The Real Investment Show Podcast

What happens when the "perfect" financial plan doesn't happen—your kid skips college, your retirement clock is ticking, and the family budget gets ambushed by costs you never saw coming? Jon Penn and Jonathan McCarty connect three real-world money stress points that are showing up everywhere right now: 1) The kid isn't going to college—now what about that 529? 2) Retirement vs. college: the household tug-of-war 3) Hidden car ownership costs: the budget killer after the dealership 0:00 - INTRO 0:21 - Market Futures & Precious Metals 2:33 - Rising Costs of automobiles & maintenance 5:27 - Rising Cost of Auto Insurance 10:45 - Kids' First Cars & Replacements 15:14 - What Happens to 529 Plans Leftover? 22:11 - The Increased Cost of Education 26:39 - Construction Technology 28:26 - Rolling 529 Funds into an "Able Account" 29:14 - Saving for Retirement vs Saving for College 33:45 - Two Themes to Retirement 34:45 - Subsidized vs Unsubsidized Student Loans 36:37 - FAFSA & CCS 38:01 - Rosso's Retirement Plans 39:48 - YouTube Poll 42:49 - Escalating Health Insurance Costs Hosted by RIA Advisors Senior Investment Advisor, Jonathan Penn, CFP, w Senior Investment Advisor, Jonathan McCarty, CFP Produced by Brent Clanton, Executive Producer ------- Register for our next Candid Coffee, 2/21/26: https://streamyard.com/watch/Wq3Yvn9ny5GV ------- Watch Today's Full Video on our YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/live/Gy9w2-v1EyE ------- Articles mentioned in this report: "BLS Labor Report Defies Consensus" https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/bls-labor-report-defies-consensus/ --- Watch our previous show, "The Value Rotation Illusion," here: https://youtube.com/live/2133YnloEBo?feature=share -------- The latest installment of our new feature, Before the Bell, "Dollar Rally Risk - Overbought Markets," is here: https://youtu.be/ioOGa5YHzDI ------- Visit our E-book Library (no library card required!) https://realinvestmentadvice.com/ria-e-guide-library/ -------- SUBSCRIBE to The Real Investment Show here: http://www.youtube.com/c/TheRealInvestmentShow -------- Visit our Site: https://www.realinvestmentadvice.com Contact Us: 1-855-RIA-PLAN -------- Subscribe to SimpleVisor: https://www.simplevisor.com/register-new -------- Connect with us on social: https://twitter.com/RealInvAdvice https://twitter.com/LanceRoberts https://www.facebook.com/RealInvestmentAdvice/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/realinvestmentadvice/ #529Plan #RetirementPlanning #CollegePlanning #PersonalFinance #CostOfCarOwnership #BucceesBeaverNuggets

"Value is back," the headlines say—so investors rush from mega-cap growth into "boring" staples, utilities, and healthcare. But here's the problem: sector labels aren't valuation metrics. In many cases, the so-called "value rotation" is an illusion—because investors may be rotating into expensive stocks while selling the actual value hiding inside "growth." Lance Roberts & Michael Lebowitz break down why value and growth aren't mutually exclusive, and why the market's favorite shortcut—"defensives = value, tech = growth"—can lead to costly portfolio mistakes. 0:00 - INTRO 0:19 - Employment Numbers Surprise 6:01 - Why We're Setting Up for a Dollar Rally 14:05 - Gasoline Price Comparisons 15:59 - Value Stocks & Market Rotations 19:36 - Defining "Growth" vs "Value" 21:22 - Buying the Future, not the Past 22:38 - The Problem w Forward Earnings 28:06 - How Passive Flows Drive Markets Higher 32:01 - Overbought Markets Can Remain So for a Long Time 35:01 - How the Dow Industrials Have Shifted 37:57 - Employment is Not as Strong as Hoped (It's garbage) 39:57 - Expect Revisions Next Year 43:11 - Friday Inflation-Truflation Report Preview 45:34 - ISM Index Anecdotal Evidence Hosted by RIA Advisors Chief Investment Strategist, Lance Roberts, CIO, w Portfolio Manger, Michael Lebowitz, CFA Produced by Brent Clanton, Executive Producer ------- Register for our next Candid Coffee, 2/21/26: https://streamyard.com/watch/Wq3Yvn9ny5GV ------- Watch Today's Full Video on our YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/live/2133YnloEBo?feature=share ------- Articles mentioned in this report: "BLS Labor Report Defies Consensus" https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/bls-labor-report-defies-consensus/ --- Watch our previous show, "Q&A Wednesday: You Ask 'em, We'll Answer," here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sI0zNQTCyE&list=PLVT8LcWPeAugpcGzM8hHyEP11lE87RYPe&index=1 -------- The latest installment of our new feature, Before the Bell, "Dollar Rally Risk - Overbought Markets," is here: https://youtu.be/ioOGa5YHzDI ------- Visit our E-book Library (no library card required!) https://realinvestmentadvice.com/ria-e-guide-library/ -------- SUBSCRIBE to The Real Investment Show here: http://www.youtube.com/c/TheRealInvestmentShow -------- Visit our Site: https://www.realinvestmentadvice.com Contact Us: 1-855-RIA-PLAN -------- Subscribe to SimpleVisor: https://www.simplevisor.com/register-new -------- Connect with us on social: https://twitter.com/RealInvAdvice https://twitter.com/LanceRoberts https://www.facebook.com/RealInvestmentAdvice/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/realinvestmentadvice/ #USdollar #MarketTechnicalAnalysis #MeanReversion #PortfolioRiskManagement #GoldAndSilver #ValueInvesting #StockMarket #PortfolioStrategy #Valuation #InvestingEducation

