About this episode
Gen Z may just be schooling the rest of us in retirement savings—sort of. Don breaks down why the kids are all right… and also why they’re misled. Auto-enrollment rules, social media misinformation, and shaky FinTok advice are all under the microscope. He then tackles smart ETF choices for young investors, questions about windfall investing and burial plots, the overhyped Shell-BP merger rumor, the madness of MicroStrategy’s crypto-fueled valuation, and how to responsibly (and legally) cash out decades-old gold holdings. Plus, Don dishes out practical planning wisdom and allergic sniffles from sunny Florida. 0:04 Gen Z’s surprising retirement savings rate—and why it’s not the whole story 1:06 Auto-enrollment in 401(k)s and how it changed everything 2:34 Gen Z’s financial education: more access, but less understanding? 3:49 The rise (and danger) of FinTok as a financial advice source 5:00 Over 70% of FinTok advice is misleading or incomplete 6:15 Back in studio—Don on allergies, Alpha kids, and social media scams 8:29 Chase “glitch” scam and other Gen Z-targeted bad advice 10:11 Credit Karma: Gen Z scams and IRS audits are shockingly high 11:17 Call: Should a granddaughter’s IRA stay in VOO or add tech/growth? 12:48 Why Don avoids sector funds like Infotech, even for young investors 13:45 The trouble with chasing recent winners like VOOG 14:29 Historical returns: value > growth, despite recent performance 15:47 Call: $20k–25k Nordstrom stock sale—spend, save, or invest? 17:59 Burial plots vs. emergency fund: Don’s (very real) take 20:42 CDs for older investors: short-term, safe, sensible 21:48 Call: Shell buying BP? Not likely—and Don calls the hype 23:35 BP’s politics and price already reflect takeover speculation 25:02 Inheriting BP stock: should you take the exit opportunity? 26:13 UK resistance to selling BP to a Dutch firm like Shell 26:56 Individual stocks = concentrated risk, even for giants like BP 28:09 Reminder: Every financial move should be part of a real plan 29:05 Roth conversions, tax brackets, and portfolio rebalancing 31:08 MicroStrategy’s insane Bitcoin play—and why it’s all risk 32:23 Company worth 40% more than its Bitcoin holdings—why? 33:28 Don warns: short selling and options are for gamblers only 34:00 Call: 59-year-old IT director wants to invest $5K/month wisely 35:21 Max the 401(k), use Roth IRA next, and build long-term wealth 36:47 Portfolio diversification with risk-based allocation 37:27 Call: Selling gold bought in the ’80s—how to handle taxes 39:47 How to recreate gold purchase records if you’ve lost receipts 40:55 Debunking the “three coins per month tax-free” myth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices