Show - Talking Real Money

Another potpourri of great questions: Should the cost basis in an IRA be documented? Is M1 Finance a decent brokerage service? How do we determine which funds are likely to outperform in the future? Do mutual funds offer an advantage over ETFs for systematic investors? What's the real deal with a Lincoln Financial 403b? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The term "passive income" has been used to refer to everything from buying houses to selling stuff on Amazon. Funny how most of those ideas pitched as providing passive income are actually a lot of work. Usually, the only one making a lot with little effort are the folks teaching you how to do it. Then, we hear from you about: How do I pick the best funds for my risk tolerance? Why would a fund generating capital gains be a bad thing? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Watch out for this year's tax mutual fund tax forms. Many actively managed mutual funds have a surprise for you. Despite losing money in 2022, you might find you owe taxes on a distributed capital gain. Then, we take your questions: How should money from a broker sold portfolio be invested? Is an inherited Roth IRA subject to the 10-year withdrawal rule? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From whom should you get you financial and investing advice? Robert Kyosaki, Suze Orman, Dave ramsey, economists? We look at the various mainstream financial education providers. Plus, why is Tesla rising so fast? We hear from listeners, too (mostly about banking): Why don't banks pay more on savings? What is the advantage to taking lottery winnings in a lump sum? How do high-yield savings products pay so much more? Will a 72-year old need to take RMD in 2023? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The news can be disconcerting and push us to react emotionally. What should you do just in case the US government defaults on its debut? Why do you keep making horrible investing decisions? What is driving the huge disparity in savings rates? Then a lot of you get in touch: First, the old "...what should I do with this money?" question addressed. How can money be moved from an employer retirement plan? How do you find a safe online bank? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom loves interviews. Now that he's figured out the technical aspects of creating them, look for more weekend specials featuring prominet money guests. This weekend, Tom spends time with Bill Conerly, PhD discussing the possible economic future, why highre rates were needed, the future of unemployment, and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's Q&A session: Is earned income needed to roll 529 money into a Roth IRA? Where is the best place to park emergency money? Are Wisdom Tree core portfolios sensible portfolio additions? After going to cash in 2019, what should I do now? What do we think of Betterment and how should he get help for his mom? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The vast majority of people believe themselves to be above average. That is statistically impossible. One area in which you are dangerously overconfident is investing, and it shows. Then, a listener wonders if he should use some extra income to invest for retirement or pay off a car loan? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While Wall Street would like you to think that there are new financial products, being created, all the time, real financial innovations are few and far between. In fact, the last significant change happened exactly 30 years ago, with the creation of the exchange traded fund (ETF). Then, a listener wonders if it makes sense to keep 30 inherited individual stocks to collect the dividends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most of us don't know what we don't know about money and investing. That lack of knowledge can be more costly that you can imagine. Getting financially educated is hard and yet essential for your future. How much do you pay for investments? Do you really know? Listeners want to know: Does an individual TIPs ladder make sense for portion of a portfolio? What should a real estate investor do with new money? Why her experience with Social Security benefit delays does not add up to 8% per year? How do the returns of the Merriman 10 fund portfolio compare to 2 or 3 fund portfolios? What do we think of a friend's advice to move from a target-date fund to a money market fund? Where do we suggest a mix of investment accounts be consolidated? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone wants to know how how to invest for the next... whatever. Many, included one of the most famous "stopped clocks" of all time, Robert Kyosaki, want you to believe they know. In fact, we do know how to invest for a recession and everything else. It's just pretty boring. Listeners want to know: Which Vanguard ETF is the same as the Total Bond Index fund? What changed to make us prefer ETFs over mutual funds? Which site do we use to look up securities? What are our thoughts about SCHD (a Schwab dividend fund)? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, Don starts the Q&A edition with a powerful follow-up from a past caller. Then, it's on determining a brokers fees, the differences between exchange-traded funds and mutual funds, a portfolio allocation check, and the best income ladder building materials: CDs, Treasuries, or TIPS? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The French are rioting over a proposal to raise the national retirement age from 62 to 64. The US may need to raise the full retirement age beyond 67. When should you retire and how should you plan for it? A listener wants to know how to get into the financial advice business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the avalanche better than the snowball? Paying off debt can be challenging. What's the best way to get out? Plus, a listener finds that giving up control is hard to do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The SEC claims that all "financial advisors" are supposed to act in your best interests and fully disclose any conflict of interest (including high fees, commissions, and expenses). Yet, high-cost, dangerous financial products are still being offered by the many billions of dollars. What can be done to protect you? Merv from Denver is back to take Don to task for his "misleading" comments about cryptocurrencies. Surprise, he failed to change Don's mind. In fact, we have even more anti-crypto information. Tangent: What's a Hokie? Listeners ask: Can he still make contributions in a Roth with a 401k? How can massively appreciated stock be sold to avoid taxes? When should money be withdrawn from retirement accounts? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stop deluding yourself. As much as you want them, there are no higher returning, lower risk investments. Yet, far too many investors are are falling prey to impossible promises from purveyors of high-priced, illiquid investments. Do index-style funds need a track record? Plus, a group that once called index funds "Un-American" now touts it's market beating index fund portfolio. Is Tesla really worth the combined value of almost every other car maker combined? We also hear from listeners: Is it better to invest all at once or slowly average in? How much is needed in an emergency fund and should money g o into a Roth or I-Bonds? Where should short-term money be kept? Is there any need to diversify among fund groups or brokerage firms? What percentage of a total portfolio should be allocated among various asset classes? On what fund was Tom's small-cap value return based? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Friday the 13th is your lucky day as Don answers some important questions that could help you build wealth better: How much can an employee contribute to a 403b? Can money in 529 education plans be rolled over into a Roth IRA? What should be done with some extra monthly investing money? Now that Vestory is part of Apella Wealth, what's changed? Should funds in an IRA be moved from Vanguard mutual funds to ETFs? What are the best fund to use in a qualified plan to match personal risk tolerance? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, Tom and Don share what they believe those who provide financial and investing advice should do for you, their clients. Plus, we hear from two listeners asking: Does his strategy get around wash sale rules for tax losses? Will the Treasury be sending annual 1099s for I-Bonds? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few mutual funds turned a profit in 2022. Are the managers magicians? Investors need to face reality. No one has a secret (legal) way to make you lots of money in good markets and lose you nothing when they turn bad. Plus, a listener wants to know the best way to build the best portfolio in his 401k? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The demise of the 60/40 portfolio appears to have been short-lived as sharply higher rates on bonds have lifted the returns for the 40% invested in fixed income funds and ETFs. Listeners want to know: What happened to Vestory? Which is better mutual funds or ETFs? How can a value tilt be added to portfolio? Can a tax loss be taken now for last year? Would taking a tax loss on VTWAX and immediately investing in VT invoke wash-sale rule? What's our opinion of high-yield savings accounts? Are Northern Trust funds good investments? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices