Talking Real Money - Investing Talk

With baby boomers nearing the end of their time on earth, a huge wealth transfer is in the offing. What would you do with a big inheritance of guess? Plus, are CFPs always acting as fiduciaries? Then, it's question time:How do we avoid bad companies in our client's portfolios?Does it make sense to move from a target-date fund to a total market index?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Tom and Don are joined by a rare guest, Phil McInnis, Chief Investment Strategist at Avantis Funds. This episode covers the difference between truly active fund management and rules-based stock selection, how ETFs differ from mutual funds, and much more.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

A major new study found that investors care more about fee transparency than the return from their investments. It turns out that investors want the truth from their financial advisors. Yet, the financial industry continues to lie and obfuscate. Then, after Tom suffers a technical breakdown, Don takes calls:Is there a way to set up a 401k transfer before leaving a firm?How can misplaced IRA funds be recovered?Where are all the jobs?Thanks for a great show.Would the total market or a small-cap value fund be a better investment?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Yet another study shows that dart-throwing monkeys (a metaphor for randomness) picked better investments than did professional human stock pickers. Plus, humans cost more. Another study shows that only a few stocks account for the bulk of the market's returns.Then, we hear from a few of you:How much do dual-registered advisors actually charge?Does it make sense to pay off a very low-interest mortgage?How much should be invested in an international ETF?Why do so few investors use indexed bond funds?Is Empower really acting as a fiduciary all the time?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

This is a particularly good Friday question and answer session:When should a portfolio be rebalanced?What is the difference between VT and VTWAX?Her CFP uses Pershing. Are they okay?Where should a small child's UTMA be invested?Where should emergcy money be invested for safety?How to we feel about Rick Ferri saying that small cap value investing has failed?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Another experts predicts the financial futute with absolute certainty, despite the FACT that the future can't be known. Plus, we agree with Bill Gross for the first time.Then, we hear from listeners:Is there a need for an internation fund other than the I Fund in the Thrift Savings Plan?Can taxes be avoided by moving from the Vanguard S&P 500 mutual fund to their S&P 500 ETF?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Is it the 4% rule? Should you take less in bad times and more in good times? How do you know how much income can you take from your investments in retirement?Listeners ask:What kinds of investments should a young investor have in a retirement account?Are personalized portfolios better than target dates funds?Should an investor be concerned about California bonds in a muni fund?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Should you be concerned about the money you have in the bank?Listeners wonder:What would have happened if you invested at the highest point of stock market every year?What is the best way to buy gold?Should investors consider investing in high yileding structured notes?Do Schwab intelligent portfolios make sense?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

It is estimated that the UK spent about $100 million to crown King Charles III. What else could you get for that much money? We also discuss the huge amount of money taken out of the market lately and why we need to stop playing the markets.Then our listeners ask:How much is needed to retire comfortably?How do we feel about "direct indexing?"How can Roth funds be used for emergencies?Does a Texas gold-backed debit card make sense or serve any purpose?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Just another Q&A Friday, Cinco de Mayo. Today Don tackles:Should the funds be inside both a regular and Roth IRA?Should siblings' contributions to mother's care be tracked, and what might happen if they help mom?Does the rate on I-Bonds remain the same for their entire term?Is it okay to go ahead and fund a backdoor IRA early in the year?Do the ERISA protections make keeping an old employer's 401k?From which accounts should college money be withdrawn first?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Do investors need a great money manager like Warren Buffett? Then, we ask: Is he really that good, and are his best days behind him?Two listeners ask us different questions about Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).Then, we veer way off topic as we talk about visiting Omaha, Nebraska, and its top attractions.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

They can't quote high returns and claim low risk if it's not true, right? It may be wrong, but purveyors of investment products have been doing it for centuries. There will always be people who promise big profits and toss out truly unbelievable risk claims, and there is only one person you can count on to protect you: YOU!Plus, a listener asks:What does this portfolio need for better diversification?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

In this episode, we continue where we left off in the previous show, sharing various reasons why you might not be ready to retire. We also hear from listeners who:Want to know what to do with undeeded IRA RMDs?Warn about the hazards of not paying estimated taxes on a big capital gain.Shares how he converted an Edward Jones account into a fee-only service.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Today and tomorrow, we look at several reasons you might not be ready to retire. Plus, listeners want to know:Is there a deadline during the day for canceling a mutual fund trade?Are we heading for economic trouble?How much of an annuity will need to be withdrawn for RMD?How bad is my financial situation?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Don is back, taking on your questions with his answers. Here's what today's episode brings:What is Phoenix Capital, and how can they offer 9-12% yields?How much of BND is in long-term bonds?How should a portfolio be rebalanced to add a REIT fund?Should a bonus go into a 401k and does it make sense to convert to a Roth?Should old 401ks be moved into a new John Hancock managed 401k plan?Plus, a bit of additional information about crypto creation.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

With rates all over the place, many are trying to play the fixed-income market. Tom and Don explore the purpose of fixed income in a portfolio and disciplined strategies for investors. Plus, they discuss a new, strange NFT offering.Listers want to know:What do we think of Paul Merriman's target date and small-cap fund strategy?Does it make sense to test the five biggest brokers by giving each a whopping $1,000 to invest?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

