Paul Merriman
325 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 months ago - ★★★★★ - 443 ratingsSound Investing for Every Stage of Life
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Episodes
Should I try to time the market?
March 04, 2020 11:00 - 26.3 MBListen to Sound Investing on your favorite listening platforms: Paul shares writings and wisdom from two of his trusted Truth Tellers, George Sisti of On Course Financial Planning and Dr. Jim Dahle of The White Coat Investor. Both of these experts are focused on helping people be better buy-and-hold investors. George's blog post is titled “Here We Go Again!” and Jim’s …
Fine Tuning Your Asset Allocation 2020
February 25, 2020 11:00 - 30.2 MBListen to Sound Investing on your favorite listening platforms: Fine-Tuning Your Asset Allocations 2020 Update Do you want to have a better idea of the range — or returns and risks of loss — that different equity asset classes have generated over a long period of time? In this podcast, Paul discusses 5 tables …
The Ultimate Buy and Hold Strategy 2020 Update
February 19, 2020 11:00 - 16.5 MBListen to Sound Investing on your favorite listening platforms: The most important work we have done over the last 38 years has been to help investors identify the equity asset classes they should consider holding in their portfolio. In this podcast, along with the accompanying tables, Paul updates investors on the results of his Ultimate Buy and Hold …
The big payoff for asset class diversification
February 12, 2020 11:00 - 31.1 MBListen to Sound Investing on your favorite listening platforms: Paul was interviewed by Rick Ferri, the host of Bogleheads on Investing, on Feb. 3, 2020. During and after the recording, scores of questions and comments were written at the Bogleheads chatroom. This podcast is Paul's reply to a number of the topics discussed with Rick and the questions and comments, broken …
10 important lessons from the 2020 Callan Periodic Tables
February 05, 2020 11:00 - 21.9 MBListen to Sound Investing on your favorite listening platforms: The new Callan Periodic Tables have been released and in this podcast Paul discusses 10 important lessons from the main table (2000-2019) and several other Callan tables he has not addressed before. Paul encourages listeners to review the tables (links below) and see how many important lessons you find, before you listen to the …
How did Paul Merriman make 30% a year for 30 years? and 10 more Q&A's
January 28, 2020 11:00 - 28.5 MBListen to Sound Investing on your favorite listening platforms: Can an employee convince his company’s 401k trustees to make changes? It took 4 years for this one dedicated investor to do so and he won big. Hopefully, this story will inspire others to work this hard to change the financial futures for all 401k investors. 2:00 What is …
Paul answers questions from Bogleheads’ forum
January 22, 2020 11:00 - 31.2 MBListen to Sound Investing on your favorite listening platforms: Paul's recent podcast, The Real Secret to Long-Term Investment Success, elicited many comments and questions at the Bogleheads forum (you can read the threads of conversation here) and from regular Sound Investing listeners. The following are questions addressed on this podcast. What does Paul think of the factor funds at …
The real secret to long-term investment success
January 15, 2020 11:00 - 33.2 MBListen to Sound Investing on your favorite listening platforms: What’s the toughest challenge for many investors? Staying the course for the long term. In this podcast, Paul discusses what he considers "the most useful information for investors.” While adding new insights to his Ultimate Buy and Hold Strategy, Fine Tuning Your Asset …
Best in Class 2019 Returns plus 12 Q & A
January 08, 2020 11:00 - 32 MBListen to Sound Investing on your favorite listening platforms: Paul discusses the comparative returns from the Vanguard, DFA and Best-In-Class Portfolios for 2019. He also responds to 12 questions from listeners and readers of paulmerriman.com’s podcasts, articles, videos, books and recommendations for mutual funds, ETFs, 401k’s, the Ultimate Buy-and-Hold Portfolio and more. To learn more about comparative returns, …
Thoughts on 2020 and Q&A from Paul’s Listeners & Readers
January 03, 2020 11:00 - 33.9 MBListen to Sound Investing on your favorite listening platforms: In this podcast, Paul shares his thoughts for the coming year and answers investor questions. The S&P 500 has made 5% more than the portfolio you recommend. Should I put it all in the S&P? 14:50 What do you think of the new Avantis ETFs?27:05 What do you think about …
Could this be the #1 reason to use index funds?
December 26, 2019 13:49 - 21.5 MBListen to Sound Investing on your favorite listening platforms: Paul was planning a traditional "Happy Holidays!" podcast but woke up to information that set his hair on fire. While he has been writing articles about index funds for decades, the most read is “30 reasons to fall in love with index funds”. While the most common …
Strategy update: How to turn $3000 into $50 million
December 18, 2019 11:00 - 22.2 MBListen to Sound Investing on your favorite listening platforms: Four years ago we wrote one of our most popular articles, "How To Turn $3000 into $50 million." This article, originally published at MarketWatch, has had over 500 comments and many of them were calling the strategy crazy. In this podcast Paul offers at least 10 solid lessons about this …
The Ultimate Buy & Hold vs. 2 Funds for Life
December 11, 2019 11:00 - 22.7 MBListen to Sound Investing on your favorite listening platforms: The most common question Paul receives these days is, "What is the best investment approach, The Ultimate Buy-and-Hold strategy or 2 Funds for Life?” The potential long-term returns of these two strategies may be very similar but they will take very different paths. The Ultimate Buy-and-Hold requires a lot more …
What are the odds we are going to have a bear market in the coming year?
December 04, 2019 11:00 - 32.7 MBListen to Sound Investing on your favorite listening platforms: In this interview with Ken Roberts, of Ken’s Bulls and Bears, the conversation covered many bear market-related topics such as: How big a loss should an investor expect to suffer? What should investors do to prepare for a significant decline? What should investors do to prepare for a …
20 Steps to Double Your Income During Your Retirement
November 26, 2019 11:00 - 32.5 MBListen to Sound Investing on your favorite listening platforms: This podcast is adapted from Financial Fitness After 50, created for PBS as part of a contributors’ package of DVDs, CDs and book in 2012. To watch the video, rather than listen to the podcast, click here. Paul also recommends reading the recent MarketWatch article, written with Rich Buck, on 10 Ways to Make …
Why doesn't Vanguard add more small-cap value to its TDFs?... and 13 more Q&A
November 20, 2019 12:43 - 36 MBPaul addresses 14 questions from listeners and readers, but first he speaks to an interesting case of an investor who has greater trust in a bar of gold than a government bond-based Vanguard fund. Where are your Fine Tuning Tables for 2019? 9:33 Where can I get a better rate of return in my checking account? 11:20 Does …
Why doesn’t Vanguard add more small-cap value to its TDFs?… and 13 more Q&A
November 20, 2019 12:43Paul addresses 14 questions from listeners and readers, but first he speaks to an interesting case of an investor who has greater trust in a bar of gold than a government bond-based Vanguard fund. Where are your Fine Tuning Tables for 2019? 9:33 Where can I get a better rate of return in my checking account? 11:20 Does …
Is it time to add small cap and value to your portfolio?
November 13, 2019 16:54 - 26.1 MBThis recent Marketwatch article, "This strategy beats a total stock market fund and gives you more diversification," attracted almost 85,000 readers in its first week, so Paul decided to address some topics and questions submitted by readers of the article. These include: The use of individual stocks vs. mutual funds or ETFs The risk of small-cap value compared …
How to invest in a bear market
November 06, 2019 14:00 - 30 MBPaul shares bear market observations and advice from Sir John Templeton, Warren Buffet and Peter Lynch, as well as offering his own ideas. He starts the podcast by reading an article by Jason Zweig, "Everything You Know About the Crash Is Wrong". Jason discusses a period when investors would buy funds at 150% to 200% more than their net asset …
Lessons from teaching teachers, FIRE students and independent investors
October 30, 2019 10:00 - 25.3 MBListen in as Paul shares insights from a special week of presentations to three very different groups interested in sound investing. On Wednesday, he addressed high school financial literacy teachers in Washington state. Thursday he spoke with young FIRE investors at a meeting of Choose FI Orlando, Florida. And on Saturday, also in Orlando, he was joined by Chris Pedersen to present “Two Funds …
When should you fire an advisor? Plus, who to trust and how much is enough?
October 23, 2019 10:00 - 27.2 MBIn this podcast, Paul addresses four different but related issues regarding the management of your investments. When should you fire an advisor? Paul discusses the ethics and competence an advisor and others must have. Ken Fisher’s recent problems have raised another requirement one could expect from an advisor. This could be very important to listeners who are about …
Which funds are best in a bear market: passively or actively-managed funds?
October 16, 2019 10:00 - 28.9 MBIn this podcast Paul addresses questions from his investor listeners on managing risk, pensions, early retirement and more in the current market. Topic 1: Napkin Finance has produced a terrific graphic that compares 5 different types of experts who can help you manage your money. Unfortunately, they forgot to include free services like ours or newsletters that …
Why not own a growth index fund instead of the S&P 500?
October 09, 2019 10:00 - 26.2 MBThe podcast addresses five different topics from our readers and listeners. It starts with a discussion of the likely future returns of growth vs. value. I read a short blog from Seth Godin, titled “Getting to the truth”: Your anecdote isn’t true. I know it happened. I know that your experience, your feelings, your outcomes …
Facts and fictions of small-cap-value returns – Part II
October 02, 2019 10:00 - 20.2 MBIn last week’s podcast, I responded to some recent controversies about small-cap-value returns. I examined and shared my findings of a study that looked at the history of returns for many of the popular asset classes: S&P 500, Total Market Index, Large-Cap Value, Small-Cap Blend, Small-Cap Value, U.S. Long-Term Bonds, U.S. Treasury Bills and Inflation. …
Facts and fictions of small-cap-value returns Part 1
September 25, 2019 10:00 - 19.6 MBSome controversy and concern seems to have risen about small-cap-value returns. While on vacation in Europe recently, I used the early morning hours to complete a study examining the history of returns for many of the popular asset classes: S&P 500, Total Market Index, Large Cap Value, Small Cap Blend, Small Cap Value, U.S. Long Term Bonds, U.S. Treasury …
Financial Independence Retire Early (Part 2)
September 18, 2019 10:00 - 26 MBIn this sequel to Part 1, Paul and Ed Fulbright of Fulbright & Fulbright, CPA, PA, continue their conversation about the growing interest in the Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) Movement on Ed's weekly educational radio program, Mastering Your Money. Paul talks about his experience with FIRE, including the recent movie, “Playing With Fire”, his …
Financial Independence Retire Early (Part 1)
September 11, 2019 10:00 - 26 MBFinancial Independence Retire Early (Part 1) Paul joins Ed Fulbright of Fulbright & Fulbright, CPA, PA, on his weekly educational radio program, Mastering Your Money, to discuss the FIRE Movement. F.I.R.E. is an acronym for Financial Independence Retire Early. It's a growing movement of people who are practicing FIRE principles — high savings rates, frugal living, and low-cost index funds — with the expectation …
Target Date Funds: America’s #1 Retirement Investment
September 04, 2019 10:00 - 43 MBThis podcast is the audio-only version of the video, Target Date Funds: America’s #1 Retirement Investment, in which Paul illuminates why Target Date Funds are America’s best retirement investment, and how to maximize that investment with his 2-Funds-For-Life Strategy. While this strategy is ideal for young and first-time investors, it can be effectively used by investors at any stage who want …
Are These Two Funds the Only Ones You Need for Life?
