A note of thanks to a great teacher

Dear Friends, The recent unexpected passing of our director of marketing, Aysha Griffin, made me take a second and third look at what we are doing as a non profit foundation and what the people who are working with us are doing to help us deliver on our mission. The Merriman Financial Education Foundation believes […]

The post A note of thanks to a great teacher first appeared on Paul Merriman.

The post A note of thanks to a great teacher appeared first on Paul Merriman.

Dear Friends,

The recent unexpected passing of our director of marketing, Aysha Griffin, made me take a second and third look at what we are doing as a non profit foundation and what the people who are working with us are doing to help us deliver on our mission.

The Merriman Financial Education Foundation believes “knowledge is power” and is dedicated to providing comprehensive financial education to investors at all stages of life, with information and tools to make informed decisions in their own best interest and successfully implement their retirement savings program.  

I would like to focus on, Chris Pedersen one of our volunteers in our newsletter today. 

Chris joined the foundation in 2016.  He offered to help in any way he could. There is no way I could have imagined all he would do to help investors improve the likely (we never know for sure) long term returns of their portfolios. 

 

Here is a list of 10 important things Chris has accomplished for you and the foundation:

He was largely responsible for taking the Ultimate Buy and Hold 10 fund strategy, that most found  too complex too manage, and showed investors how the same or better returns could be produced with as few as 2 to 4 funds.He was responsible for creating the 2 Funds for Life strategy that combines a target date fund with a small cap value fund.He took 100s of hours to write his book, “2 Funds for Life.”  The book has been helpful to a lot of investors and the reviews from readers are 87% 5 star ratings on Amazon.After writing the book he agreed to donate all the revenues to the Foundation.  He did not have to be asked!Now he has agree to make the book available free to all readers via a pdf.Probably the most difficult of all the steps for investors is to select the best mutual funds and ETFs to access the asset classes they want in their portfolio.  Chris has single handedly created the Best In Class recommendations.  These recommendations are likely to improve the performance for investors who can access those commission free funds at Vanguard, Fidelity and Schwab.Chris has been available to AAII National and local chapters, as well as Bogleheads chapters, to speak on all of the work he has developed.Chris has written a number of articles for the AAII Journal.Chris, along with Daryl Bahls, has given freely of their time to record podcasts and videos to answer questions from our listeners and explain his work in great details.And to top off all that he has done to help you be a better investor, he is one of the nicest people you will ever meet.

After Aysha’s death I realize how critical her work had been to the success of our Foundation.  I’m glad I’ve now taken the time to appreciate what Chris has done as well. 

Chris, on behalf of all of us who have benefited from your thoughtful work, Thank You. 

What readers have said about Chris’ “2 Funds for Life” and his teachings:

“Chris distills down complex topics into a clear and actionable plan. Keeping plans simple will mean there is a much higher chance of adherence. I most enjoyed the book because his approach was tested and validated by historical data, giving one the confidence to stay the course.” 

Benjamin Manning on Amazon

“The wealth of knowledge, analysis and insight contained within these pages is second to none. Chris has clearly gone to great lengths to outline a simple and effective investing strategy understandable and relatable to the average, do-it-yourself investor. I have been following the 2 funds for life strategy since it was first ‘released’ in 2018. This book was a tremendous affirmation and contained all the numbers to support. The layout, charts, graphs, and pictures made this somewhat intimidating topic easy to approach and implement. As a 27 year old, I will owe so much of my long term investing success to Chris and his book. Kudos to Chris and the team for the great product and for setting so many investors on the best path towards a great life!”

William Henderson on Amazon

I pre-ordered this book with great anticipation. Although I knew the principles through the various podcasts that Paul and Chris put out for free, I really wanted to dig in with charts. Chris delivers in spades. This book is geared towards a do-it-yourself investor that wants a diverse, buy and hold strategy without complexity. This is an important read but as you’ll find with good advice, you won’t be surprised by many of the investing principles outlined in the book. If you already know TDFs, then adding SCV is the icing on the cake if patient.

NJBioGuy on Amazon

“Chris is a HUGE asset to your foundation. I greatly appreciate his presentations.”
Mike Miller YouTube

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REGISTER HERE: Free Online Programs on Finances and Investing

Financial literacy is empowering—yet good, practical education about financial management is too often out of reach for people, especially those with limited incomes.

Former BCF Board Member Paul Merriman—founder of The Merriman Financial Education Foundation—has dedicated his retirement to providing free trainings to all ages about how to secure a more stable financial future. On behalf of BCF, every year Paul organizes free virtual events with speakers who are nationally renowned experts in their fields in order to help educate our community on how to better plan for our futures.

This year, each event is targeting a specific age group on topics relevant to their stage in life. These events focus on all ages and levels of financial literacy, including youth, first-time investors who are still in the workforce, and those who have just entered retirement. Learn more below!

Register at the links below:
Smart Financial Steps in Your 20s and 30s!
Paul Merriman

Saving, Investing and Planning: Getting Ready for Your 3rd Act (Ages 40-65)
Tom Cock and Paul Merriman

Ages 65 and Beyond! Making the Smartest Financial Moves in Retirement
Christine Benz

How to Maximize your Social Security for Everyone!
Mary Beth Franklin

The post A note of thanks to a great teacher first appeared on Paul Merriman.

The post A note of thanks to a great teacher appeared first on Paul Merriman.