What if you invested in the S&P 500 decades ago and did absolutely nothing? The answer is shocking. Plus, a special segment featuring a "Last Week Tonight" piece on the forecasting abilities of Jim Cramer.We hear from listeners:What is our opinion of Mint and Nerdwallet and are they safe?Is another firm with a financial podcast worth considering?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Tom and Don explore another goofy investing advice article (as if something has actually changed).Our listeners ask us:How should assets be consolidated for upcoming retirement?What should be done to create a backdoor IRA with an excess contribution?Which Vanguard fund should replace an American Funds tax-free fund?How safe is Schwab as an investment advisory firm's custodian?What should be done with an old employer's 401k?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Does owning a home make financial sense anymore? Could it be wiser to rent and invest instead?Plus, Tom takes calls about:The effect of joint tenancy on estate taxes.The tax advantage of ETFs over mutual funds.Should a cash account be moved into qualified dividend stocks?Does it make sense to invest in a high-yielding real estate trust?Are there any decent money newsletters?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

An extra large helping of listener questions today:A young investor seeks our portfolio blessing.Does a Merriman-suggested ETF make sense to own?Should he keep shoveling money into savings?Do RMDs impact Social Security taxation?In which types of accounts should various assets be located?Is this a strategy to avoid backdoor IRA taxes?Don is called on to settle a couple's dispute about annuities.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Despite its recent run-up, gold remains a terrible investment. In fact, by our definition, it isn't even an investment as it cannot become more valuable on its own.Then we hear from some of you, wondering:Why do we suggest AVUV when it's an "active" ETF?If an individual fixed-income investor can beat a bond fund or ETF?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

How soon we forget. After years of low to non-existent interest rates on fixed-income securities, suddenly, everyone wants to invest in bonds or CDs. Did the equity markets take that big a beating, and will they return less moving forward?Then we hear from listeners:Does it make sense to move money from a Vanguard S&P 500 fine to the identical ETF?Should a bond fund be added to a diversified equity portfolio at work?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Can someone who provides investment advice be just a little bit fiduciary? What is wrong with investment advisors also being commissioned brokers? How can you find a 100% fiduciary advisor?Listeners ask:In which types of accounts should various investments be held?Which is better: Fidelity or Vanguard?Should we be buying bank stocks right now?Can securities be sold by a new broker?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Don shares a new study that, again, illustrates the futility of trying to beat the market. The future remains unknowable. Plus, he discusses the darkest side of cryptocurrencies; power hungry miners.Callers join in to:Praise the show.Is there way to reduce taxes on an investment property sale?What should be done with an extra $20K?What are the tax advantages of putting your life in an LLC?What should be done with some Ferrari stock?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Another day, another five questions answered. Today's topics:How do I know who is a true fiduciary?What's our opinion of "Infinity Investing?"Where can I look up financial advisors?What should be done with an inheritance?Why do we like the flexible withdrawal strategy for retirement income?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

We have gotten a bit behind on answering phoned-in questions, so today, Don answers the following:How do you get out of a bunch of individual stocks?What should be done with too much of a single stock in a retirement portfolio?What is a good place to "safely" invest for retirement?How will smaller bank spreads affect the market?How can someone eventually retire with no assets except an almost paid-off home?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Hard to believe, but the US government allows investors to generate tax-free income from a well-diversified portfolio – without using municipal bonds. Plus, a listener wonders if the extra fees for the Avantis Small-Cap Value ETF (AVUV) are worth paying.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

The world has changed dramatically. So, how do you manage your money in this mad new world? Plus, we hear from listeners asking:How do you get restarted on a retirement investment path?Will other world currencies supplant the US Dollar?What do we think of these two stocks?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Rather than tell you which investments make the most sense, we decided to share with our list of the worst investments. These are some of the things we believe you should avoid. Some examples:CryptocurrenciesVariable and Indexed annuitiesOptionsand more.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Don tackles more of your questions:What happens if an exchange-traded fund (ETF) sponsor goes bankrupt?Can a Roth IRA conversion count as a required minimum distribution (RMD)?Should old retirement plans be moved into the new plan?After moving from Ed Jones to Schwab, where should some extra money be invested?Does a precious metals fund belong in a diversified portfolio?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Many investors seem to believe owning a portfolio of dividend-paying stocks is a safe and effective way to create retirement income. Are there better ways to create investment income in retirement? We explore the evidence.Then, we hear from two listeners:What should be done with a windfall that will eventually go into an IRA?A trick to avoid the "pro rata rule" for backdoor Roths.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

