PODCAST: November 22, 2025
The Bucket Strategy for Confident Investors
On the November 22, 2025 episode of The Roy Matlock, Jr. Money and Business Hour, Roy explains how to build a calm, repeatable financial plan even when the market is at all-time highs. He walks through risk buckets, tax buckets, time vs. timing, and dollar-cost averaging so you can stop guessing, stop worrying, and start following a system—especially if you’re within 10 years of retirement.
In this episode of The Roy Matlock, Jr. Money and Business Hour (air date: November 22, 2025), Roy kicks off by addressing a common fear: What should I do when the stock market is hitting all-time highs? Instead of panic, he introduces a “buckets” approach designed to create a financial safety system you can trust in any market. He also frames money decisions around three stages of life—getting started, accumulation, and retirement income—and explains why procrastination is the biggest wealth killer in that first stage.
Roy then breaks down risk buckets into defense (cash, money markets, annuities, CDs), middle-of-the-road options (balanced funds, bonds, rentals), and growth/offense (stock funds, ETFs). He explains how the right mix keeps retirees from having to sell at a loss during downturns and lets younger investors celebrate market dips as buying opportunities. From there, he shifts to tax buckets—taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free—and makes the case for “never paying taxes on money you’re not currently using.” He uses his popular “buy one, get one free” 401(k) analogy to show how tax deductions, employer matches, and Roth strategies can turbo-charge long-term growth.
In the second half of the show, Roy zooms in on time vs. timing. He tells listeners why he doesn’t obsess over daily market swings and why “time in the market” plus consistent investing beats trying to jump in and out. He highlights how missing just a handful of the best market days can cut long-term returns dramatically. This leads naturally into dollar-cost averaging, which he describes as an “automatic discount system” that quietly buys more shares when prices are down and fewer when prices are high.
Finally, Roy walks through asset allocation—stock/bond/cash mix—as the real driver of long-term outcomes. He talks about how risk tolerance, time horizon, and income needs all influence whether someone should be closer to a 60/40 mix or something more conservative or aggressive. He contrasts lump-sum investing with dollar-cost averaging, showing why you might blend the two strategies—especially at market highs—to avoid emotional mistakes like “crying and cashing out.” He closes with a rapid-fire summary: diversify with risk buckets, plan with tax buckets, focus on time not timing, use dollar-cost averaging, and stay invested on a written plan rather than reacting to headlines.
