Episodios

  • Retirement Robbers

    Retirement Robbers
    Nov 17 2025
    A listener’s nightmare 401(k) story sparks a deep dive into how small employers can delay, misuse, or even lose employee retirement contributions before they ever reach the plan custodian. Don and Tom explain the Department of Labor’s weak enforcement, why small plans are most vulnerable, and what workers must do to protect themselves. Then the show tackles backdoor Roth timing rules, Social Security “worst-case” planning, the appeal (or lack of) of mid-cap ETFs, and how to unwind a hodgepodge portfolio without triggering massive tax bills. :04 When employers steal 401(k) contributions before depositing them 1:42 The WSJ case: three-year hunt for missing contributions 3:02 Why small employers are the highest-risk group 5:02 DOL enforcement loopholes and the “administratively feasible” dodge 7:04 What to do if your contributions never show up 8:09 Fidelity bonds, audits, and how recovery really works 9:39 Big-company plans vs. small plans 10:36 Inside the Amazon layoff notice fiasco 11:54 Listener question: timing a backdoor Roth in 2026 for the 2025 tax year 13:40 The Form 8606 trap and pro-rata consequences 15:03 Listener question: Should you assume Social Security cuts in your plan? 16:41 Why benefits probably won’t be cut—even though the system needs fixing 18:04 Listener question: Should anyone buy a mid-cap ETF? 18:46 Why good portfolios already own plenty of mid-caps 19:36 Listener question: Fixing 20 years of hodgepodge-itis at age 72 21:22 Taxes, capital gains, and the slow cleanup strategy 23:52 Why Wellington and Wellesley don’t fit a modern portfolio 25:20 Personal banter: vacations, spending guilt, and sci-fi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Más Menos
    30 m
  • More Money Q&A

    More Money Q&A
    Nov 14 2025
    Don fields a full slate of listener questions on everything from SGOV vs. high-yield savings accounts to the differences between AVUV and DFSV, why international stocks belong in a portfolio (but shouldn’t dominate it), and whether equal-weighted funds solve the “Magnificent 7” concentration problem. He digs into target-date and bond-fund suitability for short-term money, clarifies what “rules-based” really means for Avantis and Dimensional, and gently deflates misconceptions about long-term international outperformance. Along the way he riffs on talk radio’s decline, teases Tom’s dad jokes, and reinforces the core message: diversify, know your time horizons, and don’t overthink what good academic research already tells us. 0:04 Don opens Q&A Friday and reflects on radio’s slow fade 2:20 SGOV vs. high-yield savings accounts for emergency cash 5:13 Why AVUV and DFSV only overlap ~40% despite similar factors 8:43 Which fund is “wilder”: AVUV vs. DFA small value 9:54 Why international stocks belong in a portfolio—but not overweighted 11:41 Long-term U.S. vs. international return history 14:51 S&P 500 concentration and equal-weight ETF considerations 18:44 Equal-weight vs. small-value tilt vs. rules-based funds 20:07 Where to put 2–3 year money: savings, CDs, BND, or a near-dated target-date fund? 23:13 Better language than “active”: rules-based vs. systematic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Más Menos
    29 m
  • Annuity Reality

    Annuity Reality
    Nov 13 2025
    Don and Tom question a surprising Wall Street Journal column arguing that annuities should become the default option in 401(k) plans. They explore why the idea is gaining traction, where the logic breaks down, and how the insurance industry benefits when complexity outpaces understanding. Along the way, they dig into the real shortcomings of annuities—fees, opacity, inflation risk, liquidity traps—and why “guarantees” often mask the true cost. Listener questions follow, covering tax-efficient stock cleanup at Schwab, spouse disagreements over individual stock picking, automatic ETF withdrawals at Vanguard, and building Dimensional portfolios inside Aspire plans. 0:04 Don’s rant: “What the world needs now is… more annuities?” 1:20 WSJ’s argument: make annuities the 401(k) default 2:05 Why income complexity doesn’t justify default annuities 3:01 Do annuities actually solve longevity risk? 3:29 Inflation, joint-life costs, and who really wins 4:20 Insurance industry reputation and the unanswered criticisms 5:15 High fees, opacity, and why mistrust is earned 5:59 Are annuity sales tactics the real barrier? 7:02 Should annuities be in 401(k)s at all? Don vs. Tom 7:36 Why annuities are mostly sold, not bought 9:10 Liquidity traps and major-life-event risks 10:01 Why “plans” matter more than “products” 10:57 Listener questions: why nobody calls anymore 11:14 Q1: Selling a brokerage full of individual stocks at Schwab 12:46 Q1b: How to convince a spouse who loves stock picking 14:21 Indexing vs. anecdotal evidence 16:21 SPIVA data and why active managers lose 17:02 Q2: Can Vanguard automate ETF withdrawals? 19:05 Fractional shares and why purchases are allowed 20:25 Q3: Aspire 403(b) options and DFA overload 23:46 How many DFA funds do you really need? 24:44 Micro-cap risks and portfolio sprawl 25:42 Tom’s pumpkin-patch grandkid cameo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Más Menos
    30 m
  • Z Good and Z Bad