So, how did the investment market perform this past quester? Investors are only now starting to avoid stocks.Plus, listeners ask:Where should I put some new money? Is Ally safe?Is it normal for a credit union to limit how much cash you can withdraw?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Money is important. Today we present our second episode devoted to what you need to know about both building wealth and beginning to use it. For example, how much real money is available from your home? What's the best portfolio for retirement?Plus, we hear from a slew of listeners:What should be done with poor-performing investments?Some fiduciaries don't always act in your best interests.Why can't an advisor get the fund wanted, and should you even invest in a sector fund?What could be wrong with owning a portfolio of just dividend-producing stocks?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Today, we present part one of a two-part series focused on what you must know about money. In this episode, we discuss spending and credit. Then, we hear from listeners asking:For help looking up his fee structure and an ADV Part Two. You'll be shocked at what we found.Seeking the best plan for reducing company ESOP stock holdings.Wondering why a bank would limit the amount of cash allowed to be withdrawn.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

On today's episode, Don is asked:Does this "granular" DIY portfolio make sense?Why would he even consider suggesting a reverse mortgage?What should be done with a portfolio that has always lost money?Is there any trick to rescue a Backdoor Roth from ponderous taxes?Does it make sense to build a 5-year income ladder with fixed annuities?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Like financial leeches, old online subscriptions slowly suck your bank account dry. What can be done about these almost to impossible to cancel services? Then, we hear from listeners asking:What should I expect from a wealth manager?Which assets should be in what kind of account?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

One of the biggest annuity collapses in history is progressing in slow motion. This has left the annuity investors stuck without access to their money for years, with no relief in sight. So, just how safe are annuities, and how can those selling them claim they are "guaranteed?" Don is given a fee disclosure document for an Invesco fund, and the costs are shocking.Then, a listener asks: Why don't we suggest Roth IRAs for everyone?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Two (or more) of the biggest reasons you shouldn't rely on the S&P 500 for your stock market diversification. How should you properly diversify your equity portfolio?Listeners want to know:What do some of the numbers mean for ETF market quotes?Do DFA funds charge 12b-1 fees?How is a transfer from a regular IRA to a Roth reported?What is the difference between investing with an insurance agent versus a fee-only advisor?What should be done with some unexpected money?What's the best way to talk with a friend about "real" investing?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Don's away, so Tom discusses the billions of dollars that have been moved to cash. Where is it being stashed and where should you be putting your money? How protected are various financial firms?We hear from listeners:With some investing advice.How to check out a Vanguard advisor?How to derive tax breaks from unleveraged investmet property?Looking for our opinion of Vanguard target date funds.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Today's questions:Why did my ETF distribute capital gains?Will this tax harvesting and repurchasing strategy run afoul of the "wash-sale" rule?Is there any reason to pay off a mortgage in retirement?Why do banks have 11-month CDs?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Millions of retirement accounts have been left behind and apparently forgotten. We're talking REAL money. You need to find yours.A listener asks:What about buying stocks with shareholder perks?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

What you can do now and later this year to reduce your tax bill. Plus, we talk about a non-financial talk show that spews bad words ("F" instead of "T").Listeners ask us:Should you short the long Cramer ETF?Why did Don change his investing suggestions from those given in the 1990s?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

With the retirement upheaval in France, Tom and Don discuss when should we retire and what will we do then. Plus, when it comes to investing, ignorance might actually be bliss.Callers want to know:Our opinion of a fiduciary advisor being considered by a listener? The answer will help you choose one.Whether or not enough money has been accumulated to retire at 62?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Welcome to March Money Madness. With several banks teetering what should you do with your money. One banker tries to comfort his depositors by offering his personal cell number. Plus, we answer the buriung questions: What is 100% safe? Then we hear from callers who want to know:Whose accounts are covered by FDIC insurance?What is a stable value fund?How many funds are needed to be properly diversified?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

In this week's question and answer episode:Should he sell his bond funds and create a CD ladder?Can funds from a managed account go into an IRA?Is Fidelity's Brokerlink option for 401k plans a good choice for participants?Is Vanguard's Federal Money Market fund a good place for emergency funds?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Emotions are good for many things, just not for investing. Tom and Don discuss the many money moods that can be financial future killers. Plus, we hear from listeners about:A 401k that only offers Principal products.What is the best way to invest for a small-cap value tilt?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

The fallout from Silicon Valley Bank's failure continues to impact the investing markets. Should you be concerned? What should you do?Plus, listeners want to know the following:Who writes those almost identical stock market headlines and if pros can trade, why can't we?Why does Apella Wealth list insurance sales in its Form ADV?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Are stocks and bonds not good enough for you? Why not take on some of those sophisticated investments used by college endowments? We'll tell you why not. Plus, another reason to avoid individual stocks; lying. Then, onto your questions:How much bond diversification is needed?Why are company retirement plan participants allowed larger contributions than are allowed for IRAs?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Tom and Don discuss the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and what it means for you and your portfolio. We also talk about the "run" on Social Security as retirees take early withdrawals in a panic.We then take your questions:What is the best way to save for retirement outside of a 401k?How do you add the effect of inflation on your retirement income withdrawals?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Today's questions and comments include the following:Another way to fund a child's Roth IRA.Can regular in-service transfers be made from a bad SEP-IRA into a traditional IRA?Does using a margin loan to buy commercial real estate makes sense?Does this simple three-fund portfolio look okay?Can you contribute more than you earn to IRAs and 401ks?How much diversification is needed in a bond portfolio?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!