Choosing 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 to convert ...
Sep 20, 2023•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Investors 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
Sep 18, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast It'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
Sep 15, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Who 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
Sep 14, 2023•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Over 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 portfolio, ...
Sep 13, 2023•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Because 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 choices. V...
Sep 12, 2023•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Advisor 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
Sep 11, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast In 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
Sep 08, 2023•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast For 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 vehicle be liq...
Sep 07, 2023•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast In 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
Sep 06, 2023•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Is 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
Sep 05, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast In 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. Visit megaph...
Sep 01, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast If 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
Aug 31, 2023•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Investing 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 private ...
Aug 30, 2023•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast We 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 exclusion ...
Aug 29, 2023•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Apparently, to become a famous market prognosticator, you only need one accurate guess. Tom and Don wonder why we still hang on the advice of those who rarely, if ever, make a correct guess about market direction. Then we hear from some of you: Is my partner right to be concerned about my retirement portfolio? Is is too late to fund a 529 for older kids? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 29, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Here are today's questions: Is a friend working with a good advisor? What's the best way to move money from an appreciated mutual fund to a more tax-advantaged fund? How does an organization determine the proper risk profile? How can a a well-diversified ETF portfolio created? At what age does a custodial IRA need to be turned over to a beneficiary in Washington? How should an investment property be sold and the proceeds reinvested? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Aug 25, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast We all want to make lots of money with no risk. Well, you can't have both. That hasn't stopped many in the financial and insurance business from creating products designed to make it appear you can receive wealth without risk. Tom and Don share the latest confounding example of this phenomenon. Then we answer listeners questions: How does the new law allowing $35,000 to be moved from a 529 to a Roth IRA work? How do you adjust the retirement withdrawal rate between a traditional 401k vs. a Roth?...
Aug 24, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Most of us are not ready for a financially secure retirement. Americans are increasingly on their own when it comes to creating a life-long retirement income stream. What will it take to make us better retirement investors? One of the biggest problems are the high-fee (and commission) annuity products foisted on 403b plan participants by insurance companies. What should you do to become a better rtetirement investor? Plus, why is CBS News allowing blatants ads for gold investing and gold IRAs to...
Aug 23, 2023•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast First, "they" said rates could never fall to almost zero. Then,"they" said rates wouldn't go this high. Therefore, it's apparent that "they" don't have a clue. So, what should you do? Should you buy long-term bonds? Should you buy a house? Then listeners ask: When does it makes sense to buy long-term care insurance versus self insuring? From a tax-planning what should be done with a hodgepodge portfolio heading into retirement? Finally, Don discovers that he's been earning one cent a month on sm...
Aug 23, 2023•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast His prices may have been insane, but "Crazy" Eddie Antar was a cold, calculating criminal who used his incredible fame to rip people off for over a decade, from the late 1970s and late 1980s. Tom talks about his many crimes from the book "Retail Gangster - The Insane Real-Life Story of Cray Eddie." He then shares lessons that need to be learned from this shocking story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 21, 2023•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast On today's Friday Q&A episode: Is there a way to move from one appreciated fund to another without a tax hit? How many stocks are in AVGE? What is the best way to give appreciated assets to charity and receive an income? Is it better to take money out in retirement once a year or by averaging out over the year? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 18, 2023•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast We share which passive, unmanaged funds have made the most over the past decade? However, does past performance tell you anything aboit the future? Then, we answer questions from a couple of listeners: Should new money be used to rebalance? In it worth converting a mutual fund to an ETF within an IRA? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 17, 2023•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Does the fact that target-date funds (which hold international stocks) have underperformed their balanced competitors (with generally on US companies) tell you anything about their future?Plus, why is the financial media keep taking the easy path by suggesting big, blue-chip stocks? Oh, and Tom shares a joke from a Norwegian listener. Then, callers want to know: Does it makes sense to start using new Roth option at work versus the old degerred plan? Is 10 years enough time to invest in a well-di...
Aug 16, 2023•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast The show starts with a relatively tame discussion of the reccomendation to sell I-bonds and move the money into long-term Treasury bonds. Then, our first call sets off fireworks as attempts to claim that equity indexed annuities (EIAs) are wonderful, fee-free products that we unfairly slam. This is a conversation not to be missed. The raest of the show is filled with others callers: How should a conservative retiree be allocating investments? Looking advice on moving from a 401k to an IRA? How t...
Aug 15, 2023•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Talking Real Money Special Travelogue Edition After taking his longest vacation in many years, Don share his thoughts about the trip, the ship, and his feelings about vacationing. To follow along with pictures, please visit the podcast on talkingrealmoney.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 14, 2023•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Back from vacation, Don shares some programming changes then answers listeners questions: Should a bunch of funds be moved into to new Avantis Value ETF, AVGV? How should childrens' Roth IRAs be invested? With Voya as 401k custodian, what should be expected? Does it make sense to move to a more aggressive target-date fund? With a 401k in Fidelity Freedom funds, should a Roth IRA be overweighted to small cap? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 11, 2023•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Don is back from vacation while Tom is well into vacation and yet they managed to get together to discuss the relative unaffordability of single family homes. Are homes more expensive than ever? Plus, homeowners are borrowing record amounts of equity from their homes. Then we hear from listeners: How can I essentially gamble with my retirement money in penny stocks and IPOs? On track for an early retirement at age 55? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 10, 2023•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Don is still away, but will be back soon. In the meantime: Who needs those risky stocks? A brilliant 25-year claims to have discovered the incredible power of nice, safe CDs and savings. How and how much should be invested in cash versus stocks and other investments? Then, our listeners want to know: What should be done with an annuity in a retirement plan? Does it makes sense to move money from one annuity to another? What is a qualified annuity trust? Can an IRA be given to a charity avoiding ...
Aug 09, 2023•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast After a technical problem bringing Don in live from Copenhagen, Tom carries on with Apella advisor, Derek Jobe and talks about our need to always be doing something with money. How much money do you need to retire comfortably? Listeners ask: Does it make sense to move from from bond funds to CDs? Should money be taken from a retirement plan and moved into annuities? What can be done to make long-term care insurance more understandable? How can it be determined when to take Social Security? Learn...
Aug 08, 2023•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