    Z Good and Z Bad
    Nov 12 2025
    Tom and Don grade Gen Z investors from a recent Wall Street Journal article, discussing their portfolios, common mistakes like stock picking, active management, and crypto speculation. They move into practical retirement and college-planning questions from callers — including Roth vs. taxable accounts, 401(k) catch-up contributions, 529 plans, and college costs pushing $90 K a year. 0:04 Gen Z investing habits and media influence 1:59 Grading five young investors from a WSJ profile 7:43 Financial-flinch reflex and planning plug 12:21 Listener: starting a 401(k) at 59 15:34 Listener: using taxable funds for a Roth contribution 20:24 Listener: Roth 401(k) catch-ups and 529 trade-offs 26:08 College costs and saving priorities 28:43 Listener: opening a 529 for a grandchild 36:12 Listener: portfolio check (AVUV + bond ladder) and AVGE recommendation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Más Menos
    45 m
  • Investing Is Dull

    Investing Is Dull
    Nov 11 2025
    Don and Tom tackle investor “magical thinking,” especially the belief that private equity, non-traded REITs, and other illiquid “exclusive” investments offer hidden superior returns. They walk through Jason Zweig’s recent reporting on a Florida pension fund that locked up money, paid higher fees, and earned under 1% a year. The conversation underscores why liquidity, transparency, and diversification matter far more than complexity or exclusivity. The episode also features listener questions on retirement withdrawal sequencing for a $9M portfolio, evaluating cash balance plans, and deciding between traditional vs. Roth 401(k) contributions. A recurring theme: boring portfolios win. 0:05 Magical thinking and the fantasy of “special” investments 1:52 Private equity realities: higher fees, no liquidity, often lower returns 2:46 The Indian Shores pension fund case 3:44 Withdrawal limits and 0.7% 5-year returns 4:34 Why endowments can do illiquid assets but you probably shouldn’t 5:21 “Roach motel” investing and lack of transparency 8:35 How mutual funds must provide daily liquidity vs. private funds that don’t 8:49 Excitement is bad; investing should be boring 9:54 Caller: $9M portfolio—withdraw taxable first or convert IRAs? 11:51 Traditional IRAs vs taxable sequencing strategy 14:17 Why taxable first lowers tax impact and preserves flexibility 16:03 Blackstone senior housing REIT losses and why “sure things” fail 17:39 Diversification protects you when single bets go bad 18:06 Why private deals appeal emotionally (exclusivity + status) 20:38 Caller: Tesla & concerns about private equity creeping into ETFs 23:07 Why mainstream ETFs won’t adopt illiquid private assets 24:43 REIT ETFs behave more like stabilizing bond substitutes 26:02 LeaveMeAlone email-unsubscribe tool discovery 28:04 Listener questions: send via site or voice form 30:51 Cash balance plan concerns—likely a stable value/insurance product 33:08 Another listener: Edward Jones 401(k) with American Funds C-shares 34:30 High-fee small-plan 401(k)s—why they happen and how to fix 36:27 Caller: Should we switch to Roth 401(k) contributions? Probably not here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Más Menos
    45 m
  • Bring the Card

