I appreciate the advice and balanced views based on historical facts.

Not that political

Don, one of the hosts of this podcast, appears more concerned with managing perceptions than genuinely improving his content. Instead of thoughtfully considering listener feedback to broaden the show's appeal, he's focused on soliciting favorable reviews to offset criticism and boost his overall rating. He has openly expressed a desire to pursue higher review scores—not by enhancing the podcast, but by asking for more positive feedback. A more effective approach would be to refine the podcast itself and let quality improvements drive better reviews organically. This tendency isn't limited to his podcast strategy. It reflects a broader pattern in how he presents his investing advice as well—favoring confirmation over investigation. Rather than critically analyzing data to strengthen his positions, he often relies on selectively citing opinions that align with his own, which raises questions about the depth and reliability of his insights.

So helpful to get research based advice simple enough I can explain it to others! Along with humor …

Do a shot every time Tom says “generally” or “this is fascinating”You will be inebriated quickly. Tom tends to talk over Don all the time as well. I think he drinks too much coffee. Don seems like he’s got the brains and Tom pretends to know what he’s talking about. However Don has TDS. It overshadows his financial knowledge. He probably voted for Kamala. Sad.

Don is stuck. He has stopped learning and the digital age is passing him by. The podcasters keep showing how uninformed they are about Bitcoin. In a recent episode, you asked why Bitcoin makes more sense than other cryptocurrencies, noting its $2T market cap versus $300B for the next closest. That’s a great question—but instead of digging into the answer, you dismissed it without understanding it. Rather than exploring why Bitcoin has been the best-performing asset over the past 15 years, you seem more interested in criticizing it. It comes across less as analysis and more as an unwillingness to admit you might have been wrong. What sets Bitcoin apart from every other cryptocurrency is that it is the only truly decentralized digital asset. It has no founder actively influencing it, no centralized leadership, no pre-mine, and no controlling entity. Its monetary policy is fixed and predictable, and its network is the most secure and widely distributed. In contrast, most other cryptocurrencies are run like tech startups—with insiders, venture capital influence, and the ability to change core features on a whim. Bitcoin isn’t just another crypto; it’s a fundamentally different asset class..

I listen to this show almost daily and it’s the most helpful podcast I’ve found. One thing I’ve noticed is that they tiptoe around anything political. However, politics do impact the market, so I wish they would be a little more direct.

I enjoy the podcasts while going on walks. The topics are very interesting and informative.

Great Show with sound advice,

One of the few podcasts that isn’t pushing ridiculous investments. I admit is sometimes a bit repetitive but seems like we need this to keep us from doing stupid things with money. Just enough banter to keep things interesting.

Enjoy, thank you

Great information. Love this show.

Never miss a podcast - keep up the great work! I learn something new about investing and staying the course every week.

As I approach retirement this show has given me a great roadmap. I don’t always follow it, but the wealth of knowledge is fantastic. Thanks!

I listen to several financial podcasts. These guys are definitely my favorite. They have lots of useful information and they are also very entertaining.

Great show. Listen everyday. They do need treatment for their TDS tho :(

I’ve listened to a dozen or more investing podcasts and Tom and Don are the best. They keep it simple and “real”.

After going through over a dozen different investment podcasts, this is the only one I found that consistently provides the best, apolitical, most cost efficient investment strategies for audience!! Yes, sometimes their banter is slightly banal and borderline sophomoric, but that makes it somewhat entertaining and they always tack back to the question or issue at hand including looking at the topic from different angles and perspectives.

I have been a regular listener for years on Apple podcasts and I learn a lot. Thanks to Tom & Don, my financial / investment literacy improved greatly. I’m a much more disciplined, knowledgeable investor. I moved all my investments to Schwab and my fees etc. are now so much lower than before. Thank you guys for all you do for us. Keep up the good work and the friendly banter!! P.S. Ignore all the haters! 😉Keyboard “courage” is everywhere but so are the “delete” or “pause”buttons. They should be using those instead.

