Talking Real Money - Investing Talk

Congress came close, but at the last minute greed prevailed and the powers that be, in the House, refused to bring a bill to a vote that would have banned stock trading. What, funds and ETFs aren't good enough for them?Then off to listeners questions:What do we think of the Washington state employee annuity?Should you have different asset classes in your 401k and IRA?Why does the amount of a security sale differ from the cash available to trade?Does no state income tax influence the the purchase of CDs or bonds?With an advisor retiring, how do you choose a new fiduciary advisor?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

We start with Don's update on Hurricane Ian, the we consider the many imroved opportunities for investing you short term cash. After that, we are innundated with questions:How can a 401k be slowly liquidated when an employer requires the whole account be closed?What should be done with some old American fund shares in IRAs?My advisor forgot to send some paperwork.Is there a cure for a bad case of 'hodgepodgitis?"How should a TSP portfolio be allocated?Plus, Tom feels compelled to talk sports again and would you pay 200% interest for that cute "doggy in the window?" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Don is taking your questions again to wrap up the week:Which comes first, your HSA or 401k?When is interest taxed in "at maturity" CDs?The best way to create a balanced investment at Fidelity?What do we make of an obscure, institutional only fund for retirement plan?What should parents do with $150,000 sitting in the bank?Before considering an annuity, with whom should she talk?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Real estate prices can fall. That truth is becoming obvious as we learn that the Seattle area is falling fastest. Plus, we talk about all of the misleading advice from idustries with commissioned salespeople. Do you have to withdraw from a Roth 401k. Tom asks Don about the latest Florida Hurricane. We share JPMorganChase CEO's Jamie Dimon's thoughts about cryptocurrency. We follow that with the story of Michael Saylor's multi-billion dollar BitCoin bet.We also hear from listeners:What are the tax consequences of realizing capital gains in an IRA product?Thanking us for what we do.Can you choose with type of 401k account from which you take withdrawals at age 72?Looking for more information about Series I bonds.Does it make sense to get a HELOC to buy stocks?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

For the second time in a row, investors have faced a second 20%+ decline in 2022. What happened and what does it mean to you? With stocks down and bonds down, at least that bear market protecting, inflation hedging asset class, gold, must have bailed you out? Right? Think again. So, how are those complaex hedging type mutual funds done? Find out. Plus, we talk about both hurrican and market panic.Then, we take your calls:What happened to your podcasts in mid-September?How to buy treasury securities on their initial offering?How does the "wash sale rule" work and how to define a "substantially identical" security.Is AVUV worth the higher fees compared with a pure small cap value index?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Don is slowly mending as the podcast maintains a shortened schedule of three to four episodes a week. There will be no videos for the nest few weeks.Today, is the American retirement system broken and what can you do to avoid poverty in your final years?PlUs, a reformed stockbroker wonders about using actively managed funds to create an income portfolio?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Don and Tom consider the question that plagues many during times after markets have lost money: Is it a bad idea to retire from work in a bear market? Should you go after a "guaranteed" 9% return?Then, on to your questions:What do we think of an "advisors" advice to use American Funds in lieu of Vanguard funds?How much can a working teenager contribute to a Roth?How can money be given to grandkids and yet protected being used too early?Is her bank advisor actually a fiduciary and how do they make money?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Don returns to the mic and explains his recent surgical absence (and catches some flack for his disdain for emergency room procedures). Then, we discuss the recent improved performance of active mutual fund managers. Could it simply be luck? Plus, Robin Hood is creating a stupid trader index.From there we take listeners questions:When should a 529 plan be funded?Immediate joint annuity...?Moving money to Fidelity. How should he switch to indexes.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Program note: We apologize for the delay in getting this episode posted. Don had a major medical emergency on September 9th that both kept him from doing the show and caused him to undergo some intensive surgery on Monday. Thanks so much for your understanding. What is the diffrenece between stocks and bonds and why do you need those boring bonds? He also discusses the power of broad diversification and a long period during which owning the S&P 500 alone was disasterous.Plus, Tom takes questions:Another call about I-BondsHow do we view REITs?Thoughts on a Social Security withdrawal strategy?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Program note: We apologize for the delay in getting this episode posted. Don had a major medical emergency on Friday that both kept him from doing the show and caused him to undergo some intensive surgery on Monday. Thanks so much for your understanding. He plans to be back for the Saturday show and subsequent episodes.Tom uses the passing of Queen Elizabeth to make a point about investing consistency.Do you know your retirement number?Can you really retire in a recession?Can iBonds be used in retirement accounts?What should be done with low interest rate credit union money?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Don and Tom and John Rekenthaler share some lessons learned about the latest hot boutique funds. Then we take some questions:Which mutual funds should be used in new Fidelity IRAs?What's a good ETF in which to park tax loss assets?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Sure, you might correctly guess the future direction of the stock market once, but can you do it every time?Then, we hear from a bunch of listeners:One shares a great Vanguard experience.Another with some really bad investments.Are Vanguard and few other fund groups facing government intervention?We hear about the elcetic concept of private foundations avoiding RMD.Must money be in Roth for five years before withdrawals?Finally, what do we think of the Fidelity Zero funds?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

