Episode 2001 begins a new millennium of money questions—with Don sorting out the numbering before tackling inherited IRAs, CD ladders, Roth conversions, workplace retirement plans, Warren Buffett’s famously simple portfolio advice, and capital-gains harvesting for children. The common thread is simplicity with enough diversification and tax planning to avoid expensive surprises. 01:07 Welcome to Episode 2001 04:27 Simplifying inherited IRAs 09:13 Building an automatic CD ladder 11:46 Roth c...

Bond prices are falling as yields rise—and that does not mean diversification has failed. Don and Tom explain why high-quality bonds can decline when stocks and the economy are strong, why that behavior is normal, and why chasing high-yield or “alternative” bond funds can quietly turn the conservative side of a portfolio into more stock-market risk. They also answer questions about Roth conversions after required minimum distributions have begun, whether conversion taxes should ever come fro...

Some IRA mistakes cannot simply be reversed. Don and Tom explain the traps around non-spouse beneficiary transfers, the one-rollover-per-year rule, 72(t) plans, the same-property rollover rule, outdated beneficiaries, qualified charitable distributions, missed RMDs, and portfolio drift. Then Mike from Salt Lake City asks how aggressively he should convert a traditional IRA to Roth before Social Security and future inherited assets change the tax picture. Don and Tom discuss bracket managemen...

Don and Tom compare the S&P 500 with total-market and globally diversified investing, explain the danger of home bias, and show why owning more of the world can reduce concentration risk. Then they answer questions about Roth conversions, bond-fund losses, CD ladders, and matching a risk score to a stock-bond allocation. 00:00 Oktoberfest musical intro 01:23 S&P 500 versus the whole market 04:18 Why global diversification matters 09:07 Home bias around the world 13:11 A lost decade f...

Don and Tom use Disney’s infamous lemming myth to explain investor herd behavior, recency bias, and the danger of chasing whatever has recently been hot. Then they answer questions about simplifying a diversified portfolio, evaluating a long-held annuity, and why “Bank on Yourself” whole-life strategies create more problems than they solve. 00:00 The lemming film clip 00:56 The lemmings didn’t jump 02:21 The lemming corollary 04:38 Herd behavior in tech, crypto, and markets 07:58 When the cr...

Don tackles listener questions about growth versus value stocks, choosing the right time to retire, Medicaid and estate-planning concerns, the problems with infinite-banking whole-life policies, when annuities may make sense, and how mutual-fund distributions affect share prices. 00:00 Zeuhll musical intro 01:08 Friday Q&A begins 03:51 Growth stocks versus value stocks 07:43 Choosing the right month to retire 11:29 A parent’s home, Medicaid, and estate planning 14:52 Infinite banking and...

Is a home always a great investment? Don and Tom compare buying with renting, explain why leverage can make home returns look better than they are, and lay out when owning makes sense. Then they answer listener questions about one-fund versus multi-fund portfolios, disciplined rebalancing, and whether delaying Social Security still pays when a spouse is waiting for a benefit increase. 0:34 The American dream of homeownership 3:42 Home returns versus stocks 8:01 When buying beats renting 11:3...

Don and Tom unpack what financial advice should cost after a retired couple discovers they’re paying $31,000 a year. They compare fee-only, fee-based, and commission models, explain how hidden fund expenses compound the damage, and show why every advisor should disclose the full all-in cost. Listener questions cover the Avantis balanced fund, building retirement income from a total-return portfolio, and where bonds belong across taxable and retirement accounts. They also compare qualified c...

Covered-call ETFs trade away upside for income and still carry market risk. They also discuss TSP Roth conversions, an Avantis balanced fund, a possible X Money cash offer, and other media projects. Questions? Comments? Click!

The biggest drag on an investment portfolio may be the investor. Don and Tom examine the behavior gap—the difference between what investments earn and what people actually keep after fear, greed, overconfidence, and badly timed decisions take their toll. They explain why market timing so often means selling after prices fall and returning only after the recovery is obvious. Missing even a handful of the market's best days can dramatically reduce long-term wealth, while a disciplined plan help...