Episodes

While "Waiting for Godot" (an obscure theatrical reference for many) ending up being a waste of time, waiting for Social Security could be very lucrative. Yet, few people manage to hold off until age 70. With Don in Copenhagen, Tom and Paul Merriman discuss this simple yet valuable strategy for enjoying more income in retirement. Then on to your questions: Paul is asked to elaborate on Christine Benz's 3 bucket strategy. With rates up, should bond money be moved to CDs? Is it reasonable to...

Don is still lounging around the North Sea (and editing this podcast). So, Tom in joined by Paul Merriman. The S&P 500 has soared 20% so far this year and now that "the market" (has been) "is" up, investors are feeling frisky. So, is it time to dive back into the equity pool. Paul discusses the number one reason to buy index funds and why you should buy when the market is down. He also talks about using target-date funds in conjunction with a small-cap value offering. Callers ask: What should a...

Don's on his summer cruise, freezing in Iceland, and answering questions: Does a portfolio of specific date bond ETFs make sense? Should a 28-year old retirement investor use target-date funds or AVGE? How much is needed to become our client? Should retirement money be invested in Schwab Intelligent Portfolios? With today's high yields do CDs have a place in a retirement portfolio? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

They gave you the chance to get in on the ground floor of hot new businesses. Special purpose acquisition companies or SPACs were hot "investments" not too long ago. So, what happened? Then, on to questions from listeners: A military member looks for advice on TSP portfolio and wants advice on money in cash accounts. What's a good three fund strategy for TSP investments? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

While Don sails across the North Atlantic, Tom mans the podcast and discusses overrated financial concepts and how you deal with money. Then come the callers: Does it makes sense to have both a 401k and a Roth IRA and what are the differences? Have we forgotten about the less tangible aspects of a paid-off mortgage? What’s the best way to convert a regular IRA to Roth IRA? Is a Roth 457 better? What’s the best way to avoid the high fees at Empower? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit m...

With Don on vacation, Tom spends some time covering the basics of investing. Later he is joined by Consumerman, Herb Weisbaum discussing the latest scams. They also discuss the pros and cons of electric vehicles. Callers ask about: What are the reals costs of mutual funds and ETFs? How to start working toward a financially secure retirement? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

Even when on vacation, Don tackles an array of questions and comments from listeners, including: How should an inheritance be invested for a vacation fund? Is this portfolio allocation too aggressive? A listener lays out his case for crypto currencies, and Don responds. What traits should an investor look for in a financial advisor? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

In this episode, author Larry Swedroe shares his opinion on various alternative asset classes for investment. We also look at the confusing state of ESG investing and the differences between the returns of "green" and "brown" stocks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

In this episode, Tom and Dan talk with prolific author and director of research at the BAM Alliance about the differences between passive and active investing. We also discuss the tax differences between mutual funds and exchange-traded funds and the benefits of diversification across various asset classes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

Don't spend too much of your savings on a child's college education. People often retire because they can no longer earn a living, so you must ensure your retirement is your financial priority. Then callers ask: What should be done with a hodgepodge portfolio? What can be done with a currently non-deductible disaster loss? What should be done with the stocks in a company purchase plan? Still trying to discover the value of some of Warner Bros. stock. How should a bunch of individual inhe...

Nothing from the past can give you a reliable way of predicting the future. Does an inverted yield curve guarantee recession? Does the stock market predict a booming economy? Lots of things work until they don't. Will ETFs kill mutual funds? Then we hear from lots of you: What do we think of a Fidelity fund, and where should future investments go? What should be done with a long-term taxable account? What's the best way to fund the gap between early retirement and age 59? What do we think of...