I love the show and the great chemistry between Don and Tom. I have learned so much from your financial acumen, and the way you present the information is enjoyable and fun. Thank you a thousand times over!!

Thank you for all the information. Tom and Don have inspired me to clean up my investment portfolio: consolidating old 401k accounts and monitoring investments. I have doubled my returns and have gained confidence I am on the right path for retirement.

I listen to your show daily and live on Saturdays as well. I like you guys and trust you guys, and that is such a relief to have confidence in your advice. Only time I find out I had to fast forward in your show is when Tom tries to be funny. It’s not funny and it wastes so much time. It throws the show off track. That is my only issue other than that 99% perfect. Carry out to plan of the day.

I learn a lot about investing while listening to this entertaining show.

Tom and Don each day will keep the doctor away. We're talking real money.

I am a very regular listener for the past 4+ years and continue to be the listener of this podcast in the future. Lately, I am noticing the degradation of the content quality. Most recent episode on 8 trillion dollars, there is no content in the first 15 minutes of that episode. For sure, you have an opportunity to adjust your content

Love the show. Have been a listener for several years now. Thanks!

I appreciate the no-nonsense approach along with the dry humor that helps to tune out the noise. Keep up the great work. I look forward to every episode, and one of these days I will submit a question!

A good podcast for the newbie investor that’s looking to improve their financial literacy.

Need to get a handle on how to grow your money safely, logically and steadily? Check these 2 old friends out. It’s kind like sitting beside your fiscally wise grandpa and his buddy. Sure, they tease each other, and can be a bit tangential occasionally, but it keeps it light as well as informative. I don’t miss an episode.

Listen to the show! It’s a lot of fun and you will learn something too. Thanks for the honesty and the banter, I really enjoy it.

This is by far one the best investment podcast out there. Don and Tom are not trying to sell any complex investments and always inject a healthy amount of skepticism into anyone who does. Crypto bros won’t like them, neither will insurance salesmen, which should be taken as solid evidence of the quality of their advice. Do I follow their advice all the time? No, particularly on alternative investments. But I would strongly consider investing with Apella, given their evidence-based fiduciary approach to investing.

I have learned a ton of information about investing from Tom and Don’s podcast. I love the real-life questions from callers and they deliver the answers in a lively and informative way. Thanks Tom and Don!

These guys are very smart and are entertaining. They have good analysis of topics and can do math. But their answer to everything is to invest in two obscure high fee ETFs which I can only assume they are paid to endorse. The show is a front for their investment firm where they claim to be fee only but push these terrible products. I looked up one of these ETFs and it’s only been around a year and has huge fees. Listen to their advice but do not buy any stocks they recommend.

Great advice when it comes to long term investing and planning. It gets hard to listen to at times when politics are injected. Politics can be relative to the Q&A, but it goes beyond that and you can tell what is trying to be sold. As an example, rebates on road tolls are “vote buying” (he doesn’t like Florida’s Gov) but he cheers canceling student debt and somehow that isn’t vote buying. Don also believes there isn’t enough bloat in government to make a dent if you try and cut, so the only option is to raise taxes to reduce the deficit. It makes me wonder about his objectivity on other financial investments.

These two guys are unprofessional and act very childish; talking over each other and bickering every single show. How can anyone take them seriously with the childish behavior acting like junior high punks. Clean up your act, for goodness sake you are two old gizzards. Is this how you want people to remember you two by. Cut it out, the sad part is that you don’t seem to want to listen to the audience. Many listeners had commented on this, yet you removed their reviews. Grow up Don and Tom, it is very hard to listen to your podcast since your childish behavior has become worse.

Excellent podcast!

Tom and Don go on and on about how crypto is a scam, but then they have a crypto ad before their podcast? Seriously? Have some integrity, gentlemen. Don’t be ruled by profit alone.

This show is entertaining and easy to understand. It has made me think a lot about my retirement and I feel ready to move forward.

