A candid hour on consumer self-defense. We open with iOS 26’s unknown-caller screening and a New York Times crime reporter nearly duped by a “Chase Bank” spoof—lesson: don’t trust caller ID, don’t transact with inbound callers, verify via the number on your card or the bank app, and remember spoofed numbers make simple blocking imperfect. Listeners jump in: a Rule of 55 correction (not 72(t)/72(q)), plus a sharp TSP/Roth asset-location play—keep core market cap in TSP, use Roth for small-value tilt (e.g., AVUV). Then the consumer beat: Florida HVAC sticker shock and why three bids matter. Scam watch flags Smart Lab International’s “AI” sports-betting/trading scheme and crypto funding as Ponzi-ish red-flags. We close on the fiduciary fog—why “certified fiduciary” labels can hide annuity sales—and reject structured notes/buffer ETFs in favor of a simple, low-cost balanced portfolio that matches risk to need.

1:07 New iPhone feature screens unknown callers

1:58 Scam calls and “scam du jour” routine

3:05 NYT crime reporter nearly falls for Chase/Zelle spoofing scam

6:23 Why scams work when people let their guard down

7:00 Don’t trust caller ID, best practices for bank contacts

8:24 Zelle vs. Venmo debate and practical use cases

9:34 Caller correction on Rule 55 vs. 72Q/72T

10:58 Listener Brian on TSP allocation and AVUV tilt

13:07 Tom’s buffer/puffer joke flop

13:44 Advice on blocking spoofed numbers and safer verification

15:00 Segue into consumer issues beyond investing

16:06 History of Florida’s heat and AC dependency

16:43 Air conditioning repair and wild $11k vs. $4.7k quotes

19:22 Tom’s ongoing heat pump saga

21:10 Bob Cratchit fireplace joke

21:14 Listener Q&A from Nibley, Utah about Smart Lab “AI trading” scheme

24:28 What Smart Lab claims to do (AI sports betting + trading)

26:23 Company origins in Malta, Seychelles, now Ho Chi Minh City

27:57 Ponzi-like structure and risks with crypto-based platforms

29:16 Closing advice: don’t nibble on Smart Lab

29:27 Caller John on fiduciary standards and insurance sales

32:28 Exposure of “Certified Financial Fiduciary” designations and insurance sales tactics

34:46 Caller Rajiv on structured notes vs. buffer ETFs

36:02 Simplicity of balanced portfolios over complex gimmicks

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