In today's pre-vacation question and answer session Don addresses: Concerns about the young age of funds like AVGE. Are Fidelity Enhanced funds like Dimensional and Avantis funds? With the yield below 4%, should I-Bonds be cashed in and moved to saving accounts? Which money market yield quote is the right one? Does it make sense to fo with three funds instead of ten to simplify rebalancing? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

Today, after a robot briefly seizes the podcast, we talk about the power of advice and when hiring a robot to help you invest makes sense. We also compare a few of the biggest robo-advisory firms. Then we hear from listeners: Praising our help. Where is a great source for information on taking pensions and annuitization options? What should be done with a grandchild's investment vehicles and portfolio? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click...

We start with proof that "Luke from WI" is real. Then, we dive into the topic du jour; those annoying never-ending subscription charges. How can we better manage and eventually cancel them? Then, we take your questions: Isn't rebalancing a form of market timing? Is a cash-hoarding financial advisor incompetent? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

It can be difficult to get precision investment allocation with "pure" index funds. What are index funds, anyway? Callers ask us: Do stock investments make sense at age 70? How good are the investments in a broker-designed portfolio? What do we think of a dividend-centric portfolio? Then, we discuss the pitfalls of a high-income portfolio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

"Do as I say, not as I do," Many in the financial advice business epitomize this aphorism. A few are brave enough to admit that they fail to follow their own good advice. One of those is Christine Benz from Morningstar. Why do we fail to follow what we know to be good financial advice? That's up for discussion in this episode. Callers want to know: Is there a better parking place for a future home down payment? Do you need an emergency fund in retirement? Can money be moved from a regular...

On this week's Friday Q&A: Vanguard has made another customer angry with their $25 fee and they want to know how to move. Do these two ETFs provide enough diversification? After one year in a Kai-Zen Trust, a disillusioned buyer wants to know if he should continue funding it. What do we think of Dave Ramsey's advice to take Social Security payments at age 62? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

With the US Supreme Court ruling against the student loan, elimination plan, what can students do now to help reduce the burden of their education debt? Plus, we talk about special people and their special financial treatment. Then, listeners ask: Should they go ahead and annuitize a variable annuity or move it into an IRA Is this work 401(k) plan diversified enough? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

In this episode, we share the surprisingly good returns for 2023 so far and what it means going forward. Then we share a terrible way to find a fiduciary investment advisor and why it’s so hard to find high-quality financial advice. Callers ask about the following: Flexible withdrawals in retirement planning. We explain how withdrawing a reasonable percentage each year can provide a sustainable income. Using QLACs (qualified longevity annuity contracts) as a means to avoid RMDs (required minim...

In today's Q&A session: Does it make sense to buy a new home free and clear with the proceeds from the old house? Which Vanguard bond fund is the best choice? What are good ETFs in which to start investing overseas? Are these 401k funds active or passive? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

Lookin' to make 5% on your fixed income investments? With most banks still paying pathetic interest rates, there is a trick to getting substantially more on FDIC-insured CDs. Then, we hear from you: What should be done with a portfolio of almost 500 individual bonds? What investing advice do we have for armed services members? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

We are inundated with "expert" financial advice. Is it worth heeding? There are a lot of people who claim to be able to predict the financial future, but they all have one thing in common with plain old us. They CANNOT know the future. So, why bother listening, watching, or reading their advice? Then, we hear from some of you wondering: If Bitcoin makes simple mathamatical sense as an investment? What do we think of lightly traded ETFs? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc...

What are the big issues that drain your wealth after you retire? Here are five of the biggest wastes of money in retirement: Housing, health, scams, Social Security, and investing. Listeners ask: How can I be sure that my portfolio reflects my core beliefs? How should money from a condo sale be invested in retirement? After losing a job is life insurance still needed? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? Click!

Risk is part of life, but should we really worry about the possibility of losing everything? A 100% loss from your investments is almost 100% avoidable if you stop gambling. You can dramatically increase your chances of total loss with leverage. Listeners ask: Is a 6 to 7% esoteric bond product a safe way to create retirement income? What should be done with five non-income producing real estate investments? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Questions? Comments? ...