Financial talk radio veteran, Don McDonald and former host of Serious Money on PBS, Tom Cock, join forces to talk about real money issues. In each episode, they solve real money problems, dole out real investing (not speculating) advice, and really explain the financial issues that effect all of us. Plus, it's actually fun! Talking Real Money is a podcast designed to provide the real help we all need to enjoy a really great future. Call in with your questions anytime at 855-935-TALK (8255).
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Financial talk radio veteran, Don McDonald and former host of Serious Money on PBS, Tom Cock, join forces to talk about real money issues. In each episode, they solve real money problems, dole out real investing (not speculating) advice, and really explain the financial issues that effect all of us. Plus, it's actually fun! Talking Real Money is a podcast designed to provide the real help we all need to enjoy a really great future. Call in with your questions anytime at 855-935-TALK (8255).
Tom welcomes consumer advocate Herb Weisbaum (ConsumerMan) to talk through the rising headaches of modern travel and everyday scams. Herb shares a recent Delta Airlines ordeal where he was nearly stranded overseas because he didn’t have the exact credit card used to purchase his ticket months earlier — a policy he and others say is poorly disclosed and inconsistently enforced. The conversation expands to robocall loan scams, fake toll violation texts, and AI-boosted fraud that’s becoming harder to spot. Herb offers practical steps on how to avoid getting trapped, plus early holiday shopping advice as tariffs and supply issues push prices up. A lively, useful consumer-protection episode.
0:10 Tom introduces Herb Weisbaum and today’s consumer-focused discussion
1:14 Tom’s Heathrow airline mess and why travelers feel powerless
2:08 Herb’s far worse Delta experience: denied boarding without original credit card
3:44 Calling a neighbor at 3am to photograph the card and save the trip
5:13 Delta’s justification: “We’re protecting you from fraud”
6:20 Why airlines can mistreat travelers and get away with it
7:04 U.S. vs. EU passenger rights and compensation differences
8:32 Text scams: fake unpaid toll notices are surging
9:46 The new wave of “pre-approved loan” robocall scams
10:48 AI makes scam messages grammatically perfect and harder to detect
11:04 Slow down, don’t engage, verify before responding
12:20 Let unknown calls go to voicemail to avoid social pressure
14:07 Holiday shopping preview: tariffs, supply constraints, scarcity in decor and toys
15:55 Black Friday all season long—price tracking and refund requests
16:27 Brief detour into kid gifts, backpacks, and questionable plush monsters
17:21 Checkbook.org and ConsumerMan resources for unbiased help
18:17 Herb’s love of model trains and signing off
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Talking Real Money - Investing Talk
Financial talk radio veteran, Don McDonald and former host of Serious Money on PBS, Tom Cock, join forces to talk about real money issues. In each episode, they solve real money problems, dole out real investing (not speculating) advice, and really explain the financial issues that effect all of us. Plus, it's actually fun! Talking Real Money is a podcast designed to provide the real help we all need to enjoy a really great future. Call in with your questions anytime at 855-935-TALK (8255).
