Sound Investing Q&A: ETFs, Portfolios, Risk, and Retirement

Sound Investing · Jan 14, 2026 · 49m

In this week’s Sound Investing episode, Paul Merriman answers a wide-ranging set of listener questions — from choosing ETFs and building portfolios to managing risk in retirement and investing wisely at every age.

One of the biggest takeaways? There is no universally “best” ETF or portfolio. The right answer depends on your goals, risk tolerance, time horizon, and — just as importantly — your ability to stick with a strategy during difficult markets.

Here are some of the highlights from the episode:

What’s the “best ETF”?

Paul explains that for simple exposure (like the S&P 500), the…