Shows / Sound Investing
Sound Investing
Weekly podcasts with Paul Merriman. Strategic planning for investing at every stage of life.
Episodes
Sound InvestingImportant Research on Adding Value and Profitablity to Your Portfolio
This week I want to look at what the first ten months of 2026 can teach us about how we invest — and why broad diversification keeps looking like the smartest…
Sound InvestingFinding an Hourly Advisor from 30,000 feet
Aloha from Oahu! I recorded this one from our hotel room in Hawaii, where my wife and I came to celebrate our two birthdays — three days apart, if not…
Sound InvestingThe Two Biggest Paydays of My Life
As Paul turned 83 last week, he recorded this podcast in his studio office surrounded by piles of articles and notes for future recordings and a good deal of…
Sound InvestingOffice Hours: Teachers Questions Answered
In this special office-hours session, Albert and I answer the questions teachers have been sending in across our four NGPF classroom sessions — more than 500…
Sound InvestingThe $5 Million Pay off for a Financially Literate High School Graduate
WATCH THE VIDEO This is the fourth of five presentations I recorded for Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF.org) and am sharing with Sound Investing listeners. I…
Sound InvestingThe Inside Story About Diversification
Harry Markowitz called diversification "the only free lunch in finance." In this session, part of Paul's series for Next Gen Personal Finance educators, Paul…
Sound InvestingThe #1 Reason to Use Index Funds
Watch the video here. This is the second of five presentations Paul recorded for Next Generation Personal Finance (NGPF.org), whose free curriculum reaches…
Sound InvestingThe Math and the History of Investing
WATCH THE VIDEO Want to build a multi-million-dollar retirement portfolio without gambling on single stocks? This is the first session of the four-part series…
Sound InvestingGet Out While You Can or Stay the Course
Paul opens with news of a new opportunity to reach young investors: a five-part series for Next Generation Personal Finance (NGPF.org), available to some…
Sound InvestingThe Investing Myths That Cost a Fortune
WATCH THE VIDEO It was a pleasure to be invited back on System Trader with Jack Lempart. Here is a list of the main topics we covered: CHAPTERS 0:53 • My own…
Sound InvestingPaul and Chris Follow-Up: The Rick Ferri Small-Cap Value Debate
Paul and Chris reflect on Paul’s recent discussion with Rick Ferri. Paul adds information he wished he’d included, and Chris reacts to Paul and…
Sound InvestingPaul Merriman and Rick Ferri: A Conversation Decades in the Making
Watch the video here. Paul sits down with Rick Ferri — not for a debate, but for the kind of honest conversation two people can only have after spending their…
Sound InvestingPreparing for an upcoming debate with Rick Ferri: Total Market portfolios
This Friday I'm sitting down with my friend Rick Ferri for a debate that I think matters a great deal, even though — or maybe because — Rick and I agree on…
Sound InvestingFinding the Perfect Advisor, a Battle Over Words and VT vs. AVGE
Paul returns from three days at the Garrett Planning Network retreat with a lesson that has almost nothing to do with investments — and everything to do…
Sound InvestingAVGV, Truth Tellers, AI and Finding Your Why
Paul discusses his upcoming trip to Minneapolis to address almost 100 hourly financial planners at the Garrett Planning Network annual retreat — then…
Sound InvestingStuff Happens: Perspective From Ben Carlson's Risk and Reward
The hardest part of investing isn't choosing funds — it's building a set of beliefs strong enough to keep you disciplined when the market, the news, and…
Sound InvestingIs it possible that factor investing won't work?
A longtime listener wrote in after watching a Ben Felix video making the point that factor investing may not beat the S&P 500 by the end of an investor’s…
Sound InvestingBack from the Baltic and 12 of your questions
Paul returns from a two-week Baltic cruise refreshed and ready to dig into the numbers. He opens with a 12-month performance review of the recommended…
Sound InvestingThey're Back... Talking Real Money - Investing Talk
I joined my longtime friend Tom Cock for a special edition of Talking Real Money — a wide-ranging conversation about the evolution of indexing, the proposed…
Sound InvestingBen Carlson and Paul Merriman on Full Disclosure
Paul Merriman joins host Roben Farzad on Full Disclosure for a rare conversation alongside Ben Carlson, director of institutional asset management at Ritholtz…
Sound InvestingEvidence-Based Investing, Index Funds & Staying the Course
I recently sat down with Steve Chen on his Boldin Your Money podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about evidence-based investing — and why it matters more…
Sound InvestingPaul & Chris Tackle 10 of your Investing Questions
Paul and Chris answer 10 listener questions in one hour — covering asset allocation, investor behavior, funds, indexes, and fund management. They also dig into…
Sound InvestingMike Piper- Bainbridge Financial Literacy Series 2026
In Session 3 of the 2026 Bainbridge Community Foundation Spring Financial Education Series, Paul sits down with Mike Piper — CPA, Personal Financial…
Sound InvestingAutomating Your Portfolio: M1 Finance vs. Fidelity Basket Portfolios
In the final episode of the 2026 Boot Camp series, Paul Merriman sits down with Chris Pedersen and Daryl Bahls to tackle the last fork in the road every…
Sound InvestingBill Bernstein: 50 Years of Investing Wisdom
In this interview from the 2026 Bainbridge Community Foundation Annual Financial Education Series, Paul sits down with Bill Bernstein — neurologist, financial…
Sound InvestingBoot Camp #9 - 2 Funds for Life and Target-Date Funds
