About this episode
Don and Tom open with banter about the weather, baseball playoffs, and studio quirks before diving into what it means to be a “millionaire” today versus in 1890. They explore how much of modern net worth is illiquid, why home equity and retirement funds can trap wealth, and how planning for liquidity and income is crucial. The conversation transitions into a discussion of market volatility, rare earth trade tensions with China, and Brett Arends’ critique of index investing. They counter with historical perspective, humor (and potato chips), and advice about risk, rebalancing, and human behavior. Later, listener calls cover portfolio structure, Empower vs. Vanguard advisor options, and evaluating advisor fees and fund costs. The show closes with their classic blend of education, sarcasm, and fiduciary realism. 0:04 Opening banter, phone number, Florida “cold front,” and baseball chatter 2:33 Topic intro: What a million dollars means now vs. 1890 3:58 Comparing historic vs. modern millionaires and net worth equivalency 4:43 The illusion of wealth—why 70% of assets are often inaccessible 5:30 Planning for liquidity: why paying off a mortgage too early can backfire 6:37 Don’s retirement planning promo 7:39 Historical comparison: 1890s Gilded Age vs. today’s millionaire stats 8:19 Market globalization and modern wealth concentration 9:43 Rare earths and the U.S.–China tariff skirmish 10:22 Market check: stocks, bonds, and gold all dip; volatility talk 12:04 Don’s “unnamed thing” (Bitcoin) drops 10.5%; discussion on risk and rebalancing 13:48 Don shifts to 60/40 allocation—explains rationale near retirement 14:34 Brett Arends’ “Dumbest Stock Market in History” critique discussed 16:00 Debate: Are index investors stabilizing markets through consistency? 17:19 Potato chip tangent and investor psychology 18:32 Arends’ bearishness vs. evidence-based investing 20:00 Protecting your psyche, not every dollar, from market declines 20:20 Podcasting history—when Talking Real Money began 21:32 Caller Samir (Virginia): $4M net worth, suffering from “hodgepodge-itis” 24:15 Don and Tom’s prescription: stop investing until you have a plan 25:42 Margin loan temptation and why 10.5% interest kills the idea 27:00 Tom reinforces the need for a fiduciary planner 27:32 Caller Chris (Texas): moving from Empower to Vanguard PAS 29:21 Vanguard vs. Empower: conflicts, fund choices, and planning gaps 31:46 “Half-pregnant” advice models and Bogle’s legacy examined 34:20 Broader critique: single-provider risk and investor behavior 35:54 Caller Dave (Olympia): evaluating returns, fees, and portfolio costs 37:50 What’s a reasonable expense ratio and advisor fee range 39:24 Final takeaway: judge portfolios by structure, not short-term returns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices