Money - Investing Talk ·

2025/08/04

In this episode, Don and Tom tackle investor emotion during market highs and use a Schwab-inspired scenario to show how discipline beats market timing—every time. They walk through four fictional investors (lucky, disciplined, unlucky, and fearful) to reveal the long-term value of staying invested. The hosts also answer a listener’s question about breaking into the fiduciary advice world and finish with a blistering takedown of FIBA, a so-called fiduciary group pushing high-commission annuities to

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30:49

Saving Investors

Talking Real Money - Investing Talk ·

2025/08/01

With Don out, Tom Cock and advisor Roxy Butner tackle the increasingly hot question: should you trust a human or a machine with your money? They dig into two recent studies—one showing AI beating most fund managers, and another suggesting no long-term winner at all. Listener questions range from DIY ETF portfolios and Roth IRA conversion pitfalls to a wildly complex $2.5M retirement scenario involving crypto, precious metals, and a self-directed IRA full of land. Tom and Roxy break it all down with

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1,738 results

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