Ep. 2007: Follow the Money

About this episode

Financial Physics Rule 15 says to follow the money. Don and Tom explain why an advisor's compensation still matters, how commissions and fee-based arrangements can muddy the picture, and why transparent fee-only advice and peer-reviewed evidence remain the better starting points. Listener questions cover choosing broad, low-cost bond ETFs without panicking over tiny short-term moves, a correction to the S&P 500's streak of double-digit gains, and why Roth conversions should be evaluated year by year instead of treated as automatic. Plus, Don detours into The Economist's look at Celebration, Florida—and discovers that Halloween trick-or-treating is really just another return-on-investment calculation. 01:00 Financial Physics Rule 15: Follow the Money 06:47 Fee-only vs. fee-based advice 16:34 Choosing bond ETFs amid rate fears 20:10 Correcting the S&P 500 streak 23:43 Roth conversions are not automatic 28:08 The town Disney built and Halloween ROI Questions? Comments? Click!