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Talking Real Money - Investing Talk

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

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

PublishesDailyEpisodes1970Founded13 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
InvestingBusinessEducationHow To

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Artwork for Talking Real Money

Latest Episodes

An 11.15% coupon sounds irresistible—until you read the trapdoors. Don and Tom unpack a listener’s BNP Paribas auto-callable structured note and ask the question Wall Street hopes nobody asks: what actually has to happen before you get paid?

The ans... more

Dimensional Fund Advisors founder David Booth joins Don and Tom to explain why better investing begins with accepting uncertainty instead of pretending to predict it. They discuss staying calm through frightening markets, controlling what investors c... more

YouTube

Risk and reward are inseparable, even when an investment pitch makes the danger hard to see. Don and Tom explain why higher expected returns require accepting uncertainty, why recent gains do not erase future losses, and why products promising market... more

YouTube

It’s Friday Q&A—with a small experiment. Don slips one AI-generated voice among the listener questions and challenges you to identify the robot, with his complete two-book library hanging in the balance.

The financial questions are thoroughly human:... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Sponsors
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Number of Listeners
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
Christine Benz
Investment expert introduced as a guest for an on-stage interview
Morningstar
Episode: With the Cost?
Michael from Portugal
A retiree residing part-time in Portugal, looking for financial advice regarding retirement and family financial support.
Episode: Rules of Thumb
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
David Booth
Founder and Chairman of the Board at Dimensional Fund Advisors
Dimensional Fund Advisors
Episode: Quiet Investing Science
Dave Butler
Co-CEO of Dimensional Fund Advisors
Dimensional Fund Advisors
Episode: Quiet Investing Science

Hosts

Don McDonald
Co-host with a long history in financial talk radio; fiduciary-focused investor education.
Tom Cock
Co-host with PBS Serious Money background; emphasizes long-term, low-cost investing with practical insights.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 1.1k ratings
  • My favorite financial advice podcast

    The Talking Real Money Podcast has taught me so much about the financial services industry. After listening for the past 2½ years, I used what I learned to find a new fee-only, 100% fiduciary financial advisor this year.

    I also met with a Apella Wealth financial advisor out of the Connecticut office. He reviewed my investment portfolio, answered all of my questions about my financial situation, and explained the services available at Apella Wealth per my request —all at no cost. I highly recom... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Manhong123
    United Statesa month ago
  • Overall an ansolutely great Podcast, I wish it was back Love on actual radio!

    Thank you Don McDonald, Tom C. Cock and Appella Wealth for this absolute superb investing podcast, I have been listening since late 2024 via Overcast honestly, but these guys are great at helping people understand the basics and even some of the details of Investing funds, in some of the best no/frills, no bologna/baloney ways! They let people know how best to diversify and what to avoid when it comes to individual stock and etf and crypto etc. gambling vs. actual diversified investing! go to ta... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    @really-John-V-J-TREY
    United Statesa month ago
  • Ouch

    I had to stop listening to the July 30th podcast. The banter turned into an ego driven mess. Don, let Tom finish a sentence before you stomp on him. This was a bad podcast. Stopped at the 7 minute mark.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    ElPadrino38
    United Statesa month ago
  • Really like the show and the gadgets

    This is a very good help me think about my future and investing and they have humor with it, which makes it very nice

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Fun time to listen
    United Statesa month ago
  • My Favorite Podcast

    Tom and Don are the best. We are being educated at the same time as we are being entertained about such an important subject.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Not My Real Name Near Atlanta
    United Statesa month ago

Listeners Say

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

Overall, listeners appreciate the practical, fiduciary-focused investing guidance and approachable banter.
Positive feedback often highlights the show's balance of humor and solid financial planning tips.
Many reviews note the show's clear stance against high-fee products and sales pitches.
Listeners frequently mention the educational value and trust built over years of listening.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#64
United States/Business/Investing
Apple Podcasts
#234
United States/Business
Apple Podcasts
#48
Finland/Business/Investing
Apple Podcasts
#165
Finland/Business
Apple Podcasts
#188
Mexico/Business/Investing
Apple Podcasts
#199
China/Business/Investing

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Calculating Your Future
Q: Should you pay off the debt, or fund retirement more?
The hosts emphasize prioritizing debt with the highest interest (like 22% credit card debt) because the guaranteed reduction in outflow and the return on that decision often beats contributing more to a match, though the final choice can depend on your exact situation.
Qs and Stuff
Q: Hi Don, Tom. I have a question about selling mutual share or ETF funds from a brokerage account to pay an expense, and whether to sell shares with minimal capital gain rather than realizing a loss and waiting for them to come back up.
Yes, you can choose specific lots and use tax lots strategically; you can identify which shares to sell before the trade settles to minimize current capital gains and preserve other lots for future tax outcomes.
Qs and Stuff
Q: Hi Don, this is Andrew. I was wondering if it was a good idea to go from investing in Roth to traditional, if on the FAFSA form it would change my income enough to allow my children to get a Pell Grant.
It generally makes sense to look at FAFSA as it considers adjusted gross income; in most cases, shifting from Roth to traditional IRA for FAFSA purposes does not meaningfully improve eligibility and is unlikely to help with Pell Grants.
Qs and Stuff
Q: Hi Don, this is Jim in Cincinnati. Was that your voice I heard on some of the ads for the special exhibit Auschwitz not long ago, not far away at the Cincinnati Museum Center?
Yes, that was me; I was hired to read the Auschwitz exhibit copy for both the Boston original and the Cincinnati tour, and I'm proud to have been part of it.
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.

Audience Metrics

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

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Gender Skew
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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 money-show hosted by two veteran financial minds focuses on long-term investing, fiduciary responsibility, and accessible guidance for real-life finances. Discussions routinely cover retirement planning, diversification, tax efficiency, and avoiding gimmicks, all delivered with light banter and a listener Q&A style. Noteworthy are strong cautions against high-fee products, advocacy for fiduciary guidance, and a clear emphasis on staying disciplined through market cycles. The sponsor relationships and tangible how-to tips (cash versus investments, bond strategies, and retirement withdrawals) help listeners translate concepts into action. This mix of approachable education, skepticism of sales pitches, and steady, real-world advic... 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 13 years ago and published 1970 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. Christine Benz
5. Michael from Portugal
6. Megan Gorman
7. Michael DeJoseph
8. David Booth

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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