Episodes

Where in the country has home equity risen most and least? What can you do to tap that hidden wealth? Does a HELOC or reverse mortgage make sense? Does owning a house even make sense in this economy? Then, we hear from listeners: Should a fiduciary advisor also act as a financial "psychologist?" Does it make sense to borrow home equity and lend it to a friend in construction? Should he stick with his aggressive "advisor?" How can renting be less expensive than buying a home? What's the differenc...

Don finally peeked at his brokerage statement and was pleasantly surprised. His portfolio finally made money. Did yours? We talk about the investment markets' ups (and downs) and finding the right balance between safety and potential return. We also share the states with the best and worst home equity appreciation. How can you tap that hidden wealth? Then, we hear from callers asking: What should be done with an old variable annuity in a 403b? How should an end-of-year backdoor Roth be done? ...

In this episode, we talk about some of the steps you should take well before retirement to get your financial house in order. We discuss money-saving tips and investing ideas to help those in their younger years improve their odds of retiring comfortably. Plus, we answer your questions: How can I force myself to rebalance my portfolio when my emotions get in the way? Which is better: a bond fund or a CD ladder? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comment...

The questions may not be festive, but they're important, and Don answers them: How should assets be allocated across different types of accounts? What happens to the money in a 529 plan if the custodian needs to withdraw some? How should a young adult invest money from an inherited IRA? Can brokers' cash management accounts replace traditional bank accounts? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Another problem with actively managed mutual funds is the mortality of managers. What happens if you rely on the incredibly rare, super-smart, practically prescient money manager, and they go away? Plus, we hear from listeners: What do we think of Vanguard's variable insurance funds? Does a 100% equity portfolio make sense for someone comfortable with risk? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

A new academic study concludes that you might be better off avoiding bonds. Tom and Don discuss whether a strategy that potentially risky makes sense for you. We discuss the sorry state of most investing advice, including that from financial psychics. Then, we hear from listeners: Is gold a good investment? What do we think of the "investment" advice provided at a free Italian dinner? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

We keep making damaging financial mistakes. Are you ready to manage your money better and actually invest? We hear from listeners: Can iBonds be transferred to others? What's the best way to set up a 529 ABLE plan Is tax loss selling a bit like market timing? What's the best way to sell appreciated stocks to reduce taxes? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

The price of both Bitcoin and gold have soared recently. Has anything changed that might make them attractive investments? Plus, there is more evidence that those who chase returns using mutual funds fail to beat those who buy and hold. We also help listeners: Better understand a Nuveen muni bond fund they own. Create a tax minimization plan for retirement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

After Don grumbles about the length of the holiday season, he goes on to answer listeners questions: Does it make sense to use a 529 Plan to make future Roth IRAs for grandkids? Is the 4.7% interest from Vanguard new Cash Plus account better than a high yield savings account? Does an allocation entirely too small cap stocks make sense? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

Investing "professionals" run the gamut from highly skilled and honest to truly dangerous. How can you avoid the mediocre to crooked financial advice providers out there? Tom and Don have some simple ways to protect your wealth from the unscrupulous. Plus, listeners ask: What is the name of the bank paying over 4%? How should money be allocated between taxable and tax-advantaged "baskets?" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

The end of the year often brings mutual fund investors an unpleasant surprise that can raise taxes; the realized capital gains distribution. How can you avoid this tax surprise? Are traditional mutual funds headed for extinction? Dimensional Funds rolls out a total market ETF to compete with Avantis. Then, listeners ask: How can the Washington state estate tax be avoided? Do they have enough to live a confortable and enjoyable retirement? How do you find a financial advisor you can trust? Le...

What's the best way to create a retirement income stream from your investment portfolio. Today, Tom and Don share four popular income strategies. Then, we hear from you (actually, a few of you): Does it make sense to sell Apple stock to pay off a HELOC (home equity line of credit) early? What is the best way to invest an inheritance? How does money have to be withdrawn from a non-spousal inherited IRA? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click...