August 28, 2019 10:00 - 24.3 MBIn this interview — with Joe Andersen, CFP and "Big Al Clopine, CPA of Pure Financial Advisors, Inc. on their podcast, "Your Money Your Wealth” — Paul makes the case that owning just two funds for life is a “home-run” investing strategy for some investors. Plus, the hosts answer your money questions: how should teachers, and others without Social Security or pension, save for retirement? …
How to avoid the big mistakes pre-retirees make
August 21, 2019 10:00 - 11.7 MBHow to avoid the big mistakes pre-retirees make Paul addresses the huge decisions facing investors in the final push to meet their retirement goals, about 10 years before retirement. Cautioning against the tendency to jump from one strategy to another or be swayed by Wall Street, Paul presents 12 points for creating a solid long-term investment strategy before you …
Talking Real Money
August 14, 2019 10:00 - 23.3 MBPaul joins old friend and Vestory advisor, Tom Cock, on Tom’s Seattle radio show, “Talking Real Money”, which begins with addressing the need for emergency money. In answering call-in questions, they discuss the major decision of when to start taking Social Security, annuities, FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early), how often to rebalance a Buy-and-Hold portfolio at M1 Finance, possible …
Understanding the 2 Funds for Life strategy
August 07, 2019 10:00 - 25.3 MBIn October 2018, Paul and Chris Pedersen recorded a video that offers a new and significant advantage to standard Target Date Funds. Following the release of the YouTube video, "2 Funds for Life — A simple strategy to maximize your retirement investments," Paul responded to many questions and decided to use this podcast to expand his answers to several of …
21 things mutual funds won’t tell you
August 06, 2019 09:11 - 14 MBAre you aware of the many ways that mutual funds can legally and cleverly mislead investors? An investor should be able to expect the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth but, in reality, mutual funds are marketed putting the best foot forward, like almost every other highly-profitable product. In this podcast, produced for the PBS Special, “Financial …
Is dollar cost averaging the best approach? And what’s the future of small-cap value index funds?
July 31, 2019 10:00 - 28.2 MBIn a recent article and podcast on diversification, Paul noted that dollar cost averaging can be a form of timing diversification. It ensures that an investor will not put all his/her money in at the top of a market. It also ensures "picking up more shares when prices are lower and fewer shares when prices are higher.” Paul suggested that many …
7 Q&A’s on Expected Risk and Return in Today’s Market
July 24, 2019 10:00 - 5 MBPaul addresses each of these questions which reflect some aspect of investor’s concerns related to risks and returns. How can people invest in a system that is destined to collapse under our massive national debt? What average yearly return do you expect for your different stock/bond Best-In-Class portfolios over the next 5 to 10 years? What do you expect …
20 things you should know about diversification
July 17, 2019 10:00 - 27.2 MBBefore discussing diversification, which is always about risk management, Paul Merriman presents the returns of the Best-In Class ETF portfolio The goal of that portfolio was to recreate the DFA portfolio Paul holds in his own account. For the first half of 2019, the advantage goes to the B-I-C ETFs. Way to go Chris Pedersen! Regarding diversification, …
Tax rates, presidents, record economic growth
July 10, 2019 10:00 - 29.9 MBPaul Merriman answers questions about a wide variety of investor concerns: profitable focus funds, using a pension as a substitute for bonds, moving DFA funds to Vanguard, the impact of higher taxes on the market, performance of major asset classes besides the S&P 500, defensive investment strategies for a bear market, popular sector funds, the impact of …
Making the best of your financial future
July 03, 2019 10:00 - 35.2 MBIn this lively interview with Ken Roberts, of Ken’s Bulls and Bears, Paul and Ken discuss a range of important investor topics for every stage of life, including Millennials on “FIRE”, Best-in-Class ETFs, maximizing returns while minimizing risk, and retirement distributions. Comparing the use of fixed and variable distributions in retirement The FIRE movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early) How to …
How is the stock market doing? (First half of 2019)
June 26, 2019 12:00 - 21.5 MBWhy is it that what seems like a great year so far would have been fairly normal in past decades? 6:03 Paul discusses why it’s different now. He also looks at how poorly the experts have misjudged the bond market this year, and answers the following questions from his readers and listeners: Why should I invest …