Is the U.S. Dollar setting up for a deeper rally—and what does that mean for markets that have been riding the "weak dollar" trade? Lance Roberts walks through a long-term, monthly chart perspective: when major indexes stretch 2+ standard deviations above long-term means, the odds of a meaningful mean reversion rise. Right now, the S&P 500 is extended, the equal-weight S&P is even more stretched, and several "Dollar-sensitive" areas look extremely overbought—including Basic Materials, Industrials, and Transports. The same setup shows up in international stocks and emerging markets, where foreign flows often chase currency differentials. If the Dollar turns higher from an oversold condition and triggers a buy signal, those rotations can reverse fast. We also cover why gold and silver—classic Dollar trades—can stay extended longer than expected, but rarely hold at 3–4 standard deviations for very long. Bottom line: overbought doesn't mean "crash tomorrow," but it does mean it's time to think about taking profits, rebalancing, and reducing risk before the mean reversion shows up. Hosted by RIA Chief Investment Strategist, Lance Roberts, CIO Produced by Brent Clanton, Executive Producer --- Register for our next Candid Coffee, 2/21/26: https://streamyard.com/watch/Wq3Yvn9ny5GV --- Watch the Video version of this report on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/ioOGa5YHzDI --- Articles mentioned in this report: "BLS Labor Report Defies Consensus" https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/bls-labor-report-defies-consensus/ --- Get more info & commentary: https://realinvestmentadvice.com/insights/real-investment-daily/ --- Visit our Site: https://www.realinvestmentadvice.com Contact Us: 1-855-RIA-PLAN --- Subscribe to SimpleVisor: https://www.simplevisor.com/register-new --- Connect with us on social: https://twitter.com/RealInvAdvice https://twitter.com/LanceRoberts https://www.facebook.com/RealInvestmentAdvice/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/realinvestmentadvice/

