Tom and Don are Talking Real Money
Money and funny? Yes, the two can go together. Toss in honesty and transparency, mix with true financial science, and you have the most unique investing podcast in America. Listen as two of the country's top financial broadcasters and educators show you how to stop playing with your hard-earned money and start investing it for YOUR future. Tom Cock was the host of the PBS-TV show “Serious Money” for many years, and Don McDonald hosted a nationally syndicated financial talk show since 1988. Today, Tom and Don are still dishing out simple, straightforward financial advice on one of the most popular investing podcasts in the world.
Recent Episodes
1986
Sept. 25, 2026
Ep. 1986: Six Questions, Straight Answers
Six listener questions drive this Friday edition, starting with whether a pre-retirement car purchase belongs on a 401(k) withdrawal. Don explains why preserving tax-deferred growth usually matters more than trying to micromanage one year's tax bracket. The conversation moves through realistic return assumptions, global diversification, and the cleanest way to donate appreciated stock. Don also weighs the risks and costs of a non-traded real estate fund and reviews a thoughtfully conservative re
1985
Sept. 24, 2026
Ep. 1985: The Just-Right Path
Retirement planning gets dangerous when people drift toward either extreme. Don and Tom unpack a survey in which savers wildly overestimate the nest egg they need, yet also assume they can safely withdraw 10% a year. The better answer is a portfolio and spending plan built for the actual person. They turn to the mechanics of retirement income: whether to take IRA distributions monthly or annually, how tax-aware withdrawals can help, and when paying cash for a large purchase makes sense. A liste
1984
Sept. 23, 2026
Ep. 1984: Before the Bear Arrives
Winter comes for markets, too. Don and Tom ask the useful question before the next bear market arrives: will your portfolio—and your nerves—be ready? They revisit painful declines, concentrated bets, and why a plan matters most when selling feels irresistible. They explain how rebalancing, a sensible mix of stocks and bonds, and tax-loss harvesting can help investors respond with discipline. Your risk tolerance is only half the equation; there is no prize for taking more risk than your goals req
1983
Sept. 22, 2026
Ep. 1983: Coast FI’s Missing Passengers
Coast FI promises that if you save enough early, your retirement money can coast the rest of the way. Don and Tom run the numbers and find the missing passengers: inflation, Social Security, uncertain returns, and the messy surprises of real life. They like aggressive early saving, but not treating a projection as a guarantee—or abandoning a valuable saving habit and employer match. The listener questions cover Treasury bills versus CDs in high-tax states, California municipal bonds, and how to
1982
Sept. 21, 2026
Ep. 1982: The Price of Excitement
Exciting investments often arrive wrapped in a great story—and hide a much bigger risk. Don and Tom revisit Financial Physics Rule 10, explain the price of chasing sizzle, and separate investing from speculation. Then they answer whether quarterly advisor check-ins are reasonable and why a sound portfolio should not require constant tinkering. They close with a conservative IRA allocation question and the tradeoffs among U.S. stocks, global diversification, and short- versus broad-term bonds.
1981
Sept. 18, 2026
Ep. 1981: Money Questions, Sorted
Friday’s listener questions cover the kind of decisions that sound simple until the details arrive. Don weighs the ease of Vanguard’s total bond fund against building a Treasury ladder, and explains why convenience can be a perfectly sensible investment feature. Then it’s overseas: how much international stock exposure belongs in a diversified portfolio, and why no single U.S./international split is scientifically “right.” The show also sorts out HSA investing, beneficiaries, and the rule for h
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