Once thought to be nearly extinct (except for government workers), some major employers are bringing back the old fashioned pension plan. Does the apparent certainty of a pension make it a better retirement option than defined contribution plans, like 401k and 403b Plans? Plus, listeners ask: Should the proceeds from the sale of an investment property be moved into a DST (Delaware Statutory Trust)? Should a regular mutual fund be sold and an ETF purchased instead? Learn more about your ad cho...

In todays's Q&A session: Which funds should be used in a 403b? Thanks for the podcast. How much of fixed income should be in inflation hedges? How could a mom squeeze a bit more income out of her portfolio? Did it makes sense to sell bond funds and move into T-Bills? Is an umbrella liability insurance policy needed? How should a million dollar portfolio be invested? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

A recent list of "the best mutual funds" is best ignored. The funds prised in this piece are not great funds, just a few that got lucky by being in the right investments at the right time. Plus, most of the funds are eclectic, expensive, and extremely risky. Then, Tom defends his Bob Brinker criticism and a listener asks: Should a multi-fund portfolio be converted to ETFs? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

Most know him as the "Wolf of Wall Street." After ripping on investors for millions of dollars, Jordan Belfort claims to have "seen the light" and now believes that low-cost, index-style investing is the path investors should take. Then, listeners look for help... ...with a Health Savings Account's (HSA) divestment allocation. ...understanding why the value of a dividend fund has barely moved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Forget the 4% rule, Dave Ramsey wants you to believe that you can take an 8% annual income from an American Funds (or other broker-sold) portfolio. We explain why that is incredibly unlikely. Then on to the questions: What's the best allocation among funds in the Thrift savings Plan? Should a REIT in a taxable account be sold and invested in something more tax-efficient? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

A new study of Americans financial knowledge shows that a sizable portion of us are woefully uniformed about financial matters. Tom and Don share the results and ideas for improving our fiscal education. Plus, listeners ask: What do we think of a move from bonds into T-bills? Is a financial advisor needed and why? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

This is the last show of Thanksgiving week, as Tom and Don are taking time off. In the episode, we discuss the many problems with 401k and 403b plans that keep employees from doing as well as they might in other types of accounts. Listeners want to know: Does it make sense to invest almost $500,000 in a jumbo CD? Why don't we make longer episodes and suggest people listen at higher speeds? What do (did) we think of Bob Brinker? In what order should retirement accounts be used for income? Ho...

Today, we talk about the biggest reason housing prices have stayed so high in a period of rising rates. We also consider the right time to sell a home and downside and the impact a changing real estate sales market might have on real estate agents careers. We discuss the foolishness of keeping money in low-yield savings accounts. We also hear from listeners: How should a brokerage accoiunt be consolidated? Getting a lot on a savings accounts and hoping rates stay high. Learn more about your a...

If you want to reduce the amount you pay the IRS in 2024, there are several things you can do before the year is up to reduce your tax burden. If you wait until it's time to file next April, your deduction options are severely limited. Listeners ask us: If I convert one IRA to a Roth, must I convert them all? How do you choose between financial advisors with widely divergent strategies? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

In this episode, Don addresses the following: Why should a portfolio be rebalanced regularly? Is a state teacher's pension pre-tax money or can it be rolled over tax-free? What is the difference between the pre-tax, Roth, and after-tax 403b options? Finally, a listener appreciates the Medicare episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

As AI grows exponetially more knowledgable, are investors ready to move from human to many investing advice? Are there skills that people have that artificial intelligence can't mimic? Plus, listeners ask: What is the best order to draw from various types of retirement accounts? Which is the better Avantis total market ETF: AVGE or AVGV? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

When Tom finally sits down with the finance guy to buy his car, he is pitched a bunch of extra warranties and given some terrible investing advice. So, today, we discuss all of the mistaken beliefs people have about investing. Then, we hear from listeners asking: Is it better to buy houses or invest in stocks and bonds? What is the required minimum distribution formula for retirement accounts? Finally, we get a call from someone who has done well in real estate. Learn more about your ad choi...