We start with off-topic discusssions about holidays and changes in office work. Then we discuss a concern that many share: Can I afford to retire? Plus, we question a retirement portfolio suggestion.We hear from listeners:About Vanguard's declining level of customer support.Wondering if Tom remembers him?Bashing us for bashing crypto.It was a holiday.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Don discover a number of articles in Entreprenuer magazine that seem to be created from the same formula by a stock "research" firm in Kalkota. Plus, a comment of our tax-free investing advice.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Tom and Don take a look at a couple of popular investnents that no one needs; buffer funds, private real estate.Then a listener wonders how to get into Dimensional Funds' products?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

United Healthcare has been using expensive funds in their 401k plan. Should they have looked for cheaper products? Looks like a court will decide.Then we take lots of listener questions:Is Vanguard getting out of mutual fund business?How do ETFs work and why use them?What might happen to a company when all shares are held internally?Will savings rates ever get reasonable again?How do Treasury Bills work?Must IRA accounts have beneficiaries named?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

As the market collapsed again, how bad has the market actuall been for real investors? Then, what should you do with your student loan forgiveness? How do you pick the right mutual funds? We share the latest chapter in the AMC meme stock stupidity.Listeners ask:Does it make sense to tax-loss harvest in tax-advantaged accounts?How long does the IRS expect us to live?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Don spends another day answering listeners questions:What to we think about market timing?How can he add small and emerging markets with a mediocre 401k?What is the worst case scenarion for an I-Bond buyer?What is a basis point and is Tom caffeinated?Can a retored spouse have a Roth IRA and Personal Capital's new savings account?What should be done with next year's Roth contributions?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

We explore one of those lists of the "best" financial "advisors." What makes this list of commissioned brokers the "best" wealth managers? We ask and answer that question.Plus, listeners want to know what to do with a bunch of Microsoft stocks and what is the difference between Dimensional and Avantis?Also, check out the video version at YouTube.com/talkingrealmoneyLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Tom is back. First, we discover that active mutual funds can pick their own securities benchmarks against which they are compared. Now, it appeard that insitutional fund managers are setting their own performance targets to increase performance bonuses.A listener wonders if Social Security can be considered part of a fixed-income portfolio?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Don't like the way your active mutual fund compares to the competition? No problem. Just pick a better benchmark. It's perfectly legal and very effective at misdirecting investors. Don also considers the arguments that index funds are un-American. Yet, only a tiny percentage of active funds beat the indexes.A caller wonders if annuities are guaranteed and what to do with them?What's the best way to fund retirement accounts for young children?How could Wellington and Wellesley be recreated with index funds?In which accounts should bonds be held?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Don dives into one of his biggest issues with the financial services industry. Many insurance companies are lying their way into the retirement plans of educators, medical workers, and public employees and sucking out HUGE fees. That's not conjecture, it's fact. Even worse the teachers unions are more than complicit. They actively promote expensive annuities to their members. Then onto the questions:Where can the most recent IRS mortality tables ne found?Does al all value portfolio make sense?What should be done with an old fixed annuity?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Thanks for all the great questions. Here's what Don answers in this episode:How should bonds be added to a portfolio?Is it time to abandon the sinking ARKK?Does Crowdstreet look like a good investment?Will a 70-year old employee face any emergency 401k penalties?Are these advisors always fiduciaries?Any apparent problems with this 60/40 portfolio?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Today Don dives into Morgan Stanley's form ADV and a sample crokerage statement to try and help you understand how much you might be paying for investing advice.Be sure to watch the video to get the visual details at youtube.com/talkingrealmoneyLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Who was responsible for Crypto's recent collapse?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Famous people are notoriously bad investors.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Don't react to the markets.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Where do problem brokers go?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Too many don't know the basics.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

It's Don's favorite day: Q&A Friday!Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

What should you do if you didn't save enough?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Even a great long-term track record means little.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Wanna know what's next for the market?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Billion dollar lotto winnings and an expert on Social SecurityLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Don's back and taking more questions.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

We share some good and bad early retirement tips.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

More stories of crypto insanity.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Perfidiously pushing products.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

HIgher interest rates have slowed home salesLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

You just came into money. What now?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

What can you do to reduce the effects of inflation?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Bears happen when you least expect them.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

How to avoid being taken by a con artist.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Emergency cash for a possible recessionsLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

There are no telltale signs of a market changing direction.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

We only have three questions today.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

Will new rules reduce bad retirement rollover pitches?Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

A magazine ad pretending to be an article.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

We expected very few calls. We were wrong.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!

It's Friday, so...Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesQuestions? Comments? Click!