Is the value premium dead? And 9 more answers to investors' questions
June 19, 2019 12:13 - 28.8 MBThese timely questions were posed by investors following Paul's recent presentation to the AAII Los Angeles Chapter. The first question is the most often asked over the past year. See this table to compare the returns of some of the asset classes Paul discusses. 1. Is the value premium dead? 2:15 2. Should investors fear …
Is the value premium dead? And 9 more answers to investors’ questions
June 19, 2019 12:13These timely questions were posed by investors following Paul’s recent presentation to the AAII Los Angeles Chapter. The first question is the most often asked over the past year. See this table to compare the returns of some of the asset classes Paul discusses. 1. Is the value premium dead? 2:15 2. Should investors fear …
Flexible distributions in retirement: The ultimate strategy
June 11, 2019 10:00 - 13.1 MBDo you want to minimize your risk of running out of money in retirement, while maximizing your distributions? In this podcast, Paul compares the risks and returns of fixed and flexible distribution strategies using the S&P 500. He discusses why the flexible may be the greatest financial luxury one can have in retirement. To better understand …
Explaining the Ultimate Buy-and-Hold Portfolio
June 05, 2019 10:00 - 52 MBThis recent interview with Jonathan and Brad of ChooseFi.com is both an excellent starting point for new investors and a refresher for seasoned investors as Paul discusses how to know who to trust, the role emotions play in making sound decisions and staying the course, the importance of diversification and choosing asset classes, and the pros and cons …
10 things you need to know about fixed distributions- 2019 update
May 29, 2019 11:00 - 22.3 MBFor more than 15 years Paul has updated his discussion of fixed and variable distribution strategies. In this podcast he discusses the pros and cons of fixed distributions so investors understand: The importance of the data used to represent returns The huge differences between 3, 4, 5 and 6 percent distributions The importance of inflation Why 3% is …
Answers to 12 Questions from AAII investors
May 22, 2019 10:00 - 32 MBPaul addresses questions raised during his recent presentations to more than 200 AAII members in Madison and Milwaukee. Also, he recounts an exciting meeting with 2 young women (ages 13 and 15) and their parents who announced the start of their daughters' lifetime investment journey modeled after How To Turn $3000 …
Performance: What should you plan on for the future?
May 14, 2019 16:17 - 14.1 MBWhether you are saving for retirement or already retired, establishing a reasonable expectation for future returns is one of the most difficult planning decisions. What can investors learn from the past? Are the next 10 years likely to be similar to the last 10, 20, 50 or 80 years? Can we count on the value and …
The biggest risk of all for investors plus 12 Q&A's
May 08, 2019 10:00 - 25 MBDo you know that only 31% of Americans believe they will have enough money to enjoy a comfortable life in retirement? Or how about this: 60% of Millennials report having made an emotional decision they later regretted to sell in a 401k plan? This sort of emotional decision can be the very thing keeping people from having the money they …
The biggest risk of all for investors plus 12 Q&A’s
May 08, 2019 10:00Do you know that only 31% of Americans believe they will have enough money to enjoy a comfortable life in retirement? Or how about this: 60% of Millennials report having made an emotional decision they later regretted to sell in a 401k plan? This sort of emotional decision can be the very thing keeping people from having the money they …
Why investing has never been easier or more profitable
May 01, 2019 10:00 - 17.8 MBInvesting has never been easier or more likely to help investors achieve their long-term returns. When I started investing, most of an investor's gains were lost to high loads to buy funds, high expenses to manage funds, high expenses to trade stocks, and the belief that smart people could beat the market. Of course, …
Top 10 Truth Tellers: George Sisti
April 24, 2019 11:54 - 16 MBOver the next nine months Paul plans to introduce podcast listeners to the work of his "Top 10 Truth Tellers.” These are writers and/or podcasters who produce educational materials that Paul believes will help investors improve their long-term results. In this first of 10 introductions, Paul reads an article and “in the news” items that hopefully …