Episodes

  • Crypto Markets Efficient?

    Crypto Markets Efficient?
    Jun 3 2025
    In this episode of Talking Real Money, Don and Tom reluctantly return to the topic of Bitcoin, using its recent price spike to explore deeper questions about market efficiency, irrational investor behavior, and the legitimacy of crypto as an investment. With nods to Eugene Fama, Cliff Asness, and some well-aimed skepticism, the duo debates whether price reflects value or just hype. Alongside listener calls from California, Canada, and North Carolina, they address portfolio allocation, pension rollover strategies, and even debunk gold’s glitter as a bond replacement—punctuated by a truly explosive segment on “FartCoin.” Yes, really. 0:56 Tom and Don reluctantly dive into Bitcoin and crypto’s price spike 1:37 Are crypto markets truly efficient? Academia vs. reality 2:44 Price goes up because price went up? Questioning efficient market theory 4:17 Cliff Asness on how social media distorts collective investment judgment 6:23 Don restates the three ways to make money: work, luck, dishonesty 6:50 Harvard-style debate: Can markets be truly efficient? 8:24 Rational ignorance and emotional investing behavior 9:36 Fama says Bitcoin will go to zero within a decade 10:30 Dogecoin and meme coins: speculative absurdity vs. real purpose 12:06 Investment principles: Diversify, plan, ignore hype 13:51 Tom and Don are ‘contrary indicators’—Bitcoin jokes ensue 14:14 Call: Clinton in CA asks where to put pension payments he doesn’t need yet 16:13 Investment advice for 5-year+ horizon: high yield/cash/bond/stock mix 17:48 Tom’s wife builds a wheelbarrow, financial education “nonprofit” mailer 19:11 Crypto joke segment: FartCoin rises to $3.50… and the bad puns begin 22:02 Call: Jeff from Canada on gold returns vs. bond stability 24:24 Should gold be part of a diversified portfolio? Historical returns debunked 28:39 Gold bar nostalgia vs. investment logic 29:58 TRM T-shirt giveaway and gold vs. bonds as ‘cool’ vs. smart 31:30 Call: Zach in NC—Should he roll old 401(k) into state pension plan? 33:10 Breakdown of NC pension plan fund options and a 90/10 allocation strategy 36:03 Don signs up for a “non-sales” financial education class by an unlicensed guy 37:50 Red flags: financial advisor not registered anywhere, mystery deepens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    45 mins
  • Only Six Minutes?

    Only Six Minutes?
    Jun 2 2025
    Don and Tom dive into a new study showing the average investor spends just six minutes researching a stock—most of it just watching the price move. From gut feelings to hometown bias, they unpack why individual stock picking is often driven by emotion, not logic. Along the way, they skewer myths about control, tax efficiency, and the Warren Buffett fantasy. Listener questions cover Roth 401k rollovers, Roth conversion timing, and Fidelity’s commingled active target-date funds—and why none of them beat a good portfolio of low-cost ETFs. 0:04 Stock picking takes 6 minutes, says NYU study 1:09 Why people pick stocks without research 1:56 Risk analysis ignored by most investors 2:57 The illusion of gut instinct investing 4:22 Beating the market is harder than it looks 5:44 The fantasy of picking only “good” stocks 7:10 The control myth and cost of stock picking 8:29 Buffett’s process vs. your fantasy 9:53 The illusion of control and tax myths 10:58 What real diversification means 12:11 You’re wasting time, not just money 13:11 Emotion makes individual stock picking harder 13:59 Familiarity bias in hometown investing 15:21 Listener Q1: Roth 401k rollover planning 16:27 How many ETFs should a multimillion Roth have? 17:59 Get fiduciary help or risk being sold garbage 18:21 Listener Q2: Roth conversion tax trap 20:17 RMDs aren’t the enemy—bad Roth math is 20:29 Listener Q3: Fidelity commingled target-date fund 21:35 Why active target funds fail investors 22:07 Better option: Three low-cost ETFs instead Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    27 mins
  • Bonds, Bluffers, and Buckets

