In this episode, Don and Tom tackle the investor's most persistent foe—fear—especially during volatile markets. They draw on insights from Vanguard and others to reinforce the value of long-term investing, explain why missing a few key days in the market can devastate returns, and stress the importance of rebalancing over reacting. The duo also takes on political distractions, market timing myths, asset location dilemmas, and the emotional turbulence that causes people (including Don’s wife!) to question their portfolios. It all wraps with a cheeky new market jingle courtesy of ChatGPT and a shirt that reached Everest. Yeah, literally.

0:04 Welcome, podcast humor, and the pain of being downloaded
1:10 The recurring fear-driven urge to “do something” with your portfolio
1:33 Set it and forget it? Vanguard and others weigh in
2:44 Remember AOL? The danger of investing with confidence in the wrong thing
3:35 Volatility is the cost of real returns—don’t try to dodge it
4:50 Presidential influence and personal political biases in investing
5:50 Real portfolios with too few stocks and too much risk
6:55 Missing just 10 good days in the market could cut your returns in half
7:59 Buy and hold ≠ do nothing: how disciplined rebalancing works
9:17 Should you be buying international now? Maybe… but only if rebalancing
10:21 Feelings ≠ facts: don’t let emotions dictate portfolio moves
11:31 “Tune Out the Noise”—free advice and a free YouTube documentary
13:06 A musical market mantra written by ChatGPT
14:47 When even your spouse doubts your strategy: the advisor's personal dilemma
16:57 T-shirt spotted at Everest Base Camp—financial fame ascends
18:14 Can you contribute to a Roth IRA using last year’s wages?
19:54 Why young investors should love down markets
20:11 Asset location dilemma: comparing AVUV vs FISVX in 401(k) plans
23:54 Bedford, TX and a lesson in regional geography
24:31 Don’t chase performance—get help and rebalance smart
25:05 One more round of “Clueless is Smart”—market timing parody jingle

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