Paul Merriman

 Some of the worst investment advice I know happens to millions of investors each year. Between paying commissions, paying higher expenses,  paying more taxes, being less diversified, and sitting on too much cash, so-called experts encourage investors to hold investments that are built to make as much as 2 to 4 percent less PER YEAR.Paul uses […] The post The Worst Investment Advice I Know first appeared on Paul Merriman. The post The Worst Investment Advice I Know appeared first on Paul Merriman.

Paul announces Chris Pedersen’s upcoming AAII presentation on Saturday, July 22.  The 2 hour Zoom presentation will begin at 8:45 a.m.  Chris will discuss how portfolio asset allocation, fund selection and investor behavior impact the returns we get for the risk we take.  He’ll also show some practical approaches to help us all come closer […] The post New Avantis ETF, free curriculum, good news or bad first appeared on Paul Merriman. The post New Avantis ETF, free curriculum, good news or bad appeared first on Paul Merriman.

 On this week’s podcast Paul addressed a couple of very important questions: 1. Is there really such a thing as a buy and hold investor? 2. What can an investor do to improve their chances of staying the course through all market cycles? 3. Many of your portfolios don’t include international equities.  Should investors […] The post Does anyone really buy & hold and more Q&A first appeared on Paul Merriman. The post Does anyone really buy & hold and more Q&A appeared first on Paul Merriman.

 While the industry generally agrees the most important investment decision is your choice of asset allocation, Paul makes the case that the choice between being a do it yourself investor vs. hiring a professional advisor is much more impactful over a lifetime. Paul discusses the many challenges of both decisions and finishes by showing […] The post The most important investment decision you will ever make first appeared on Paul Merriman. The post The most important investment decision you will ever make appeared first on Paul Merriman.

There is no question AI is a hot topic.  I have watched “end of the world” interviews with people who know a lot more than I do about AI.  In a recent poll, noted in The New Yorker, half of A.I. scientists agreed that there was at least a ten-per-cent chance that the human race would […] The post ChatGPT offers shocking investment information! first appeared on Paul Merriman. The post ChatGPT offers shocking investment information! appeared first on Paul Merriman.

 Paul starts the podcast encouraging listeners to check out the ⁠latest video⁠ where Chris, Daryl and Paul answer questions from readers, listeners and viewers regarding the article, podcast and video about the Sound Investing Portfolios 2023 Update.  The following are the links that were used in the video: ⁠Asset Class Index CAGR Comparison (1927-2023)⁠ ⁠Table […] The post Dave Ramsey, small cap value and a “new” 4 fund portfolio first appeared on Paul Merriman. The post Dave Ramsey, small cap value and a “new” 4 fund portfolio appeared first on Paul Merriman.

Dear Friends, A couple weeks ago, we sent out a podcast that we recorded several years ago.  It has been by far the most popular podcast over the last 10+ years. Over 980,000 listeners have opened, and hopefully listened to the podcast entitled, “Could This Be the #1 Reason to Use Index Funds?” While the podcast […] The post Finding a trustworthy source of financial advice first appeared on Paul Merriman. The post Finding a trustworthy source of financial advice appeared first on Paul Merriman.

 Paul starts the podcast with a brief discussion about the new “financial Literacy for All Students” project at Western Washington University (WWU).   The Merriman Financial Education Foundation, WWU, and Paul personally, are working together to make this project a reality in the next two to three years. The main topic of the podcast […] The post What rate of return can I count on in the future? first appeared on Paul Merriman. The post What rate of return can I count on in the future? appeared first on Paul Merriman.

Paul discusses ways a parent or grandparent might explain 2 Funds for Life to a young adult.  In the discussion Paul suggests using the following tables to make a handful of important decisions. Tables 1-4 from his Follow the Math comments- ⁠Table 1⁠ ⁠Table 2⁠ ⁠Table 3⁠ ⁠Table 4⁠ ⁠Equity Index Returns (1928-2022)⁠ to compare the returns […] The post The Simple Story About 2 Funds for Life first appeared on Paul Merriman. The post The Simple Story About 2 Funds for Life appeared first on Paul Merriman.

 If a retired investor has the ability to use a flexible distribution strategy it will likely produce one of the best financial outcomes in retirement.  In this presentation Paul compares the difference in returns and risk between the fixed and flexible distribution strategies. The discussion compares returns and total distributions for two of the 9 […] The post Flexible Distributions 2023 Update first appeared on Paul Merriman. The post Flexible Distributions 2023 Update appeared first on Paul Merriman.

This podcast is Part 5 OF AN 8 PART series ON THE MOST IMPORTANT INVESTMENT DECISIONS. The discussion addresses the distribution tables that use a Fixed Distribution Strategy of 3, 4, 5 and 6 percent plus annual increases for inflation.  One set of distributions uses the S&P 500 as the equity position while the other uses the […] The post Fixed Distributions 2023 Update first appeared on Paul Merriman. The post Fixed Distributions 2023 Update appeared first on Paul Merriman.

 This podcast is the 4th in a series of our series to help do it yourself investors build a lifetime investment strategy.  The  presentation uses the following tables: ⁠Table C1 – Fixed Contributions: S&P 500 Equity Portfolio⁠  ⁠Table C14 – Fixed Contributions: US 2-Fund Equity Portfolio⁠ ⁠ Table C11 – Fixed Contributions: US All Value […] The post Fixed Contributions 2023 Update first appeared on Paul Merriman. The post Fixed Contributions 2023 Update appeared first on Paul Merriman.

 The following questions were sent to Paul during the 90 minute video presented to Western Washington University alumni on February 10, 2023. 2:38 1. How much more do you get with AVUV which has higher fees than FISVX, which is super low cost? Check out:  BOGLEHEADS.ORG/REBALANCING Check out:  whitecoatinvestor.com/portfolio-rebalancing-spreadsheet/ 11:20 2. What are your thoughts on robo advisors and investing? Check […] The post Rebalancing, parental advice, AVUV vs. FISVX and 10 more Q&A appeared first on Paul Merriman.

 Paul leads off with the news that Chris Pedersen’s book 2 Funds for Life is now available as a free PDF to people who sign up for our free newsletter at https://paulmerriman.com/signup/. Watch the video here. Chris Pedersen joins Paul to discuss the 2023 update to his Best-in-Class ETF recommendations.  Chris explains the selection […] The post Best-in-Class ETF Recommendations Update appeared first on Paul Merriman.

 Join Paul Merriman, Chris Pedersen and Darryl Bahls as they respond to these questions from investors: What can a Do-It-Yourself investor do to prepare his/her spouse/partner for managing retirement investments should the DIY investor die first?  Learn how Paul, Chris and Daryl are each personally preparing for their generally disinterested spouses to take over […] The post How can you trust the market? appeared first on Paul Merriman.