Sound Investing

Paul and Chris cover several questions about the Best-in-Class ETF recommendations and selection process. What's the overarching objective of the Best-in-Class ETF recommendations?*  What's the 6-step process described in your AAII Best-in-Class ETF Article? Why is it sometimes worth paying another tenth of a percent or more for funds with more exposure to small or value? Is AVUV's recent 6%/year return advantage over VBR expected and/or likely to continue?*  What did Avantis say are the market conditions that favor or disadvantage their approach?*  How should investors think of the risks of tilting away from the cap-weighted market indexes towards small and value? Retail investors have a potential superpower versus institutional fund managers -- patience! How many hours does it take Chris to update the Best-in-Class ETF recommendations? JL Collins is a big proponent of the total market index.  How much is our Best-in-Class ETF recommendation for large-cap blend (AVUS) likely to outperform a total-market index fund such as VTI? What happens when small-cap value becomes super popular? Links: Best-in-Class ETF Bootcamp video and podcast AAII article on Choosing Best-in-Class ETFsPortfolio configurator Portfolio visualizer factor statistics, factor regression tool, and fund factor regressions. Watch video here

Join Paul and Chris to follow up on Chris’ video on "2 Funds for Life Update 2024" . In this discussion Chris covers the history of the development of this popular portfolio, as well as his new table that covers the expected returns for all of the periods from ages 20 to over 90. The discussion included comments on: The advantages of Blackrock over Vanguard target date funds and why it should make over .5% a year more over their lifetimes. The reasons paying more for a small cap value fund may pay big rewards over the long term. The advantages and disadvantages of the more aggressive 2 Funds for Life Portfolios. How to build the Portfolio by using several different accounts The impact of rebalancing vs. letting the 2 funds grow independently Watch video here

Stan Haithcock, 'Stan the Annuity Man,' discusses the pros and cons of annuities, emphasizing transparency in pricing and selecting based on individual needs. The podcast delves into the reliability of insurance companies, benefits of Multi-Year Guarantee Annuities, and variances in offerings among companies. Balancing annuity investments for spousal financial security and navigating the complexities of annuities are also key topics covered.

Join Christine Benz, Director of Personal Finance and Retirement Planning at Morningstar, for answers to seven of the biggest questions facing those entering or in retirement. 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 education for 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. These events target 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. Watch video here

Two financial gurus, JL Collins and Paul Merriman, discuss wealth strategies, index funds, and the power of small-cap companies. They delve into diversification, disciplined strategies, and the psychology of successful investing. Whether you're a beginner or seasoned investor, this episode offers valuable tips for a robust financial future.

So, you've chosen to be a buy-and-hold investor following one of Paul's Sound Investing portfolios.  Now, the question is, what to buy?  It's time to become a knowledgeable shopper. Chris Pedersen describes the attributes that make an ETF or mutual fund more or less suited to implementing the portfolios we've discussed.  He then shows how to use Morningstar and Portfolio Visualizer to evaluate funds and points to the Best-in-Class recommended funds he's chosen. Finally, he demonstrates how the Portfolio Configurator can compare different fund family implementations and calculate the needed percentages of different funds for your personal portfolio choices.   Along the way, we learn that, like Warren Buffet, he has a thing for Diet Coke. Resources: AAII Article describing his Best-in-Class ETF selection process-  Video link to section of prior video showing more detail of the factor analysis he uses- Time mark- 46:00 Best-in-Class ETF's article  Best-in-Class ETFs Portfolio Configurator

Chris Pedersen, expert in automating investing with 2-fund portfolios, discusses combining target-date and small-cap value funds for simple yet effective investing. He highlights the 2 Funds for Life approach, compares it to other portfolios, and emphasizes non-financial investments.

In this podcast Paul addresses the advantage of using a Flexible Distribution strategy.  He starts by mentioning the earlier podcasts that focused on the Sound Investing Portfolios, Fine Tuning Your Asset Allocation Tables and Fixed Distribution Tables D1.4, D1.5, D9.4 and D9.5.He then focuses on  Flexible Distribution  Tables F1.4, F1.5, F1.6, F9.5 and F9.6.The following are links for listeners who want to review all the Fine Tuning Tables, all the Fixed Distribution Tables and all the Flexible Distribution Tables. ⁠9 Fine Tuning Your Asset Allocation Tables S&P 500 (⁠Table B1⁠) U.S. 2-Fund (50/50 S&P and Small Cap Value) (⁠Table B9⁠) Fixed Distribution Tables Flexible Distribution Tables For questions on Flexible Distributions please send to paul@paulmerriman.com or  post the questions in the comments section of the Flexible Distribution video. (link)

The move from the accumulation to distribution period of an investors lifetime includes some very important decisions. What asset allocation between equities and fixed income? What combination of equity asset classes in the equity portion, as well as fixed income asset classes? What amount of distribution will be made annually? Will the payments be monthly, quarterly or annually? Will payments be adjusted for inflation and how often? Will the distributions be based on a fixed distribution with regular adjustments for inflation (the topic in this presentation) or on a flexible basis (the topic of the next segment)? In this podcast Paul uses 11 tables  to address the questions above.  It is recommended the viewer print out the PDF of the tables to make it easier to follow the numbers. Many may find it is easier to follow the information on Paul’s video on the same topic. If you have questions about the presentation please leave comment or question in the comment section below or email paul@paulmerriman.com.

In segment #5 of the 2024 Book Camp Series Paul applies all of the first 4 segments lessons to putting the portfolios to work by making a regular monthly investment into several of the Sound Investing Portfolios. For those coming to the series for the first time Paul suggests listening to the first 4 segments. #1 Stocks vs. Bonds: The $10 Million Decision #2 The Ultimate Buy and Hold Portfolio 2024 Update #3 Sound Investing Portfolios: 2024 Update #4 Fine Tuning Asset Allocation 2024 UpdateIn his presentation Paul references Tables J1a, A1a, H2a, B1, B9, C1 and C9. The purpose of the podcast is to familiarize investors with how to use and compare the rest of the Fixed Contribution Tables. This link takes investors to the rest of the C tables.