Sound Investing

Paul briefly discusses the recent MarketWatch article, “4 simple and effective ways to help a young person get a jump on retirement”  and continues with consideration of 2017 performance of the Vanguard, Fidelity, T Rowe Price, Schwab, TD Ameritrade mutual fund and ETF portofolios recommended at his site, including his favorite. He …

DON’T LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST if you don’t like numbers. Many unexpected things happened in 2017.  To understand them it’s important to look at the numbers.  This discussion includes a comparison of large cap, small cap, growth, value, U.S. and international asset class returns.  There is also a comparison of 1- and 15-year returns for Vanguard, DFA and …

This podcast presents plans for 12 major projects for 2018 by The Merriman Financial Education Foundation.  They include fund selection for self-directed 401k plans, new 401k plans, more studies on the long-term impact of saving to retirement, answering more of your questions, teaching more young people about sound investing and interviewing some of the industry’s most-qualified experts.  Paul …

What to do about bonds is probably the most common question I get from investors.  In some ways it is the simplest of investment decisions but it can be made difficult due to emotional hurdles.  In this podcast Paul reviews several past articles on bonds.  Here are the links to those articles:  “Why bonds are the most …

Small cap value continues to be an asset class that Paul recommends for all investors.  Of course, for retired investors it may be a very small part as their position in equities is low. For first-time investors following Paul and Chris’ target date fund recommendations, the super-charged asset class may take up the entire portfolio. Most investors will …

Following are Paul’s answers to some great investing questions. Sometimes he needs to ask a question before he can answer your question, so please include your phone number in your “Ask Paul” questions sent to info@paulmerriman.com  Also, keep in mind that due to the number of emails received, Paul can only answer a portion of them, …

For more than 90% of working adults, the most important investment decision is how to invest their 401k, 457, 403b or IRA. Each of the 34 points in this podcast addresses a way that is likely to produce better returns. In this podcast Paul mentions several articles: How to Turn $3000 into $50 Million,

On November 18, 2017, Paul spoke to 170 investors.  Some were clients of Merriman Wealth Management and others followers of Paul’s online educational efforts.  The following 10 questions were left to answer in a special podcast. 1.  This bull market duration is unusually  long. Is it time to get more conservative? 2.  Is the next bear market imminent? …

Paul answers 12 questions from his readers and listeners concerning REITS, bonds, gold, investment risks, portfolio management, asset class allocation and emerging markets: 1.  Is it a good idea to own both U.S. and international REITs?  5:45 2.  Should REIT percentages change if we buy real estate? 8:55 3.  How much should we invest in bonds now? 10:40 4.  …

The AAII (American Association of Individual Investors) Conference was a treasure trove of investment history and advice for amateur investors.  In fact, Paul felt a lot of the information should be meaningful to professionals as well.  Paul was impressed with the presentations from Meb Faber, Larry Swedroe, Dr. Craig Israelsen and Mark Hulbert.  The one thing that all four experts agree on …