Talking Real Money - Investing Talk
1,474 episodes - English - Latest episode: 21 days ago - ★★★★★ - 113 ratings34-year 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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Episodes
Working in Retirement
November 08, 2023 21:22 - 42 minutesRetiring later seems like a viable option for those who failed to save enough to afford retirement. What is the reality of working past 65? What are the new 2024 retirement plan contribution limits? We take listeners' questions: Should liquid money be invested in a 13-month CD? Can a portion of a parent's HSA be used for an adult child? Can a storage unit buyer transfer old savings bonds to his name? Should a small pension be withdrawn as a $30,000 lump sum? What should a 62-year-old do ...
Fiduciary Future?
November 07, 2023 21:41 - 43 minutesAfter failing several times, the Department of Labor will try again to make all retirement plan advisors act as true fiduciaries. The insurance industry will be suing to keep you paying them high fees and commissions. If you want excitement, find it anywhere but in investing. What are the lessons of the convicted fraud perpetrated by Sam Bankman-Freid and FTX? Our listeners want to know: Should an investor move from one small-cap value fund to another? What's the best way to invest money fo...
Rent and Invest?
November 06, 2023 21:20 - 23 minutesBuying a home may not be as smart as renting. Rising interest rates have pushed the cost of home ownership far above the price of renting a similar home. Yet, home prices have not fallen enough to offset the differences. Plus, what does "kit and caboodle" mean? Listeners ask: In order to create a simpler portfolio, does it make sense to wait until prices of existing securities recovers? In a somewhat hodgepodge portfolio, should an ETF be sold to buy CDs? Learn more about your ad choices. ...
T.G.I.F.B.I.A.Q.
November 03, 2023 20:28 - 15 minutesIt's Friday, and Don takes your questions: What's with the weird ticker symbols for retirement plan funds? Does it make sense only to fund a mega-backdoor Roth IRA? Is it smart to loan a child money for a home? Should money from a 401k be used to pay off a mortgage? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Small Investors Win?
November 02, 2023 20:48 - 24 minutesHave small investors finally gotten smarter than the market? Using misleading data from Robin Hood, The Wall Street Journal tries to make traders appear prescient. Then, we answer these questions: Which Vanguard bond fund do we prefer for an IRA? What is a Social Security benefit reduction, and why should you wait to collect? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
High Costs of "Free"
November 01, 2023 20:09 - 41 minutesEvery year we are inundated with ads for Medicare Advantage plans. So, are there any real advantages and what are the downsides? One caller criticizes Medicare Advantage programs Others ask: About contributing to a company 401k plan at age 60 with few retirement assets? What can be done with a bad company retirement plan consultants? Does it make sense to invest in target date ETFs in retirement? What some good investments for grandchildren? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaph...
Spike Setbacks
October 31, 2023 20:28 - 40 minutesDon goes it alone for a couple of episodes. It appear that mist of the financial setbacks over the past fifty years have followed periods of rapidly rising rates. What can you do to protect against risng (and falling) interest rates? What is the historical norm for rates? Plus, Don talks about the first-of-its-kind target date ETF. Callers ask: What should be done with his stock portfolio in the current market? Why is my retirement plan at work showing a large loss? Should a portfolio of a...
Fysics: Diversification
October 30, 2023 20:00 - 26 minutesIn this episode, we open Don's "good" book, Financial Fysics to the section on the power of a well-diversified investment portfolio. We take some questions, too: What should be done with two maturing annuities? How should a $5 million portfolio be invested to reduce taxes? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
403 and Annuity Q-Day
October 28, 2023 01:44 - 30 minutesOn today's Q&A show: Why is an attractive-sounding annuity a bad idea? Are there times when a 403b shouldn't be rolled into an IRA? How can someone complain about insurance products in a 403b? When can a contribution be made to a mid-year HSA? What's the best way to invest in various types of accounts? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hard to Retire Here
October 26, 2023 18:50 - 19 minutesFar too many Americans fall through the cracks in the U.S. retirement system. In an age of few pensions, many don't invest for retirement and can't survive on just Social Security. How do we get more workers to save more and invest better? Listeners ask: For a primer on brokered CDs. Are callable CDs worth considering? Which is better: a money market or certificate of deposit? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Whither Interest Rates?
October 25, 2023 19:18 - 41 minutesWe discuss the current state of the bond market and the possibilities for the future. Is there any way investors can outguess the bond market (or any other securities market)? Plus, we talk about Tom's new iPhone 15. Listeners would like to know: What is the difference between a money market account and a money market mutual fund? Was it wise to purchase 20-year bonds for long-term income? Where should money be placed to make money without risk? Do we think Fundrise is a good place to inv...
60/40 Dead Again?
October 24, 2023 17:01 - 43 minutesSix month's later, the Wall Street Journal contradicts itself in the debate about the efficacy of a 60% stock/40% bond portfolio. Understand how a short period can influence our long-term perception. Plus, what are your alternatives to traditional stock/bond investing? Our listeners ask: Why would you use a regular IRA when you expect to be in a lower future tax bracket? What do we think of the TSP "G" Fund vs BND? How should a late retirement saver invest? Should a retirement account wit...
Is Betting Better?
October 23, 2023 21:33 - 26 minutesCould betting markets predict the future? The evidence shows that the "wisdom of crowds" has been pretty accurate. In finance, they call it "the efficient market." Essentially, this means that, in aggregate, a large crowd (like the global stock market) is likely to be a more accurate future prognosticator than you or even professional managers. Then listeners ask: What are the best investments for young grandchildren? Should dividends be reinvested or paid out? Learn more about your ad cho...
Many Questions and Answers
October 20, 2023 21:19 - 21 minutesThis week: Why do we like the Utah 529 Plan? Should BND be sold to create a ladder even if it's down? Why don't we mention M1 Finance? What do we think of the Fidelity Zero funds? Can a corporate bond ETF replace a money market fund? Is 1% per year a fair fee for an investment advisor? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Annuities Are Sold...
October 19, 2023 15:45 - 39 minutesBecause they are so popular with financial salespeople, we need to talk about the confusing world of annuities. What are they and what are those who sell them failing to disclose? Discover the realities of these very complex (and lightly regulated) insurance investment products. Plus, we get annoyed with some if Suze Orman's simplistic and hyperbolic advice. Listeners ask: Which investments should be in taxable versus tax-advantaged accounts? Why do we like AVGE when it's an "active" fund? ...
Too Much Cash
October 18, 2023 20:00 - 24 minutesYoung investors have a lot of money in cash because they fear the stocks market. Yet, the best time to invest is when you are young because you have time to ride the ups and down of the market. Then it's question time: What can be done after an adviser puts money into an annuity with the client's permission? Why does a CD ladder makes sense? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Crypto Sucks...
October 17, 2023 20:02 - 42 minutesHow much might Bitcoin appreciate per year? Someone claims to know. Then, a Bitcoin farm can consume the energy of a small city and while the Chinese won't allow them in China, they have no problem consuming our power and maybe even our national security secrets. Is Bitcoin worth the costs? Don shares some actual numbers. Listeners ask: Do we know of a great 529A Able Plan? What do we think of a simple portfolio and when should it be rebalanced? Are more bonds needed in a portfolio? Is th...
Funding Higher Education
October 16, 2023 21:31 - 26 minutesA special episode devoted to paying for your children's higher education. Appella Wealth college-funding specialist, Jim Femia joins Tpm and Don to share his expertise on the various ways you can afford to help your kid's get through college. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Friends and Money Don't Mix
October 12, 2023 20:32 - 40 minutesA Washington Post advice columnist suggested firing a financial advisor friend. How can you find the right person to manage your money? Then we hear from lots of listeners: Is it better to invest fixed income dollars in bonds or laddered CDs? Will moving from one brokerage firm to another cause a taxable event? When is the best time to make a QCD? Why doesn't the Fed raise rates in one big move? How can an employee get out of an Edward Jones 401a? Which of many bad choices should a scho...
Costs of Being Mortgage Free
October 11, 2023 20:12 - 40 minutesThere's a lot money tied up in our homes, so should you pay off your cheap mortgage? What are the costs to access all of that money should you need it? At Bank of America, it could cost up to 10% for a home equity line of credit. We talk about the potential future of bond prices. The we here from a bunch of Kens, a Barb (and others): What happens to the homeowner's capital gain exemption if you rent you house for a few years? Does direct indexing make investing sense? To invest in other fu...
