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).
- Update frequency
- every day
- Average duration
- 30 minutes
- Episodes
- 1726
- Years Active
- 2018 - 2025
Bad to Worse
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% ta…
00:44:57 |
Wed 13 Aug 2025
Barron’s Bond Blunder
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…
00:44:30 |
Tue 12 Aug 2025
Avoid Complexity
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 h…
00:30:15 |
Mon 11 Aug 2025
Your Q, Don's A
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…
00:30:44 |
Fri 08 Aug 2025
The End... Again?
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 o…
00:31:18 |
Thu 07 Aug 2025
Millions of Millionaires
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 mill…
00:44:46 |
Wed 06 Aug 2025
What Drives Markets?
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 patte…
00:44:39 |
Tue 05 Aug 2025
Just Invest!
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 inv…
00:32:58 |
Mon 04 Aug 2025
Saving Investors
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 mos…
00:30:49 |
Fri 01 Aug 2025
Unrealistic Expectations
Don and Tom take a reality sledgehammer to investors’ wildly inflated expectations for stock market returns. A new survey shows average Americans expect 12.6% after inflation, even as historical real…
00:31:26 |
Thu 31 Jul 2025
The End of ETFs?
In this episode of Talking Real Money, Don and Tom dive into the latest crypto chaos, pushing back against Ric Edelman’s bold prediction that ETFs will vanish within five years due to tokenization. T…
00:45:44 |
Wed 30 Jul 2025
Why So High?
Despite lousy headlines—tariffs, weak earnings, flat revenues—the market keeps climbing. Don and Tom explain why trying to guess the “why” behind short-term moves is a fool’s errand, and why global d…
00:45:12 |
Tue 29 Jul 2025
Can't Stop Progress
Don takes a fiscal detour into the world of AI, introducing his ChatGPT co-host “Cath” in a strikingly lifelike discussion about the future of jobs, the role of artificial intelligence in our lives, …
00:29:21 |
Mon 28 Jul 2025
Question Day!
Don flies solo for another Question-and-Answer Friday (not Freaky Friday… despite Hollywood’s best efforts). Listener questions cover everything from Roth IRA choices for young investors to tax loss …
00:18:28 |
Fri 25 Jul 2025
The Value of Rethinking
Don and Tom explore the value of changing your mind in the face of new data—financial and otherwise. Sparked by Christine Benz’s recent Morningstar piece, they reflect on how their own views on DIY i…
00:32:20 |
Thu 24 Jul 2025
60/40: Down, Not Out
Don and Tom defend the long-maligned 60/40 portfolio, diving into a 150-year Morningstar study that reveals its lower volatility and emotional survivability—even if it underperforms an all-stock port…
00:41:37 |
Wed 23 Jul 2025
Small Stocks, Big Upside
Don and Tom highlight what may be today’s biggest stock market bargain: small-cap value stocks, which have drastically underperformed large-cap growth and now appear poised for long-term reversion to…
00:41:56 |
Tue 22 Jul 2025
Big and Beautiful?
Don and Tom dive into the new “big, beautiful” tax bill with humor and skepticism, covering changes to Social Security taxation, tips and overtime exemptions, expanded SALT deductions, and the contro…
00:33:20 |
Mon 21 Jul 2025
Suze Q and A
Don answers a handful of listener questions, offering sharp, practical insight on investing myths, flexible retirement withdrawals, taxable brokerage accounts, and misleading financial scare tactics.…
00:25:12 |
Fri 18 Jul 2025
ETF Madness
Don and Tom dive into the wild world of “speculative” ETFs inspired by Jason Zweig’s WSJ piece, mocking the absurdity of funds like the Icelandic stock market ETF (35 stocks, really?) and those track…
00:44:42 |
Wed 16 Jul 2025
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