Why So High?

Talking Real Money - Investing Talk

Don McDonald

Education, Investing, Business, How To

4.5 • 811 Ratings

🗓️ 29 July 2025

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Despite lousy headlines—tariffs, weak earnings, flat revenues—the market keeps climbing. Don and Tom explain why trying to guess the “why” behind short-term moves is a fool’s errand, and why global diversification (including those long-shunned international small caps) is paying off. Listeners call in with smart, complex questions: million-dollar leftover 529s, the viability of the Hagerty Index for collectibles, catastrophic long-term care insurance, and a 401(k) loan vs. credit union loan for home repairs. The show wraps with heartfelt praise, a Mitch Albom-inspired moment, and confirmation: yes, listeners are thinking differently—and smarter—about money. 0:04 Market’s up, headlines are down—why? No one knows, and that’s the point 1:15 The caffeinated squirrel rally and your brother’s market anxiety 2:55 The market looks ahead—it’s not reacting to the news you just read 5:12 Global diversification pays off: international small cap value shines 7:20 Caller: Million-dollar 529 leftovers—can kids gift unused funds to parents? 11:46 Most impressive 529 balance ever? Don and Tom are stunned 12:08 Caller: Classic car prices collapse—HAGI Index and collectible declines 15:19 Watches, comics, wine, art—all taking hits. Even Beanie Babies. 16:03 Caller: What’s the timeline after submitting a financial plan request? 19:00 Tangled web of accounts—Brooke (aka Sherry) needs a full portfolio untangling 20:42 Don’s family vacation: heat, pools, and a surprising Disney dinner treat 22:03 Disney Springs’ Boathouse = #2 grossing restaurant in the U.S. 23:19 Caller: Long-term care worries and catastrophic coverage that doesn’t exist 25:30 Hybrid insurance pitches: Why you should be skeptical 29:54 The reality of LTC premiums and why investing might be the better route 30:03 A Mitch Albom moment: A caller’s touching message on the power of good advice 31:57 Caller: 401(k) loan vs. signature loan to fund $8K home repair 35:51 Caller: 2 years cancer-free—celebrating health and financial proactivity 36:58 Caller: What’s the ideal retirement savings multiple by age 60? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Race the rudder, raise the sails, raise the sales!
0:05.0	Captain, an unidentified ship approaching. Over.
0:07.0	Roger that. Wait, is that an enterprise sales solution?
0:13.0	Reach sales professionals, not professional sailors.
0:17.0	With LinkedIn ads, you can target the right people by industry, job title, and more.
0:21.4	To get £100 off your first campaign, go to LinkedIn.com slash lead to claim your credit.
0:26.6	That's LinkedIn.com slash lead. Terms and conditions apply.
0:35.0	Reality radio for a really great future.
0:38.0	We're talking real money.
0:40.1	Real money matters because, well, money matters.
0:44.0	And talking about it is what we do here on the Talking Real Money Show and podcast.
0:51.0	Hey, everybody, I'm Don McDonald.
0:53.0	And over there is Tom Cock. And we're here on a Saturday talking to you live to try and help you make more sense out of this crazy little thing we call money, and mainly about the investing of it and how frustrating and bizarre it can be at times.
1:09.7	I mean, for example, oh, by the way, I want to give you a phone
1:12.3	number before we go to do anything else. 855-935 Talk is our phone number. That's 855-935-8-255. Call us.
1:19.4	We'll answer your questions. Even if they don't have anything to do with what we're talking about,
1:23.1	we'll go off in any direction that suits you. 855-935 talk.
1:28.3	Let's talk about the stock market because we talk about the stock market a lot.
1:32.8	Now, lately, there's been a lot of bad news there.
1:36.6	We have the tariff things and we have corporate earnings down and, you know, business
1:41.7	revenues are flat and yet, you know, we got a market that just climbing like a caffeinated squirrel,
1:50.4	just like just Rocky the flying caffeinated squirrel.
	...

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