Talking Real Money - Investing Talk

A few mutual funds turned a profit in 2022. Are the managers magicians? Investors need to face reality. No one has a secret (legal) way to make you lots of money in good markets and lose you nothing when they turn bad. Plus, a listener wants to know the best way to build the best portfolio in his 401k? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

The demise of the 60/40 portfolio appears to have been short-lived as sharply higher rates on bonds have lifted the returns for the 40% invested in fixed income funds and ETFs. Listeners want to know: What happened to Vestory? Which is better mutual funds or ETFs? How can a value tilt be added to portfolio? Can a tax loss be taken now for last year? Would taking a tax loss on VTWAX and immediately...

Have we already forgotten the lessons imparted by the 40-year Madoff scheme that collapsed in 2008? We revisit the unbelieveable story of the biggest investor robbery in history as a new Bernie Madoff documentary airs on Netflix. Plus, we hear from listeners: Should investment changes be made in a 529 plan? How is the impact of a existing IRA on a backdoor Roth? What is our opinion of a covered ca...

After being away for two holiday Fridays, Don is catching up on your questions (and comments): Invest or pay off mortgage? Thanks for helping a friend. Looking for a good financial charity. Will crypto trading hurt Fidelity? Why does a bank pay its customers far less interest on CDs? Do we suggest more bonds in a portfolio? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions?...

What's hot eventually cools and you will never see it coming. Discover why you need to avoid hot investments and sectors. Then Tom crams in a bunch of questions: Does it make sense to reduce qualified retirement account contributions? How soon can I-Bonds be purchased in the new year? What are the possible issues with moving a from TD Ameritrade? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaph...

After a year in which most securities took a beating, the "no-risk" investment touting free steak dinner offers should soon be filling mailboxes across the country. Don't let your emotion drive you to make foolish decisions. Then, listeners chime in: Have they picked a reasonable ETF allocation for an IRA? What does Don think of his 403b investment options? Does this five-year fixed...

Every year about 133 million babies are born. Is there any way to predict which of them will die famous enough to make the TV retrospectives? Of course not. Do you believe you can predict when the investment markets will rise again (and fall again, thereafter)? Then, the phones light up: Does it make sense to use a regular 403b to help reduce income enough to qualify for a Roth IRA? What's th...

Tom and Don look at your top financioal resolutions and what they believe you should do to start growing your wealth. Plus, we take a question: Why do we prefer total market funds as opposed to a US dividend funds? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

Most people have no idea how much they are paying for their investments and investing advice. In this case what you don't know can really hurt you in the future. Plus Tom gets a surpriningly larger number of holiday calls: One listener call him out for using the show to get out of holiday choses and also seeks advice on fixing a bad mortgage loan. Another wants to know more about tax-loss har...

With Don on vacation, Tom shares a semi-poetic ode to his absent co-host. He discusses 401k auto-enrollment. ConsumerMan, Herb Weisbaum stopes by to discuss protecting your wealth during the holidays. Are mortgage buy downs worthwhile? Plus, some holiday callers arrive: The first "caller" looks for help dealing with violent holiday financial discussions (sort of). What should be done wit...

After recently declaring the 4% withdrawal rule dead, Morningstar has decided it's still kicking out income. A listener wonders if the Paul Merriman two-fund portfolio is a sensible way to go? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

Home prices rise and they fall. Those fluctuations are not predictable. With prices down recently, should you be a buyer or a seller? Plus, house flippers took s betaing in 2022. A listener wants to know if it makes more sense to contribute more to a regular pre-tax retirement account? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

Those who sell "the return of the market, with no risk" is a bald-faced lie. Indexed annuities by any name can't possibly deliver what they promise. That makes those most (if not all) of those who sell them liars. The story of Disney's mismanagement shows just how scary individual stocks can be. Plus, we discuss the best performing stock of 2022. Then we hear from listeners: Sh...

We lie to ourselves about our prognosticative abilities. We remember making market predictions that were wildly different than we actually did. Plus, retail stock traders have had a very bad year. Listeners ask: How to get into an inexpensive small cap value fund? When we say "risk," don't we really mean volatility? How can listeners hear our Saturday radio show after it airs? Are t...

Tom and Don discuss those perpetual online subscriptions. They are good for businesses and often terrible for you. Find out how the regain control and slow the money leaks. Plus, a listener wants to know about an insurance policy being offered by a commissioned "financial adviser." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

For some reason one listener really dislikes Don (he's fine with Tom). He disagrees with so much – CBDCs, bonds, cryptocurrencies – that we made an episode of it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

Another downside to active funds, market declines can lead to dramatic taxable gains. It's like losing even more. Plus, we scold "Mr. Wonderful" for his support of failed crytocurrency exchange, FTX. Then we hear from listeners: The Question: How can I make more money with total safety? How can someone cover long-term care in later years. How solvent are public retirement systems? A...

Investor left billions of dollars on the table by keeping too much money in regular checking and savings accounts. Bad advice on YouTube for millennial investors from ClearValue tax and Meet Kevin. What should you do with their advice? Non-public REITs can do some dangerous things with your money. Then we hear from listeners: Does "Arrived" appear to be good investment? Sold a rental hou...

Don takes on a variety of questions: How should a son invest in his new 401k? Should he switch American Funds for something less expensive? What's the best way to name beneficiaries on accounts? Why do we suggest some higher cost ETFs? What are the potentail problems when gifting to kids? What do I think of another YouTube financial guru? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/a...

The crazies who pleyed the proverbial meme stocks and failed may be turning in a new direction, gambling with bonds. Then a listener wants to know if brokered CDs might be better than a stable value fund. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

We address our favorite question: What should be done with a sudden financial windfall? Then, we answer questions: Is a 100% investment in AVGE too aggressive? Should a small cap value fund be added? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

Tom and Don share some of older Americans biggest financial regrets. Then, we hear from a lot of you: What kind of advisors do I need? Old stock guy is back. Should he invest in company stock options? She regrets not spending enough. What should be done with low-yielding fund? How to invest windfall from toy sale? How far back does Social Security look? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega...

Most of the "next new things" are neither new nor hot. Beware of trendy investments, because very few things stand the test of time. Plus, we "Meet Kevin" and his expensive exchange-traded fund (ETF). Plus, callers want to know: Does it make sense to retire early and, if so, how should a lump-sum payout be invested? What can be done with an old share of Warner Brothers Studios?...

This episodes questions: With a new child on the way, what should be done financially? What are collective investment trusts? Daughter being sold a structured annuity, what it it? Does it make sense to pay of home mortgage? Does it make sense to transfer a 403b to an IRA and what are the drawbacks? Can a health savings account (HSA) be moved to another HSA? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Once again, we enter the gift giving season frustrated by trying to pick the perfect present. While things are quickly forgotten a gift of a financial future can literally last a lifetime. Plus, listeners want to know: The best way to allocate money between our "three-fund" suggestions? Does it makes sense to wait on buyiong bonds right now when building a 60/40 portfolio? Learn more abo...