It's Q&A Wednesday: You ask 'em, we'll answer—and today's episode covers the questions investors actually wrestle with when markets get noisy. Lance Roberts & Danny Ratliff start with a preview of upcoming economic reports and what recent data may be signaling about slowing growth and the next bout of market volatility. From there, we dig into real portfolio decisions—especially for investors heading into retirement—including how to think about allocation changes, managing risk, and avoiding the behavioral traps that derail long-term outcomes. Lance & Danny also hit the big evergreen topics: recency bias, whether there's truly a "one stock to own forever," what buffered ETFs do (and don't) protect you from, and the mechanics behind the bond yield / interest-rate relationship. We also tackle timely portfolio choices like metals, tax-deferred vs. taxable accounts, seasonality, foreign currency trades, and how to invest in individual bonds. We wrap with practical tradeoffs around high-yield savings, the reality of beating the market consistently, and a broader discussion on growth modeling—plus a curveball question: Is AI going to take our jobs? 0:00 - INTRO 0:19 - Economic Reports Preview: More Weakness? 4:59 - Markets Do What They Do - More Volatility? 11:04 - How Should I Change My Portfolio Going Into Retirement? 17:48 - Dealing with Recency Bias 21:04 - The One Stock to Own Forever 24:20 - The Thing About Buffered ETF's 28:19 - Inverse Relationship Between Bond Yields vs Interest Rates 34:10 - Metals: Selling Today? 35:50 - Tax-deferred vs Taxable brokerage Accounts 39:16 - Using Seasonality When Investing 40:48 - Dealing with Foreign Currency Trades 44:00 - How to Invest in Individual Bonds? 47:01 - The Pro's & Con's of High Yield Savings 48:11 - Do You Consistently Beat the Market? 53:36 - Defining Magnitude and Modeling Growth 55:31 - Is AI Going to Take Our Jobs? Hosted by RIA Advisors Chief Investment Strategist, Lance Roberts, CIO, w Senior Investment Advisor, Danny Ratliff, CFP Produced by Brent Clanton, Executive Producer ------- Register for our next Candid Coffee, 2/21/26: https://streamyard.com/watch/Wq3Yvn9ny5GV ------- Watch Today's Full Video on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sI0zNQTCyE&list=PLVT8LcWPeAugpcGzM8hHyEP11lE87RYPe&index=1 ------- Articles Mentioned in Today's Show: "Seasonality: Buy Signal And Investing Outcomes" https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/seasonality-buy-signal-and-investing-outcomes/ "Technology Stocks: Dead Or An Opportunity?" https://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/technology-stocks-dead-or-an-opportunity/ ------- Watch our previous show, "Duct Tape & WD-40 Your Portfolio Together," here: https://youtube.com/live/EsweZ6GtMvI?feature=share -------- The latest installment of our new feature, Before the Bell, "Market Rotation Keeps Stocks Flat," is here: https://youtu.be/8iyhck2LBpY ------- Visit our E-book Library (no library card required!) https://realinvestmentadvice.com/ria-e-guide-library/ -------- SUBSCRIBE to The Real Investment Show here: http://www.youtube.com/c/TheRealInvestmentShow -------- Visit our Site: https://www.realinvestmentadvice.com Contact Us: 1-855-RIA-PLAN -------- Subscribe to SimpleVisor: https://www.simplevisor.com/register-new -------- Connect with us on social: https://twitter.com/RealInvAdvice https://twitter.com/LanceRoberts https://www.facebook.com/RealInvestmentAdvice/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/realinvestmentadvice/ #StockMarket #MarketOutlook #SectorRotation #TreasuryYields #Volatility #QandAWednesday #RetirementInvesting #MarketVolatility #BondMarket #TaxPlanning

Markets are stuck in the same rhythm: rally, pull back, test support, and bounce again. After Tuesday's dip, futures are mildly higher this morning—but the bigger story is consolidation. Under the surface, leadership is rotating: Energy, Financials, and Value have held the upper hand, while Growth has started to perk up. That internal rotation can keep the index "flat" even as specific sectors trend. The setup still leans toward an upside breakout, but the market hasn't shown the momentum needed to follow through—yet. Meanwhile, 10-year Treasury yields have been sliding for several sessions. A bounce back toward 4% wouldn't be surprising given where inflation sits and what yields are "supposed" to reflect. If incoming inflation or employment data disappoints, yields could push lower again. Finally, volatility is quietly grinding higher as turnover and leadership churn continue. No fear-spike yet—but this is often the type of prelude we see before volatility eventually makes a sharper move. Manage risk, stay disciplined, and let the market prove the breakout. Hosted by RIA Chief Investment Strategist, Lance Roberts, CIO Produced by Brent Clanton, Executive Producer --- Register for our next Candid Coffee, 2/21/26: https://streamyard.com/watch/Wq3Yvn9ny5GV --- Watch the Video version of this report on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/8iyhck2LBpY --- Get more info & commentary: https://realinvestmentadvice.com/insights/real-investment-daily/ --- Visit our Site: https://www.realinvestmentadvice.com Contact Us: 1-855-RIA-PLAN --- Subscribe to SimpleVisor: https://www.simplevisor.com/register-new --- Connect with us on social: https://twitter.com/RealInvAdvice https://twitter.com/LanceRoberts https://www.facebook.com/RealInvestmentAdvice/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/realinvestmentadvice/ #StockMarket #MarketOutlook #SectorRotation #TreasuryYields #Volatility