Don fields a full slate of listener questions on everything from SGOV vs. high-yield savings accounts to the differences between AVUV and DFSV, why international stocks belong in a portfolio (but shouldn’t dominate it), and whether equal-weighted funds solve the “Magnificent 7” concentration problem. He digs into target-date and bond-fund suitability for short-term money, clarifies what “rules-based” really means for Avantis and Dimensional, and gently deflates misconceptions about long-term international outperformance. Along the way he riffs on talk radio’s decline, teases Tom’s dad jokes, and reinforces the core message: diversify, know your time horizons, and don’t overthink what good academic research already tells us.

0:04 Don opens Q&A Friday and reflects on radio’s slow fade

2:20 SGOV vs. high-yield savings accounts for emergency cash

5:13 Why AVUV and DFSV only overlap ~40% despite similar factors

8:43 Which fund is “wilder”: AVUV vs. DFA small value

9:54 Why international stocks belong in a portfolio—but not overweighted

11:41 Long-term U.S. vs. international return history

14:51 S&P 500 concentration and equal-weight ETF considerations

18:44 Equal-weight vs. small-value tilt vs. rules-based funds

20:07 Where to put 2–3 year money: savings, CDs, BND, or a near-dated target-date fund?

23:13 Better language than “active”: rules-based vs. systematic

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