    Bring the Card
    Nov 10 2025
    Tom welcomes consumer advocate Herb Weisbaum (ConsumerMan) to talk through the rising headaches of modern travel and everyday scams. Herb shares a recent Delta Airlines ordeal where he was nearly stranded overseas because he didn’t have the exact credit card used to purchase his ticket months earlier — a policy he and others say is poorly disclosed and inconsistently enforced. The conversation expands to robocall loan scams, fake toll violation texts, and AI-boosted fraud that’s becoming harder to spot. Herb offers practical steps on how to avoid getting trapped, plus early holiday shopping advice as tariffs and supply issues push prices up. A lively, useful consumer-protection episode. 0:10 Tom introduces Herb Weisbaum and today’s consumer-focused discussion 1:14 Tom’s Heathrow airline mess and why travelers feel powerless 2:08 Herb’s far worse Delta experience: denied boarding without original credit card 3:44 Calling a neighbor at 3am to photograph the card and save the trip 5:13 Delta’s justification: “We’re protecting you from fraud” 6:20 Why airlines can mistreat travelers and get away with it 7:04 U.S. vs. EU passenger rights and compensation differences 8:32 Text scams: fake unpaid toll notices are surging 9:46 The new wave of “pre-approved loan” robocall scams 10:48 AI makes scam messages grammatically perfect and harder to detect 11:04 Slow down, don’t engage, verify before responding 12:20 Let unknown calls go to voicemail to avoid social pressure 14:07 Holiday shopping preview: tariffs, supply constraints, scarcity in decor and toys 15:55 Black Friday all season long—price tracking and refund requests 16:27 Brief detour into kid gifts, backpacks, and questionable plush monsters 17:21 Checkbook.org and ConsumerMan resources for unbiased help 18:17 Herb’s love of model trains and signing off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Más Menos
    21 m
  • Another Q Show

    Another Q Show
    Nov 7 2025
    This Friday Q&A tackles a familiar voice: Bitcoin Bob tries again to make the case for crypto as protection against currency debasement. Don breaks down what “debasement” actually means, why inflation gradually reduces purchasing power, and why Bitcoin’s extreme volatility makes it a poor replacement for the U.S. dollar. Productive assets remain the historically reliable hedge. Then: a comparison of target-date funds vs. a DIY three-fund portfolio, guidance for a couple aiming for early retirement with multi-account withdrawal planning, a discussion of equity/bond allocation in personal portfolios, and what might happen to the small China exposure inside global funds if geopolitical tensions escalated into war. 0:04 Friday Q&A intro and request for more listener questions 1:33 Bitcoin Bob returns: what “currency debasement” means 4:34 Bitcoin vs. the dollar: volatility and why stability matters 6:59 The real hedge: productive global assets over speculative tokens 8:29 Target-date funds vs. a three-fund portfolio in retirement 10:32 Asset allocation control vs. glide path defaults 11:20 Early retirement scenario: withdrawal sequencing, 72(t), and risk tolerance 14:55 When to add bonds and why emotional behavior matters 16:00 Don’s and Tom’s current equity/bond allocations 17:07 If the U.S. and China went to war: what happens to VT’s China exposure? 20:26 Why global diversification limits catastrophic loss Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Más Menos
    24 m
  • Leverage Dangers

    Leverage Dangers
    Nov 6 2025
    Don and Tom take listeners on a wild ride through the booming (and frequently disastrous) world of leveraged ETFs. They break down how these funds promise double or triple the excitement but mathematically bleed away returns through volatility decay. A few listener questions follow, covering retirement cash buffers, negotiating advisory fees on large portfolios, and comparing IRTR vs AOM for a near-retiree allocation. Humor, subtle self-mockery, a Jonas Brothers detour, and a reminder that gambling is not investing. 0:04 Opening banter and the thrill-seeker pitch for leveraged ETFs 1:29 Leveraged single-stock ETFs explode from zero to $40B 3:26 MicroStrategy example: stock up ~30%, 2x ETF down ~65% 5:03 How volatility decay quietly destroys leveraged returns 7:36 5x ETFs and the “go to zero in one day” problem 9:01 When leverage stops being “investing” and starts being gambling 11:38 Listener question: Should retirees hold a bigger cash buffer to avoid selling in downturns? 14:37 Listener question: Should a $4M managed client negotiate fees? (Yes.) 17:43 IRTR vs AOM comparison for someone three years from retirement 22:54 Seasonal weather rant and hunkering down for productivity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Más Menos
    28 m