Talking Real Money - Investing Talk
Episodes
Illiquid Alternatives
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tom Cock takes the reins while Don visits family, leading a live call-in show that covers liquidity risks in private investments and university endowm...
Illiquid Alternatives
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Tom Cock takes the reins while Don visits family, leading a live call-in show that covers liquidity risks in private investments a...
Making Life Better
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tom Cock hosts this week’s Talking Real Money solo while Don visits his mom. He reflects on Appella Wealth’s annual client event, where clients ta...
Making Life Better
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Tom Cock hosts this week’s Talking Real Money solo while Don visits his mom. He reflects on Appella Wealth’s annual client eve...
Should Have Yielded
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Don and Tom revisit their long-standing skepticism of Yieldstreet after CNBC’s investigation reveals major investor losses. They highlight how promi...
Should Have Yielded
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Don and Tom revisit their long-standing skepticism of Yieldstreet after CNBC’s investigation reveals major investor losses. They...
Busy Day of Q&A
22 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This question heavy episode of Talking Real Money dives into six listener questions ranging from umbrella insurance and portfolio rebalancing to sma...
Busy Day of Q&A
22 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?This question heavy episode of Talking Real Money dives into six listener questions ranging from umbrella insurance and portfoli...
Still Rising
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why has the stock market been so persistently resilient despite crises like COVID, wars, and inflation? Don and Tom explore whether the current genera...
Still Rising
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Why has the stock market been so persistently resilient despite crises like COVID, wars, and inflation? Don and Tom explore whethe...
Mind the Gap
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Don and Tom explore why real-life investors consistently underperform the market—thanks to emotional decisions, frequent trading, and flashy sector ...
Mind the Gap
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Don and Tom explore why real-life investors consistently underperform the market—thanks to emotional decisions, frequent trading...
Investing Trivia Time
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This lively episode of Talking Real Money features trivia-packed investing fun, smart listener questions, and sharp commentary from Don and Tom. They ...
Investing Trivia Time
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?This lively episode of Talking Real Money features trivia-packed investing fun, smart listener questions, and sharp commentary fro...
Social Insecurity?
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Don and Tom confront the emotionally charged—and often financially tragic—decision to claim Social Security early. They debunk th...
Social Insecurity?
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?In this episode, Don and Tom confront the emotionally charged—and often financially tragic—decision to claim Social Security e...
More Money Answers
15 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Listener Q&A covering early retirement feasibility, VT vs. SPGM ETF comparison, tax-efficient liquidation of a legacy mutual fund, recommended financi...
More Money Answers
15 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Listener Q&A covering early retirement feasibility, VT vs. SPGM ETF comparison, tax-efficient liquidation of a legacy mutual f...
Pecuniary Presidents
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tom Cock interviews Megan Gorman, author of All the President’s Money, exploring how U.S. presidents have handled their personal finances and the le...
Pecuniary Presidents
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Tom Cock interviews Megan Gorman, author of All the President’s Money, exploring how U.S. presidents have handled their personal...
Bad to Worse
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Don and Tom rip apart a sponsored “news” piece from the Puget Sound Business Journal pushing a company called FISYN, which promises to buy investo...
Bad to Worse
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Don and Tom rip apart a sponsored “news” piece from the Puget Sound Business Journal pushing a company called FISYN, which pro...
Barron’s Bond Blunder
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s show exposes how Barron’s ran an undisclosed advertorial from a high-fee bond fund manager pushing junk-heavy, risky products while trashi...
Barron’s Bond Blunder
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Today’s show exposes how Barron’s ran an undisclosed advertorial from a high-fee bond fund manager pushing junk-heavy, risky p...
Avoid Complexity
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Don opens with a rant about Wall Street’s love of unnecessary complexity, focusing on “structured equity products” and other layered investments...
Avoid Complexity
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Don opens with a rant about Wall Street’s love of unnecessary complexity, focusing on “structured equity products” and other...
Your Q, Don's A
08 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 p...
Your Q, Don's A
08 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?In this Friday Q&A edition, Don tackles five listener questions spanning kids’ UTMAs vs. 529 plans, Roth vs. pre-tax 403(b) ...
The End... Again?
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Don and Tom dive headfirst into the wild world of bad financial predictions—specifically, the apocalyptic ramblings of Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robe...
The End... Again?
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Don and Tom dive headfirst into the wild world of bad financial predictions—specifically, the apocalyptic ramblings of Rich Dad ...
Millions of Millionaires
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Millions of Millionaires
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?This Talking Real Money episode dives into America’s millionaire boom—1,000 a day—and what it really takes to join the club....
What Drives Markets?
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 featur...
What Drives Markets?
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?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 ...
Just Invest!
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Just Invest!
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?In this episode, Don and Tom tackle investor emotion during market highs and use a Schwab-inspired scenario to show how discipline...
Saving Investors
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 i...
Saving Investors
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?With Don out, Tom Cock and advisor Roxy Butner tackle the increasingly hot question: should you trust a human or a machine with yo...
Unrealistic Expectations
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Don and Tom take a reality sledgehammer to investors’ wildly inflated expectations for stock market returns. A new survey shows average Americans ex...
Unrealistic Expectations
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Don and Tom take a reality sledgehammer to investors’ wildly inflated expectations for stock market returns. A new survey shows ...
The End of ETFs?
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 w...
The End of ETFs?
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?In this episode of Talking Real Money, Don and Tom dive into the latest crypto chaos, pushing back against Ric Edelman’s bold pr...
Why So High?
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Despite lousy headlines—tariffs, weak earnings, flat revenues—the market keeps climbing. Don and Tom explain why trying to guess the “why” beh...
Why So High?
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Despite lousy headlines—tariffs, weak earnings, flat revenues—the market keeps climbing. Don and Tom explain why trying to gue...
Can't Stop Progress
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 job...
Can't Stop Progress
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Don takes a fiscal detour into the world of AI, introducing his ChatGPT co-host “Cath” in a strikingly lifelike discussion abo...
Question Day!
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Don flies solo for another Question-and-Answer Friday (not Freaky Friday… despite Hollywood’s best efforts). Listener questions cover everything f...
Question Day!
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Don flies solo for another Question-and-Answer Friday (not Freaky Friday… despite Hollywood’s best efforts). Listener question...
The Value of Rethinking
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Morningsta...
The Value of Rethinking
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Don and Tom explore the value of changing your mind in the face of new data—financial and otherwise. Sparked by Christine Benz’...
60/40: Down, Not Out
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Don and Tom defend the long-maligned 60/40 portfolio, diving into a 150-year Morningstar study that reveals its lower volatility and emotional surviva...
60/40: Down, Not Out
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Don and Tom defend the long-maligned 60/40 portfolio, diving into a 150-year Morningstar study that reveals its lower volatility a...
Small Stocks, Big Upside
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Don and Tom highlight what may be today’s biggest stock market bargain: small-cap value stocks, which have drastically underperformed large-cap grow...
Small Stocks, Big Upside
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Don and Tom highlight what may be today’s biggest stock market bargain: small-cap value stocks, which have drastically underperf...
Big and Beautiful?
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Don and Tom dive into the new “big, beautiful” tax bill with humor and skepticism, covering changes to Social Security taxation, tips and overtime...
Big and Beautiful?
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Don and Tom dive into the new “big, beautiful” tax bill with humor and skepticism, covering changes to Social Security taxatio...
Suze Q and A
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Don answers a handful of listener questions, offering sharp, practical insight on investing myths, flexible retirement withdrawals, taxable brokerage ...
Suze Q and A
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Don answers a handful of listener questions, offering sharp, practical insight on investing myths, flexible retirement withdrawals...
ETF Madness
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Icelandi...
ETF Madness
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Don and Tom dive into the wild world of “speculative” ETFs inspired by Jason Zweig’s WSJ piece, mocking the absurdity of fun...
Melt-Up or Melt-Down?
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Don and Tom take on the ever-persistent phrase “This time it’s different,” as Bloomberg and NYT articles suggest AI, financial fragmentation, an...
Melt-Up or Melt-Down?
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Don and Tom take on the ever-persistent phrase “This time it’s different,” as Bloomberg and NYT articles suggest AI, financi...
Income Generation
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tom returns from his surprise Canadian adventure and the duo dive into the age-old retirement question: How do I get my money out? They break down the...
Income Generation
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Tom returns from his surprise Canadian adventure and the duo dive into the age-old retirement question: How do I get my money out?...
Big Q&A DAY
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Don tackles six listener questions in a rare full-stack Q&A Friday. He breaks down a shady universal life insurance pitch, dismantles the myth of “s...
Big Q&A DAY
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Don tackles six listener questions in a rare full-stack Q&A Friday. He breaks down a shady universal life insurance pitch, dis...
Vanguard's Advisor Alpha
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Don is joined by Mike DeJoseph from Vanguard to unpack the meaning and real-world impact of Advisor’s Alpha—Vanguard’s research showing how goo...
Vanguard's Advisor Alpha
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Don is joined by Mike DeJoseph from Vanguard to unpack the meaning and real-world impact of Advisor’s Alpha—Vanguard’s rese...
Burgers for Bitcoin
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Don and Tom kick off this episode by responding to a one-star Apple Podcast reviewer who promised to upgrade to five stars—if they correct their all...
Burgers for Bitcoin
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Don and Tom kick off this episode by responding to a one-star Apple Podcast reviewer who promised to upgrade to five stars—if th...
Annuity University
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this hard-hitting episode, Don and Tom expose “Retirement Planning University”—a slick, misleading marketing operation posing as a legitimate...
Annuity University
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?In this hard-hitting episode, Don and Tom expose “Retirement Planning University”—a slick, misleading marketing operation po...
Brokers and Models
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is your portfolio built by a broker or a model? Don and Tom break down the surprisingly persistent patterns of old-school broker portfolios—loaded w...
Brokers and Models
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Is your portfolio built by a broker or a model? Don and Tom break down the surprisingly persistent patterns of old-school broker p...
Solar Scams, Pig Butchers
04 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this fast-moving, fraud-fighting episode of Talking Real Money, Tom Cock is joined by longtime consumer advocate Herb Weisbaum (aka The ConsumerMan...
Solar Scams, Pig Butchers
04 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?In this fast-moving, fraud-fighting episode of Talking Real Money, Tom Cock is joined by longtime consumer advocate Herb Weisbaum ...
Gen Z's Retirement Edge?
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gen Z may just be schooling the rest of us in retirement savings—sort of. Don breaks down why the kids are all right… and also why they’re misle...
Gen Z's Retirement Edge?
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Gen Z may just be schooling the rest of us in retirement savings—sort of. Don breaks down why the kids are all right… and also...
Highs Hype
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The market hit another “all-time high”—shocking no one. Don dismantles the myth that record highs are reasons to panic or pull back, reminding l...
Highs Hype
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?The market hit another “all-time high”—shocking no one. Don dismantles the myth that record highs are reasons to panic or pu...
Dr. Doom or Dr. Boom
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Don and Tom tear into the lunacy of financial predictions—starting with famed doomsayer Nouriel Roubini suddenly turning optimistic (is that a good ...
Dr. Doom or Dr. Boom
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Don and Tom tear into the lunacy of financial predictions—starting with famed doomsayer Nouriel Roubini suddenly turning optimis...
Question Time with Tom & Roxy
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tom welcomes Roxy Butner back to field listener questions on retirement income, Roth vs. traditional 401(k) choices, car financing math, leftover 529 ...
Question Time with Tom & Roxy
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Tom welcomes Roxy Butner back to field listener questions on retirement income, Roth vs. traditional 401(k) choices, car financing...
Behavior Beats Brilliance
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Don and Tom dive into a revealing YouGov survey that shows Americans might not be as overconfident as we thought—except when it com...
Behavior Beats Brilliance
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?In this episode, Don and Tom dive into a revealing YouGov survey that shows Americans might not be as overconfident as we thought—...
Can't Have Everything
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Don tackles the dangerous myth of “safe” high-yield investments, calling out misleading financial advice around covered call funds and non-traded ...
Can't Have Everything
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Don tackles the dangerous myth of “safe” high-yield investments, calling out misleading financial advice around covered call f...
Gold Medal Worthy?
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Don flies solo from Florida while Tom continues his Euro-tour, tackling the deep flaws in Morningstar’s mutual fund and target-date fund ratings. He...
Gold Medal Worthy?
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Don flies solo from Florida while Tom continues his Euro-tour, tackling the deep flaws in Morningstar’s mutual fund and target-d...
Low Risk Fantasies
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Don and Tom expose the seductive illusion of “wealth without risk” by dissecting the explosion of equity-hedged ETFs and mutual funds. They tear i...
Low Risk Fantasies
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Don and Tom expose the seductive illusion of “wealth without risk” by dissecting the explosion of equity-hedged ETFs and mutua...
Fast Paced Friday
21 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
CORRECTION: During the 13:45 caller, I gave erroneous advice on the withdrawal rules for an inherited IRA. Given that this was his father’s IRA, he ...
Fast Paced Friday
21 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?CORRECTION: During the 13:45 caller, I gave erroneous advice on the withdrawal rules for an inherited IRA. Given that this was his...
Math Over Models
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Don and Tom dive into the human obsession with prediction—especially in finance—and why models fail us more than they help. They dissect the CAPE ...
Math Over Models
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Don and Tom dive into the human obsession with prediction—especially in finance—and why models fail us more than they help. Th...
Home Bias Harm
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Don and Tom tackle the behavioral trap of “home bias” in investing—why U.S. investors tend to overinvest domestically and why it’s dangerous. ...
Home Bias Harm
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?Don and Tom tackle the behavioral trap of “home bias” in investing—why U.S. investors tend to overinvest domestically and wh...
Stock Picking Trap
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Talking Real Money, Don and Tom take aim at one of the most persistent investing mistakes: owning individual stocks. With humor an...
Stock Picking Trap
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Questions? Comments?In this episode of Talking Real Money, Don and Tom take aim at one of the most persistent investing mistakes: owning individual s...