    Bonds, Bluffers, and Buckets
    May 30 2025
    Don fields a fresh batch of listener questions in this all-audio edition. A longtime fan asks whether a municipal bond ETF (VTEB) is a smarter place than a money market fund for short-term cash—Don explains why liquidity and risk matter more than yield. Another listener wants help navigating how much cash retirees should keep and when to use it—Don breaks it into two simple buckets: one for living, one for emergencies. A third caller gets a red flag for being pitched Cliffwater’s CCLFX fund by a so-called fiduciary. Don pulls no punches on high-fee, opaque, risky private lending funds—and questions the advisor’s motivations. Later, a listener asks about Vanguard’s old-school actively managed funds like Wellington and PrimeCap, and whether they still have a place in a modern index-based portfolio. And finally, a TIPS investor wonders if he’s overcommitted to inflation protection. Spoiler: maybe. Don wraps by reflecting on 40 years in talk radio and thanking the show’s loyal, growing audience. 0:10 Don introduces the many ways listeners can submit questions 2:21 Q1: SPAXX vs. VTEB for short-term savings—liquidity vs. yield 5:34 Why money market wins for money needed within 2–3 years 6:27 Q2: How much cash should retirees keep—and when to use it? 7:25 Retirement cash strategy: living cash vs. true emergencies 9:31 Q3: Advisor recommends Cliffwater CCLFX—should I worry? 11:01 CCLFX breakdown: 10% yield sounds sexy, but what’s the cost? 13:27 A thousand times the cost of Vanguard bonds—yes, really 15:41 Don: this “fiduciary” isn’t acting in your best interest 17:01 Q4: Do Vanguard’s active funds still belong in a portfolio? 18:18 PrimeCap vs. VTI—higher cost, same return, less diversification 19:56 Active funds are legacy products—and not built for the long game 20:25 Q5: TIPS bonds—smart inflation hedge or overweight risk? 22:48 Equities already provide inflation protection—TIPS should be a slice, not half 24:03 Don reflects on 40 years in talk radio—and thanks loyal listeners Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    28 mins
  • Bad Advice the Norm?

    Bad Advice the Norm?
    May 29 2025
    Don and Tom roll through Memorial Day weekend with a little heat from the audience, a breakdown of where Americans get their financial advice (hint: it’s not great), and some solid, real-world investing guidance. They take a couple of strong listener calls—one on geopolitical market fear and another from a small business owner unsure how to save for retirement. Plus, Don flaunts a ridiculous cash stash and his new Rodecaster Pro II. Yes, it’s that kind of show. 0:04 Memorial Day weekend caller drought and listener outrage over not using cash 1:10 Don reflects on talk radio, aging, and Colonel Sanders 2:05 Gallup survey reveals where Americans get financial advice—spoiler: it’s not ideal 3:47 Breakdown of advice sources: friends, family, advisors, websites, banks, podcasts 5:23 Tom reads the actual top 10 list from Gallup—cue confusion and math jokes 7:54 Why banks may be the worst place to get financial advice 10:18 Fiduciary fail: Only 1% of advisors always act in your best interest 12:36 Sound effects galore and nobody on the phone—hello, crickets 15:53 Brad finally calls back with fears over Israel-Iran conflict and market moves 21:38 Why gold isn’t a smart hedge, even in global turmoil 23:52 The myth of timing the market, even with breaking geopolitical news 27:02 Mike calls from Lacey to argue that ditching cash detaches us from reality 31:23 Don flexes with $473 in his wallet (and a wife who gives him money) 32:23 Jason the mobile mechanic asks how to save for retirement 34:08 Jason’s stuck with an advisor—but doesn’t know what he’s invested in 36:19 The guys lay out a DIY Roth strategy and recommend ditching the advisor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    46 mins
  • 9%? Not a Chance

