A Better Way
Don and Tom cut through the hype around the Dow crossing 50,000, reminding listeners that it represents only 30 price-weighted stocks and says little about real market health. While meme and growth stocks slide, diversified portfolios—especially those tilted toward small-cap value—are quietly outperforming in early 2026. The hosts critique Jason Zweig’s suggestion to shift into low-volatility funds during downturns, explaining why timing such moves rarely works. They answer listener questions on fund comparisons, retirement readiness, life insurance, emergency funds, and “set-it-and-forget-it” investing, reinforcing their core message: build a globally diversified portfolio, stick with it, and avoid reacting to short-term noise.
0:04 Dow hits 50,000 while most stocks lag—why it’s a meaningless headline
0:59 Robinhood and Palantir slide—speculators start getting nervous
1:39 Jason Zweig on low-volatility funds—and why timing them is a trap
1:55 Why the Dow is a terrible “index” built on 1890s math
3:22 Diversified portfolios quietly up nearly 6% YTD in early 2026
3:32 Small-cap value up 13%—the payoff of long-term discipline
4:05 “We didn’t predict this”—why diversification beats market bragging
4:54 Portfolios should already be built for downturns
5:10 The danger of reacting after markets “stumble”
7:09 Average vs. median net worth—why averages mislead
8:26 How billionaires distort financial statistics
9:09 “Lies, damned lies, and statistics” origins
10:06 AI-enhanced listener call audio and Friday Q&A podcast
10:37 DFFVX vs. AVUV—Dimensional vs. Avantis small-cap value
13:33 Why track records don’t matter for similar funds
13:53 Super Bowl sirloin cooking advice
15:17 Whole life insurance review—why to cash out in retirement
17:08 When cash-value insurance makes sense (rarely)
19:22 Surprise downloads of Christmas stories in February
20:57 Caller asks about “set-it-and-forget-it” investing
24:26 Risk tolerance when retiring soon
26:08 Using AVGE for global diversification
27:48 Why near-retirees should get professional reviews
30:28 Emergency funds—never use a Roth
31:37 High-yield savings accounts around 4%+
34:11 Portfolio balance and realistic expectations