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Talking Real Money - Investing Talk

Don McDonald
Retirement Planning
Investment Strategies
Social Security
Financial Planning
Investing
S&P 500
Diversification
Bonds
Etfs
Retirement
Stock Market
Vanguard
Roth IRA
Asset Allocation
401k
Real Estate
Investment Strategy
Cryptocurrency
Private Equity
Index Funds

Financial talk radio veteran, Don McDonald and former host of Serious Money on PBS, Tom Cock, join forces to talk about real money issues. In each episode, they solve real money problems, dole out real investing (not speculating) advice, and really explain the financial issues that effect all of us. Plus, it's actually fun! Talking Real Money is a podcast designed to provide the real help we all n... more

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Artwork for Talking Real Money

Latest Episodes

Don and Tom take apart a clickbait Kiplinger piece touting the “five top buy-and-hold investments to manage market volatility,” arguing that the list is a random grab-bag of recent winners rather than a coherent portfolio. They explain why the sugges... more

Can Tom beat the average American on a personal finance quiz?

Don puts Tom in the hot seat with eight questions drawn from a financial literacy quiz developed by researchers at Stanford University and TIAA. The topics range from earning, budgeting, ... more

YouTube

Don and Tom tackle the blurry line between free speech and market manipulation after the conviction of prominent short seller Andrew Left. They debate whether financial influencers should be allowed to profit from public stock recommendations, discus... more

YouTube

Are you keeping too much money in cash because you’re waiting for the “right time” to invest? In this episode, Tom and Don explain why market timing has historically been one of the costliest investing mistakes—and why even the worstinvestment timing... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Herb Weisbaum
Consumer expert, author of content for checkbook.org
Checkbook.org / ConsumerMan
Episode: Summer Travel Tips
Justin Baer
Author of House of Fidelity; Wall Street Journal editor
The Wall Street Journal
Episode: From Funds to Crypto
Roxy Butner
Advisor at Appella Wealth
Appella Wealth
Episode: Hard to Save
Michael from Portugal
A retiree residing part-time in Portugal, looking for financial advice regarding retirement and family financial support.
Episode: Rules of Thumb
Christine Benz
Director of Financial Planning at Morningstar
Morningstar
Episode: Experts Need Experts
Megan Gorman
Author of 'All the President's Money'
Episode: Pecuniary Presidents
Michael DeJoseph
Researcher in Investment Advisor Research at Vanguard
Vanguard
Episode: Vanguard's Advisor Alpha
Weston Wellington
Vice President with Dimensional Funds and seasoned professional in the investment industry
Dimensional Funds
Episode: A Dimensional Mind
David Booth
Founder and Chairman of the Board at Dimensional Fund Advisors
Dimensional Fund Advisors
Episode: Quiet Investing Science

Hosts

Don McDonald
Host of Talking Real Money; financial talk veteran with a fiduciary-focused approach.
Tom Cock
Co-host; experienced financial broadcaster with emphasis on accessible investing guidance.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 1k ratings
  • Par for the course

    These guys continue to keep their heads in the sand and refuse to look at the world around them. Just a lazy put together show. Avoid it.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    TRM-7
    United States9 days ago
  • Still Enjoying It

    Love the continuous beating of the low-cost, diversified investment portfolio drum. Keep up on exposing the crypto scam.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    AshiGaruma
    United States22 days ago
  • The worst

    Apparently, their take on Bitcoin hasn’t improved. I listened to one episode, years ago, and they said to avoid Bitcoin because “it’s only worth what the next guy is willing to pay for it”. Which is also what everything else in the world is worth. Shortsighted and amateurish. Save your time and skip these guys.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Briles4563
    United Statesa month ago
  • Avantis evangelists

    I was really enjoying this podcast for the last couple of months until I realized they are non-stop advocates of some financial management/funds manager company I’ve personally never heard of called “Avantis” which they weirdly mention over and over again and defend tooth and nail. I think that’s really weird when they are supposed to be an independent investing podcast. But maybe they aren’t independent? The hosts claim they don’t get any money from Avantis or sponsor them but that’s VERY hard ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Mabelle 25
    United Statesa month ago
  • I never ever miss this podcast

    A must listen to show. They are usually right on. Please keep up the pressure on crypto. Twenty year guaranteed immediate TIAA annuities have a return of 4%. The yearly payout is about 7.5%. I don't think the wealth managers like them because they loose AUM.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Interested bystander
    United States2 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Occasional criticism notes political commentary and ads can sometimes color perceived neutrality.
Some reviews call out Bitcoin discussions as a sticking point and want more open-minded crypto dialogue.
Audience appreciates blunt, no-nonsense analysis and advertiser-friendly, low-pressure financial education.
Listeners praise practical, fiduciary-minded investing guidance and straightforward questions.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#57
United States/Business/Investing
Apple Podcasts
#194
United States/Business
Apple Podcasts
#129
Canada/Business/Investing
Apple Podcasts
#56
Finland/Business/Investing
Apple Podcasts
#119
Israel/Business/Investing
Apple Podcasts
#159
Mexico/Business/Investing

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Tom and Roxy Qs&As
Q: What should a recent graduate prioritize first when starting to manage money?
Understand spending, build an emergency fund, and start contributing to retirement to capture matching contributions while keeping debt manageable.
Q&A Big Day
Q: Should I convert some of my Roth IRA from target-date funds into an ETF like VT as I near retirement to shift to more growth exposure?
If you're retiring soon, focus on a plan and a glide path that preserves capital while providing income. Moving gradually can reduce risk, but you must consider the timing and taxes. A phased approach with a clear purpose works best, and ensure you won't be out of the market for extended periods during transitions.
Q&A Big Day
Q: Hi, Don. I'm 62 and approaching retirement. What should I do with fixed income in my portfolio, and how does Avantis or Dimensional fixed income compare to a broad index like BND?
There's a trade-off: the tilt strategies can offer risk-adjusted returns historically, but the differences in fixed income funds tend to be modest after fees. Often, a simple BND holding is fine for most investors; if you want potential extra return and can tolerate a bit more complexity and cost, you might consider Avantis or Dimensional fixed income, but not at the cost of a large performance drag.
Fewer Questions
Q: Hi Don and Tom. My emergency fund or liquid fund, held at Vanguard and I have VFSTX in a Roth. Should I also have VFSTX in regular brokerage as well?
The hosts suggest keeping Roth money for long-term growth and avoid using short-term bond funds in a Roth; for emergency money use brokerage or cash-like vehicles, and consider growth-oriented options over short-term bonds for long horizons.
Not Bogle's Vanguard
Q: I had a question about ESOP, what percentage of my overall holdings should be invested in the employee stock ownership plan?
The hosts advise diversification away from concentrating too much in a single company, highlighting the risks of ESOPs and recommending moving toward a diversified portfolio, with a suggested plan to reduce single-stock concentration over several years.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Talking Real Money

What is Talking Real Money about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A practical, fiduciary-focused investing show led by two veteran hosts who emphasize low-cost, long-term strategies and real-world financial planning over speculation. Episodes cover retirement planning, tax implications, education savings, cash flow, and the tradeoffs between passive index funds and factor-based products, often critiquing high-fee or opaque strategies. A notable strength is blunt, experience-driven guidance and a clear emphasis on understanding risk, liquidity, and credibility before making moves. Listeners can expect straightforward answers, Q&A with callers, and promotions for fiduciary-advisor resources, booklets, and workshops. The tone tends toward approachable, no-nonsense education with occasional humor and strong o... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Talking Real Money?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Talking Real Money:

1. The Clark Howard Podcast
2. Sound Investing
3. Retire Sooner with Wes Moss
4. The Stacking Benjamins Show
5. Your Money, Your Wealth

How many episodes of Talking Real Money are there?

Talking Real Money launched 12 years ago and published 1927 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Talking Real Money?

Recent guests on Talking Real Money include:

1. Herb Weisbaum
2. Justin Baer
3. Roxy Butner
4. Michael from Portugal
5. Christine Benz
6. Megan Gorman
7. Michael DeJoseph
8. Weston Wellington

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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