Huh? or Duh!
In this special seasonal episode, you and Tom resurrect Ha or Duh, tearing through Investopedia readers’ “rules to live by” and dismantling the silliest ones with mock gravitas. Between the dad-joke arms race, a spirited defense of compounding, strong opinions on due diligence, and a surprising detour into crypto-mad zip codes, the show blends real financial guidance with holiday-season chaos. The episode also hits deeper listener questions on rebalancing, Roth vs. pre-tax strategy in high brackets, and the danger of thinking blue chips alone equal diversification.
0:04 Seasonal return of Ha or Duh and setup of Investopedia’s “investing rules”
1:32 Rule 1: Never sell because of emotions — duh
2:44 Rule 2: “Only invest in what you know” — emphatic huh
3:35 Rule 3: Good investment in a bad market — phrasing unclear, lean duh
4:26 Rule 4: Never underestimate compounding — mega-duh
5:35 Rule 5: Cash and patience as “positions” — hard huh
6:25 Segment break into calls
7:49 Back to Ha or Duh lightning round
8:33 Buy low, sell high — duh (with caveats)
9:58 “Losses are tuition you won’t get at uni” — pass
10:21 Hold for the long term — duh
11:09 Marathon, not sprint — duh
11:39 Is education the best investment? Nuanced disagreement
12:45 “Always do your own due diligence” — modified duh (about advisors, not stocks)
15:22 FOMO avoidance — duh
16:27 Final rule: Start now — biggest duh of all
17:41 Wrap-up and transition back to regular Q&A
18:06 Listener question: Finding the “sociopath son” episode
19:28 Setup for Friday’s Q&A episode
20:18 Don’s town turns into “free Disney World” during holidays
21:51 Disney hotel pricing shock and personal stories
23:42 Don’s new original Christmas story: Santaverse
24:01 Story podcasts spike; Short Storyverses mention
25:28 Listener from Bothell: 90% blue chips, 10% cash — how to rebalance?
26:39 Why blue chips aren’t diversified and the S&P concentration problem
28:52 Listener in high bracket asks when Roth beats pre-tax
30:26 SECURE Act 2.0 catch-up rules; Roth vs. pre-tax philosophy
32:10 Monte Carlo vs. unknowable future tax rates
33:26 Why all-Roth 401(k)s would simplify life
34:28 Advice: Likely stay pre-tax in 24% bracket
35:50 Shocking stats: Seattle among highest crypto-owning zip codes
37:24 Air Force bases dominate crypto ownership — why it’s dangerous