Talking Real Money - Investing Talk
Talking Real Money - Investing Talk
Don McDonald
Ep. 2015: The Smart Money Myth
39 minutes Posted Nov 5, 2026 at 5:00 pm.
Welcome to Talking Real Money
Ivy League Endowments and Market-Beating Claims
How Endowments Perform Against Index Funds
Private Investments and Hidden Risks
Darcy’s Early Retirement Plan
Building a Simple Two-Fund Portfolio
Choosing Small-Cap ETFs
Comparing Broad-Market Funds
Listener Questions and the Sign-Off
Important Disclosures
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39:38
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Show notes
Harvard, Yale, and other elite endowments hire armies of experts and pour billions into private equity, hedge funds, venture capital, and real estate—yet simple public-market investing often leaves them behind. Don and Tom unpack the numbers, the fees, and the small college that took a much simpler route. Then Darcy calls with a retirement portfolio that gets an enthusiastic A+: globally diversified stocks, a bond ladder, smart asset location, and a flexible spending plan. Her biggest challe...