Hedge Funds Pitch

Don and Tom break down why hedge funds’ so-called “comeback” doesn’t justify their massive fees, showing how simple index portfolios continue to outperform. They challenge the idea of allocating even small amounts to speculative assets like Bitcoin, emphasizing academic research and real-world risk. The show covers Roth TSP strategies for young federal employees, the importance of international diversification, and why overcomplicated portfolios rarely add value. They also dismantle “Power of Zero” and life insurance retirement schemes, exposing their sales-driven motives. Throughout, Don and Tom reinforce their core message: disciplined saving, diversification, and simplicity beat hype, sales pitches, and emotional investing every time.

0:20 How the live radio show becomes a “magical” podcast and why Don controls the edit

1:55 Wall Street Journal hedge fund article feels like advertising

3:28 Hedge fund returns vs. outrageous fees

4:59 How simple 60/40 and 80/20 portfolios beat hedge funds

6:43 Jason in Sammamish and the Tesla/Bitcoin debate

8:11 Why speculative investing hurts regular savers

10:56 Bitcoin, hype, and institutional money myths

11:45 Bessenbinder research and why stock picking fails

13:09 Why money decisions stay emotional

14:03 Micro-cap stock failure rates

15:11 Roth TSP matching and young federal employees

16:32 When Roth vs. traditional makes sense

19:21 Mad Men, old computers, and optimism about the future

21:45 Asset allocation for young investors and AVUV vs. global funds

23:52 Why international investing matters

25:21 The case for simple one-fund portfolios

27:45 Advisors pushing annuities and insurance

29:14 Why LIRPs and “Power of Zero” plans are dangerous

34:43 Exposing insurance-driven “tax-free retirement” marketing

34:55 RetireMeet preview and upcoming events

36:39 Voice-to-text tools and listener questions