Dumb and Dumber Money
October 10, 2023 20:05 - 22 minutesThe movie "Dumb Money" depicts a small slice of the pandemic meme stock trading stupidity. Today, we discuss trying to time the market and it's similarity to other ways we lose money. Then, listeners ask: How much should be kept in the short-term liquid accounts? Should we take money from different types of account in different markets? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fear for Financial Future
October 09, 2023 20:31 - 18 minutesA recent study found that the vast majority of Americans don't believe they will be in good enough financial shape to retire at age 65. What are some of our biggest concerns and how can we deal with our unpreparedness? Plus, we share the tale of a money talk show host who went wild with listeners money. Then, we here from listeners: One takes us to task for sharing mutual fund portfolios instead of just ETF portfolios. Another asks where Health Savings Account (HSA) should be invested. Lea...
One Week Later: More Qs
October 06, 2023 20:47 - 23 minutesIn this Friday's Question and Answer episode: While stocks plunged for most of the Great Depression, how did bonds perform? Does it make sense to convert to a Roth if the taxes are paid from the IRA? Does taking early Social Security payments and investing them better than waiting until age 70? How is a lump sum pension distribution taxed and should it be used to pay off a house? In which kinds of accounts should different types of investments be kept? Why do we state that homes haven'...
Our Jobs Are Secure
October 05, 2023 20:54 - 23 minutesTrillions of dollars are wasting away in low-yielding bank accounts. Why do investors keep making the same investing mistakes, over and over again, despite evidence that investing is incredibly simple if done right? How can you avoid making bad investing decisions? We also discuss the huge spread between savings account and credit card interest. A listener asks: Is her brother's dividend portfolio a smart way to invest? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ending Conflicted Advice
October 04, 2023 21:20 - 41 minutesThe 401k and 403b investment offerings are a mess and the US Labor Department would like to make it better, but the financial product industry opposes mandating truly honest investing advice. Salespeople aggressively push expensive or unsuitable products, while the low cost products are hidden from participants view. What can you do to avoid the bad products and fiind the best retirement investments for you? Plus, listeners wasnt to know: What is our problem with target-date funds? Can an i...
Shutdown Shut Down
October 03, 2023 21:34 - 40 minutesWe came prepared to talk about the impact of a government shutdown on your investments. Just as we came on the air, Congress voted to defer the issue for another 45 days. Yet, what would be the financial impact of another shutdown? We look back at the recent performance of the markets. Don shares some great streaming TV shows with Tom. Fund fees keep falling. Then, listeners ask: What should be done with some extra cash in retirement? Should marketable limit orders be used when trading ETFs...
You Can't Win
October 02, 2023 21:19 - 25 minutesThe evidence continues to show why most "expert" money managers fail to beat their benchmarks. Don and Tom share some powerful academic reasons why money managers (and you) are unlikely to beat the market over time. Plus, those once-hot NFTs have turned icy cold, losing billions of dollars. Then, we take some questions: Is the I-Bond early-withdrawal interest penalty from early interest or the latest amount? With Social Security in trouble, what is the best age to take withdrawals? Learn m...
A Unique QCA Day
September 29, 2023 22:55 - 20 minutesIn today's question and comment episode: Don is appalled by another great example of a slick salesperson selling a horribly complex and misleading insurance investment for retirement. Should a Roth be funded for someone on the cusp of making too much money. A listener shares positive comments about a recent show. Does overfunding a 529 to allow a future Roth IRA transfer to a child make sense? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Trustworthy Advice
September 28, 2023 21:30 - 24 minutesA recent study shows that most people trust the right people for investing advice. What is your trusted source of money information? Then, we hear from listeners: What do we think of this retirement portfolio, heavily invested in real estate trusts? Does the Schwab CD ladddering tool look good? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
You're Making Less
September 27, 2023 20:34 - 40 minutesMorningstar recently reported a ongoing gap between investor returns and the returns of the stock market. You and your behavior make less than underlying indexes. We discuss Tom's attempt to buy a new Toyota and the lack of resonse to his queries. A caller shares his long history as a trader. Another looks for our opinion on real estate investment trusts (REITs). Is there any way to avoid the capital gain on the sale of property? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bad Money Radio
September 26, 2023 18:45 - 40 minutesFinding good financial advice is really tough. You might believe that those providing money information in the media are required to tell the truth. They're not. You need to carefully vet anyone providing investing information. We take a close look at the truth behind one the money radio shows in the Seattle radio who calls himself "The Money Professor." We find out there is less there than meets the ear. WE also look at some of the best CD rates and discuss laddering. Our loyal listeners ask...
It's Not Investing!
September 25, 2023 17:46 - 21 minutesInstead of lining up at the track or using a bookie, today's compulsive gamblers have a respectable way to feed their dangerous habit: short-duration option trading. The amount of money gambled away in securities markets is staggering, and it is no better than playing slots at a casino. It may be worse. We also discuss the egomaniacal comments of Bill Gross. Listeners ask: Which is better: Regular or Roth retirement accounts? What do we think about Titan Capital? Learn more about your ad c...
A Whole Lotta Calls
September 22, 2023 21:28 - 21 minutesIn this week's Friday Q&A session: A caller shares information about the downside of non-qualified deferred compensation plans at work. Should some olf 401k plans be moved to a current 401k? In a TSP, what should the fixed-income allocation be? Do investors need to be diversified globally in large-cap stocks Is his international diversification appropriate? Does longevity insurance make sense? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Retiring With Less
September 21, 2023 21:24 - 23 minutesMost "experts" say you'll need $1 million or more to retire comfortably. How will you get by if you've saved less than that, and how can you catch up if you're short on retirement savings? Plus, we hear from listeners: What do we think of an expensive 403b investment? Can funds from a Coverdell ESA be transferred to a Roth IRA? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Don't Be Dumb
September 20, 2023 22:12 - 40 minutesWith the release of the meme-stock movie "Dumb Money," it seems like a good time to discuss the reality of chasing after the latest hot "investment." Then, with Don tending to his ailing mom, Tom is joined by Paul Merriman to look back at an old, hot investing craze, the "Nifty-Fifty" and to answer listener questions: What's the best way to educate grown children about money and investing? With the UAW on strike, are we likely to see defined-benefit pensions return? Learn more about your a...
Retiring Wrong
September 20, 2023 01:28 - 39 minutesChoosing the right time to take Social Security can add hundreds of dollars every month. With Don away on family matters, Tom is joined by Paul Merriman to discuss money and investing. Listeners ask: Does his decision to take Social Security at FRA make sense? What do we think of Ken Fisher's investing philosophy? What will provide a high return without much risk? How should a 16 year-old invest accumulated savings? What's our opinion of a new Avantis balanced ETF? Does it make sense t...
Tax Avoidance Reality
September 18, 2023 19:30 - 21 minutesInvestors are trying to avoid paying taxes to the detriment of overall returns. Tom and Don discuss tax strategies that might make sense. Plus, it turns out those GICs or guaranteed income accounts aren't actually "guaranteed." A listener asks: Is there any reason to be concerned about Vanguard funds reorganization plans? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Q&Again
September 15, 2023 15:51 - 16 minutesIt's everyone's favorite day: Q&A Friday with Don. This week listeners ask: Why don't more online brokers adopt automatic rebalancing? Why should we invest overseas when international stocks have done poorly recently? Does it make sense to take a loss on longer term bonds and move to one-year CDs? What do we think of VIOV vs AVUV? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Leverage Wins and Loses
September 14, 2023 20:18 - 21 minutesWho wouldn't love double or triple returns on their investments? What is the downside to leverage? Listeners ask: What do we think of Mercer Advisors and their sub-advisors? Should money be moved from a less aggressive small cap value fund to a more aggressive one? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What Good is Gold?
September 13, 2023 20:01 - 39 minutesOver centuries, gold has proven to be a lousy investment. Its big selling point has been "safety." But, is gold really safe? What good is gold? Then, listeners want to know: Should a home equity line of credit be used to buy a new home? What's the best way to make a lot, quickly, with both safety and liquidity? What should be dome with retirement investment money after maxing out retirement plans? Should I-Bonds be sold now that they're earning less? After big losses from a brokerage por...
Who Will Protect You?
September 12, 2023 17:34 - 39 minutesBecause people have been known to rip off customers, the financial industry is heavily regulated, with a few exceptions. We explore how indexed annuity salespeople get away with misleading customers and how hard it is to stop them. Don explains how indexed annuities work and why they are so lightly regulated. Listeners want to know: Why is BND going down in value? How should unneeded money in IRA be invested? What do we think about the four-year Bitcoin cycle? Learn more about your ad cho...
Your Investment Priorities
September 11, 2023 20:48 - 23 minutesAdvisor Diana Bacon joins Tom and Don to discuss those future purposes for which you need to invest. Should you invest for a house, education, retirement, or beer, and how much for each? Listeners ask: Is a Fidelity investor limited to their funds, or can a couple of ETFs work? Is buying individual bonds better than a bond fund? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Saturday Eve Qs and Cs
September 08, 2023 20:43 - 15 minutesIn this Q&A (and C) episode: What's the best way to sell gold for an estate and what are the tax ramifications? What type of 401k is better for charitable contributions? Those Vanguard transaction fees get paid back into the funds. Can an index fund be traded, tax-free for an ETF from another firm? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Past Isn't Prologue
September 07, 2023 21:11 - 38 minutesFor decades, bonds moved differently from stocks. Then they moved together. So, what will happen in the future? In addition, can you know things that the "market" doesn't? Why do we refuse to jump on "investing" bandwagons like crypto? Does a crypto ETF makes sense? Listeners want to know: Is it better to invest now of dollar-cost average into the stocks market? What is likely to happen to real estate prices? Are CDs the place to invest safe dollars? How can an illiquid investment vehicl...
Keep Messing Up
September 06, 2023 18:54 - 39 minutesIn this episode, we explore a couple of the big mistakes investors make and clearly and simply explain how to avoid. But, we know most of you will ignore our advice. Thank you! Listeners ask: Is a 401k plan better than an IRA? Why did we ignore this 10-year high-yielding CD? Where should emergency funds be parked? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bleak Future for Gen X?
September 05, 2023 16:00 - 21 minutesIs Generation X in retirement funding trouble? With few pensions, low savings, and small portfolios, will Gen X be able to retire comfortably? The listeners ask Don and Tom: What do we think of "defined outcome" funds? What is our opinion of 401k investment choices? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Pre-Labor Day Q&A
September 01, 2023 19:16 - 19 minutesIn today's end-of-week edition of interaction between listeners and Don: Would the tax savings from a deductible 401k beat the tax-free aspect of a Roth 401k? Will savings be adequate to provide income while waiting until age 70 to take Social Security? Amounts paid out-of-pocket – instead of an HSA – for medical expenses are eligible for early withdrawal. Does it make sense for a couple with only one money-managing spouse to invest with an advisor? Learn more about your ad choices. Vis...
Too Large to be Small
August 31, 2023 19:33 - 18 minutesIf you want to overweight small cap stocks, be aware that small cap index funds are filling with larger sized securities. How can you make sure your small cap portfolio is actually small? Then, listeners ask: Would it be better to dump this active Vanguard "fundle" to move to index funds? Which CD is better: Pays interest at maturity, or pays interest monthly? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Can You Bank On Riches?
August 30, 2023 18:57 - 38 minutesInvesting is risky. CDs are safe. So, why not put your money in the bank for ten years at high rates? Tom and Don debunk the popular myth that there is easy, safe money. Remember, the money media will tell you what you want to hear. Listeners want to know: What do we think of a loaded, managed mutual fund portfolio? What are our thoughts on bond fund durations, and what's a good time frame? Does taking an extra risk with a retirement portfolio makes sense? What's our opinion on Schwab's p...
Quacks Like a Commission
August 29, 2023 18:24 - 39 minutesWe discover that Vanguard charges fees to buy and sell some of their mutual funds. What's the difference between a transaction fee and a commission? Plus, are friends and family the best resource for fiduciary financial advice? What's the best way to find a great financial advisor? After Bob Barker's passing, Tom states, "The Price is Right." Then, we hear from some listeners: Is FICA charged for income from retirement plan withdrawals? Will a widow receive the whole capital gains tax exclu...