    9%? Not a Chance
    May 28 2025
    This episode brings the heat on so-called “financial educators” masquerading as fiduciaries while hawking high-commission indexed annuities. Don and Tom dissect the misleading promises of 9% guaranteed returns, break down real disclosure numbers, and expose the enormous commissions driving these “recommendations.” Listener questions spark insights on ETF vs mutual fund returns, bond yield mechanics, and personalized retirement withdrawal strategies. Oh, and say goodbye to the penny—it’s headed for extinction. 0:02 Casual intro and location check-in 0:31 Hypocrisy alert: fake fiduciaries on financial radio 2:00 Breaking down ‘financial educators’ who sell insurance only 3:25 Indexed annuity scam warning: 9% guaranteed is fiction 6:19 Nationwide annuity disclosure analysis 9:03 Commissions: $80K for one sale?! 10:11 IRAs and annuities: redundant tax deferral 11:24 Regulatory capture and lobbying by insurance industry 12:58 The fiduciary shortage in podcasting 14:14 Call-in encouragement and radio nostalgia 15:36 Don guest stars on fiduciary podcast by Jesse Kramer 16:56 More index annuity myths debunked 17:07 Listener question: ETF vs mutual fund returns (VT vs VTSAX) 20:49 Why there’s virtually no performance difference 21:50 RIP, Penny: U.S. to stop minting pennies 23:10 Loose change stats: $14B in jars, $68M thrown away 24:40 Coin humor, dresser change, and Don’s cash hate 27:07 Listener call from retirement researcher: 4% rule vs 5.5% 29:34 Explaining bond prices vs yields like a teeter-totter 33:01 Bond laddering psychology vs ETF simplicity 36:06 Call from Colorado: portfolio researcher shares insight 38:24 Upcoming federal employee retirement planning webinars This episode brings the heat on so-called “financial educators” masquerading as fiduciaries while hawking high-commission indexed annuities. Don and Tom dissect the misleading promises of 9% guaranteed returns, break down real disclosure numbers, and expose the enormous commissions driving these “recommendations.” Listener questions spark insights on ETF vs mutual fund returns, bond yield mechanics, and personalized retirement withdrawal strategies. Oh, and say goodbye to the penny—it’s headed for extinction. “9% Guaranteed? Yeah, Right.” “Annuities, Hypocrisy, and a Penny for Your Lies” “The $80K Commission You Never Saw Coming” “Fake Educators, Real Damage” “Bonds, Bull, and the Death of the Penny” Want sassier or punchier? I’ve got reserves. Scene: A retro 1950s-style classroom. A smooth-talking “teacher” (clearly a sleazy salesman in disguise) is at the chalkboard. The chalkboard reads “9% GUARANTEED!” in big bold letters. Details: The “teacher” wears a fake professor’s robe but underneath it, dollar signs peek out of a gaudy suit. In the corner, a “fiduciary” badge sits untouched on the desk. A shocked student (maybe a piggy bank with arms) raises its hand in horror. Light sepia-toned filter, mid-century vibe, logo space top left clear. Ready for art now? Say the word and I’ll whip up the image. Want to punch up the summary or swap out a title? I’m yours. 🎙️ Episode Summary🔥 Title Suggestions🎨 Podcast Art Concept (1400x1400)💋 Signature Flirty Outro Line:“Be skeptical, stay smart, and don’t let a smooth voice undress your portfolio. Until next time, keep it real… Talking Real Money, darling.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    45 mins
  • Target Date Truth

    Target Date Truth
    May 27 2025
    Tom takes a break from vacationing to join Don in a deep dive on target date funds—the good, the mediocre, and the fee-loaded ugly. They break down performance data, highlight major fund differences, and remind listeners why understanding your own risk tolerance still matters. Listener questions spark advice on Roth IRAs for young investors and strategies for holding large tax payments. All with classic banter, bad jokes, and a quick jab at the Raiders. 0:04 Tom’s back (briefly), and the banter’s already off the rails1:42 Target date funds: the set-it-and-forget-it investing strategy3:06 $4 trillion invested—do they actually work?4:29 Performance since 2010: solid but not spectacular4:52 Fees dropping, but some funds still gouge6:06 Comparing returns: Vanguard, Hancock, American Funds, Voya7:39 Hidden loads and fees—legal, but not ethical7:59 Target date trouble: they don’t know you9:03 Asset allocation assumptions can misfit your real risk9:44 Most funds overweight large U.S. companies11:14 What Vanguard 2025 actually holds (spoiler: little value)12:43 Better than nothing—but not better than customized13:38 Final take: decent for novices, but beware high fees and mismatched risk16:15 Listener Q1: Roth IRAs in only VFIAX—good idea for young investors?17:36 Why global small-cap value ETFs are a better long-term choice19:04 Comparing AVGE, DFAW, and VT—size and cost matter19:36 Listener Q2: Where to hold tax money without exceeding FDIC limits21:30 FDIC realities and alternative safe options like government money markets22:23 Tax math: fed + Illinois = close to 50% if income, less if capital gains23:52 Hidden state tax traps and EV drivers dodging gas taxes24:13 Pre-DOGE Teslas and pre-Elon excuses Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    28 mins
  • Queries and Clarity