Tom and Don have great show banter and are a genuinely great listen. I have listened since I was 25 and am confident their advice has helped me perfect my portfolio with a small and value tilt. They are advocates for investors everywhere and have equipped their listeners with questions and knowledge to ensure they are receiving true fiduciary advice. I love that they bring in current events into their radio show and podcast only segments. Keep up the great work!

The “Why Take Risk” episode is the best in the history of investing podcasts. First time I ever got my wife to listen. Five hours later, we can’t stop laughing. We love you guys here in Mississippi Frank & Dawn

These guys are fantastic. A bit conservative and sometimes grumpy about bitcoin, but the investment world needs more of their type speaking to investors. Roxy should be a regular guest to break up the cranky old men shouting at crypto…..from time to time

Truths spoken by two guys who have (sorry) been around the block a couple of times (each😃). I also love the banter and mutual love and respect you guys have for each other. -Jerry PS - For the record Tom is the funny one.

As someone who has struggled with investing for 40 years, I really wish I had found the advice of Tom and Don a long time ago. I have followed the advice of some who turned out to be not so good and others who were good (Paul Merriman). However, Tom and Don give the right advice that makes it so easy. Thanks for providing a resource that I can pass on to my 30 year old daughter!

Perhaps it’s the holiday spirit talking but Tom was on fire today (Dec 18th)! Set him free more often!

Show is fairly basic. Listened to 3 episodes and found them a bit condescending and simplistic. They talk as if they have extensive expertise yet I heard nothing that hasn’t been talked about for years. They do have a left leaning political slant but that typically doesn’t bother me. What annoyed me was the belittling of another more successful podcaster simply because they disagreed. I’m not a huge fan of the other podcaster either but their criticism was immature and I just don’t take what they are selling very serious. Anyone that spends an entire podcast ripping someone else generally has little of substance to offer.t condescending I’d skip this one and try a few others…there at dozens much better at doing this type of show.

I really appreciate the sound, CONSISTENT investing and money advice. It’s like hanging out with some friends who are really good with money and trustworthy. It’s so refreshing to have a financial podcast that is not selling me anything other than their own services (but I have never felt pressured). Thank you for sharing all your knowledge, keep up the good work! I started listening to financial podcasts in mid-2020 and just began listening to everything I could find. I have whittled it down to a core set of about 6 shows and Talking Real Money made the cut. I always learn at least 1 new thing with each episode. We went from no retirement savings in our early 50s to having ROTH IRAs set up, a brokerage account with much less “hodgepodge” and a rudimentary understanding of the pension plan at my husband’s work. THANKS Don & Tom!!!

It’s nice having Don gone. His overuse of useless words gets old. Don let’s us know how much he loves his own voice (& microphones) and waste so much of the show on himself, he’s so not funny! They are so worried about their own reviews that they put down actual successful media types. These guys don’t know what Dave Ramsey actually says about paying off a mortgage. Dave says only pay off your mortgage after your retirement savings is on track and you’re saving at least 15% of your gross income for retirement. But these guys twist it around and try making themselves seem smarter than Dave. You guys aren’t even on the same podcast planet as Dave. FYI, I’m a client of Apella Wealth. I do believe in most of the company’s investment choices, but would never ask Don for advice on anything!

There have been recent reviews casting dispersions toward Don. I completely and wholeheartedly disagree! Tom AND Don give great advice, provide almost daily podcasts, and answer listener questions. The show is informative, enjoyable, fun and educational. People, don’t expect podcast hosts to be perfect or align with every belief you have! As you can tell, I am not a fan of those who leave negative reviews because they disagree or because Don says something “political.” Great show guys and keep it up!

You get what they advertise with no hidden fees.

I found this podcast while listening to the Clark Howard podcast, and I’m glad I found it. Tom and Don are a great team. I appreciate the straight forward approach to investing. I feel I’ve benefited from their advice and only wish I found the show sooner! If you want sound financial advice that isn’t boring or from someone trying to sell a product, then this is that podcast. Great unbiased financial advice, well maybe biased against annuities, but nonetheless a great podcast.