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).

Talking Real Money - Investing Talk is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 0 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts Talking Real Money - Investing Talk, a business show with 0 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #1986

  Ep. 1986: Six Questions, Straight Answers

  Sep 25, 202629 min

  Six listener questions drive this Friday edition, starting with whether a pre-retirement car purchase belongs on a 401(k) withdrawal. Don explains why preserving tax-deferred growth usually matters more than trying to micromanage one year's tax bracket. The conversation moves through realistic return assumptions, global diversification, and the cleanest way to donate appreciated stock. Don also weighs the risks and costs of a non-traded real estate fund and reviews a thoughtfully conservative retirement bucket strategy. Finally, a listener challenges Don's supposed dislike of insurance. The answer: insure the losses you cannot absorb, use sensible deductibles, and avoid paying an insurance company to cover every manageable inconvenience. 4:02 Buying a car before retirement 6:34 Return assumptions and global diversification 11:10 Donating appreciated stock 14:37 The risks inside BREIT 17:14 A two-bucket retirement plan 22:03 What insurance is really for Questions? Comments? Click!

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  Episode #1985

  Ep. 1985: The Just-Right Path

  Sep 24, 202631 min

  Retirement planning gets dangerous when people drift toward either extreme. Don and Tom unpack a survey in which savers wildly overestimate the nest egg they need, yet also assume they can safely withdraw 10% a year. The better answer is a portfolio and spending plan built for the actual person. They turn to the mechanics of retirement income: whether to take IRA distributions monthly or annually, how tax-aware withdrawals can help, and when paying cash for a large purchase makes sense. A listener’s target-date-plus-small-value portfolio also gets a simplicity check. Finally, the show takes on “alternatives” marketed as bond substitutes—from covered calls to catastrophic bonds. When fixed income feels boring or unsettled, complexity is not safety; plain government and broad bond funds still do the stabilizing job. 0:58 Finding a portfolio that is just right 2:44 Saving too much and withdrawing too much 9:07 Why every portfolio must fit its owner 14:34 How to take retirement distributions 18:46 Target-date funds plus small value 22:54 The danger in exotic bond alternatives 27:37 Why boring money is good money Questions? Comments? Click!

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  Episode #1984

  Ep. 1984: Before the Bear Arrives

  Sep 23, 202635 min

  Winter comes for markets, too. Don and Tom ask the useful question before the next bear market arrives: will your portfolio—and your nerves—be ready? They revisit painful declines, concentrated bets, and why a plan matters most when selling feels irresistible. They explain how rebalancing, a sensible mix of stocks and bonds, and tax-loss harvesting can help investors respond with discipline. Your risk tolerance is only half the equation; there is no prize for taking more risk than your goals require. Listener questions cover the home-sale tax exclusion when moving into a retirement community, how Don writes AI-assisted podcast music, and whether AI trading tools change the odds of beating the market. 00:50 Bear markets ahead 02:54 What a bear market means 05:34 The worst bear markets in history 08:07 Rebalance and stay ready 14:38 Home-sale tax rules 17:42 Making podcast music 22:03 AI trading hype Questions? Comments? Click!

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  Episode #1983

  Ep. 1983: Coast FI’s Missing Passengers

  Sep 22, 202633 min

  Coast FI promises that if you save enough early, your retirement money can coast the rest of the way. Don and Tom run the numbers and find the missing passengers: inflation, Social Security, uncertain returns, and the messy surprises of real life. They like aggressive early saving, but not treating a projection as a guarantee—or abandoning a valuable saving habit and employer match. The listener questions cover Treasury bills versus CDs in high-tax states, California municipal bonds, and how to simplify scattered retirement accounts. They also explain why an S&P 500 fund can leave nearly 40% of a portfolio riding on one sector. A globally diversified one-fund solution is less exciting, easier to maintain, and far less dependent on yesterday’s winners. 00:36 What Coast FI promises 04:36 Inflation breaks the easy math 06:43 Life does not follow a spreadsheet 09:25 Save early—but keep saving 15:20 T-bills, CDs, and state taxes 20:05 Simplifying four old 401(k)s 25:13 The hidden tech bet in the S&P 500 30:03 The Line Uncrossed audiobook Questions? Comments? Click!

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  Episode #1982

  Ep. 1982: The Price of Excitement

  Sep 21, 202630 min

  Exciting investments often arrive wrapped in a great story—and hide a much bigger risk. Don and Tom revisit Financial Physics Rule 10, explain the price of chasing sizzle, and separate investing from speculation. Then they answer whether quarterly advisor check-ins are reasonable and why a sound portfolio should not require constant tinkering. They close with a conservative IRA allocation question and the tradeoffs among U.S. stocks, global diversification, and short- versus broad-term bonds. The through-line is simple: excitement, complexity, and concentration usually raise costs and risk. Patient diversification may not make good cocktail conversation, but it makes a better long-term plan. 00:50 Why exciting investments cost more 03:08 Selling the sizzle at Dean Witter 05:23 Complexity, risk, and costly funds 09:24 Prediction markets, crypto, and gambling 13:21 How often should an advisor meet? 22:16 Rethinking a conservative IRA mix Questions? Comments? Click!

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