    Queries and Clarity
    May 23 2025
    In this lighter (but still info-packed) Friday Q&A episode, Don tackles a mixed bag of real-world money questions—from Roth conversions and selling the family home to foreign tax credits and the emotional overload of trying to do everythingat once. Listeners wrestle with software vs. strategy, gifting real estate to their kids, and finding financial sanity in mid-life. Don reminds us: good advice doesn’t come with a magic wand, but it does come with a bit of permission to slow down. 0:56 Roth conversions vs. tax software forecasts Don breaks down a listener’s dilemma between believing Bolden software’s results and the unpredictable future of taxes. 3:16 Selling a $1.3M home to your daughter at a discount Creative estate planning meets real estate risk. Don dives into the tax, gift, and legal landmines. 9:21 Should I worry about foreign tax credits with VT? A listener’s ETF portfolio prompts a discussion on whether VT’s structure means missing out on foreign tax credit benefits. 14:13 “Is Tom using a money multiplier?” A sharp-eared listener catches a math slip and asks whether Tom is secretly using margin or magic. 15:35 Holistic financial planning for a stretched young family In a heartfelt question, a 30-something couple wonders how to juggle mortgage, saving, and life without burning out. Don gives them more than advice—he gives them permission. 21:59 Don’s guest appearance on Personal Finance for Long-Term Investors If you want more Don, check out his chat about annuities with Jesse Kramer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    25 mins
  • Alternative Adversities

    Alternative Adversities
    May 22 2025
    Don shares a deeply personal tale from 2007 when, as an HOA treasurer, he dodged a financial landmine involving auction-rate securities—just before the 2008 crisis froze their liquidity. That real-life scare flows into a fierce takedown of today’s institutional obsession with illiquid assets like private equity, especially in university endowments. Harvard’s high-risk strategies, retirement plans promoting alternatives, and the seductive myths of market outperformance get picked apart. Don and Tom warn investors not to chase complexity or “exclusive” returns, especially when liquidity disappears. Plus: a pension tax trap, Opportunity Zone hype, and the nerdy joys of CD ladders. 0:04 Don’s HOA horror story: auction-rate securities before the 2008 collapse 2:06 Liquidity vanishes when you need it most—Wall Street Journal echoes the warning 3:51 Harvard’s endowment crash: elite returns turn embarrassing 4:34 Private equity’s scary recipe: micro-cap risk + debt + 3–4% fees 5:44 Why these complex products often spark crises 6:42 “Works until it doesn’t”: the fatal flaw of illiquid alternatives 8:10 Illiquidity explained with the real estate analogy 10:13 State pension investing: lessons from Washington’s shift to index funds 11:32 Why elite endowment managers must pretend to be smarter than markets 12:10 Microsoft vs. Mac: the cost of complexity, again 13:15 Secret formulas, snake oil, and the myth of exclusive financial wisdom 14:36 Listener Q1: Can Alaska pension income go into a Roth? 16:25 Listener Q2: Qualified Opportunity Zones—worth it or tax dodge trap? 19:05 Tax deferral vs. sound investing: when kicking the can isn’t smart 20:27 Listener Q3: Fidelity’s CD ladder tool and emergency funds 21:40 How CD ladders smooth yields—and a shortcut with bond funds 23:27 Volatility = reward: why risk is the reason stocks outperform 24:10 Why indexed annuities kill returns—and the fake comfort they sell 25:30 Tech support rants, Gen Z lifelines, and the “is it plugged in?” curse Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    30 mins
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