Chris and Paul explain what target-date funds are and do, and how to augment them with some small-cap value to get the broad diversification benefits of the…
Sound InvestingQ&A With Chris Pedersen and Daryl Bahls: Thinking Through Your Portfolio Choices
Paul sits down with Chris Pedersen and Daryl Bahls for the first Q&A session in months — and this one is built around the questions readers and listeners ask…
Sound Investing2026 Best in Class ETF Portfolios
Paul and Chris introduce the new Avantis and DFA Best-in-Class fund family recommendations and talk about the shift away from evaluating and recommending à la…
Sound InvestingChristine Benz: Practical Retirement Planning from Morningstar's Top Expert
This special two-part session opens with Paul Merriman solo — paying tribute to Tim Ranzetta of Next Generation Personal Finance, sharing the latest numbers on…
Sound InvestingLarry Swedroe: The Evidence-Based Rules Every Investor Needs to Know | Bainbridge Financial Literacy Series 2026
Paul Merriman sits down with Larry Swedroe — author of 22 books and one of the most respected voices in evidence-based investing — for a conversation that…
Sound InvestingPlanVision: Low Cost Flat-Fee Financial Planning for Do-It-Yourself Investors
Paul Merriman sits down with Mark Zoril, founder of PlanVision, in the first episode of a new series spotlighting affordable financial planning options for…
Sound InvestingPaul Merriman on Managing $1.6 Billion But Never His Own Money
At 82 years old, I still work. Not because I have to, but because I want to. I joined Brian Herriot and Kirby Denison on “The Time Freedom Podcast” to talk…
Sound InvestingQ & A Deep Dive
Q&A Highlights How does a 4-fund portfolio compare to a 10-fund portfolio? What is the best way to invest for a child’s future? Is it too late to use a…
Sound InvestingDFA & Avantis ETFs: Building the Ultimate Lifetime Equity Strategy
Paul Merriman is dedicated to helping do-it-yourself investors build portfolios they can stick with for life. In this episode, he shares what he believes is…
Sound InvestingFlexible Retirement Withdrawals: Why Taking Less Can Give You More
In this episode, we explore how flexible (variable) withdrawal strategies can strengthen your retirement plan—and why fixed, inflation-adjusted withdrawals may…
Sound InvestingBoot Camp #6 Fixed Distributions
In Boot Camp #6, Paul Merriman walks through real historical data starting in 1970 to test what happens when retirees withdraw 3%, 4%, or 5% from a $1 million…
Sound Investing2026 Boot Camp #5 Fixed Contributions
In Boot Camp #5 of 10, Paul delivers what he believes is the most important session in the series—especially for new and early investors (teens, 20s, 30s, and…
Sound InvestingBootcamp #4 |Fine-Tuning Your Asset Allocation for Retirement & Long-Term Growth
How much should you really have in stocks vs. bonds — and what happens when the market turns south with a vengence? In Boot Camp #4, we break down the…
Sound InvestingBootcamp #3 | How to Choose the Right Portfolio (Returns, Risk & Diversification)
Welcome to Bootcamp #3 of the Sound Investing Series with Paul Merriman — where real investing data meets practical long-term strategy. 📈 In this session, Paul…
Sound InvestingBoot Camp #2: The Ultimate Buy & Hold Portfolio
In this second session of our 10-part Boot Camp series, we dive into the piece that’s helped shape decades of investing decisions: The Ultimate Buy & Hold…
Sound InvestingBootcamp #1 | The $10 Million Decision | Stocks and Bonds
What if small decisions — just a half-percent here or an extra year there — could change your financial future by millions? In this episode, we continue our…
Sound InvestingA Surprise, a Big Thank You, and What’s Coming Next
Sometimes the best moments are the unexpected ones. This week brought one of those moments when Daryl Bahls delivered an extraordinary surprise: access to…
Sound InvestingBetter Than VTSAX, Choosing Asset Allocation, Target Date Funds, Protecting Against Scams, and More
Upcoming Event + What’s New Before jumping into today’s questions—there are some good ones—I want to share a quick note. I’ll be at the Annual RetireMeet on…
Sound InvestingSound Investing Q&A: ETFs, Portfolios, Risk, and Retirement
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…
Sound InvestingWhat 2025 Taught Us About Investing (And Why “Normal” Matters)
For first-time listeners, welcome! In this opening episode of the year, Paul Merriman—founder of the Merriman Financial Education Foundation—looks back at 2025…
Sound InvestingPediheart Podcast #366: A Focus On Financial Health With Mr. Paul Merriman
The following are Dr. Pass’ note to his podcast: This week we end 2025 with a Pediheart tradition - an episode on personal finance for medical professionals…
Sound InvestingThe Importance of Keeping Investing Simple!
In this episode, Paul shares the thinking behind what he believes may be one of the most important projects of his career—a project guided by a single goal…
Sound InvestingPaul Merriman on Long-Term Investing, Compounding, and Building Wealth
Compounding Project Podcast – Episode 36 In Episode 36 of The Compounding Project Podcast, legendary investing educator Paul Merriman shares timeless insights…
Sound InvestingAAII Q&A Series (Part 3 of 3)
Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been recording a series of Q&As that came out of a presentation I gave in November for the American Association of…
Sound InvestingAAII Q&A, Part 2 — 12 More Questions Answered
Paul continues his three-part series responding to questions from his November 8 AAII presentation. In this episode, he digs into risk-parity portfolios, the…
Sound InvestingThanksgiving, AAII Q&As. Retirement Portfolios, Value Tilts, International Diversification, and Investing a Lump Sum
Recorded from our new home on Bainbridge Island and released on Thanksgiving, this episode is equal parts gratitude and practical investing help. I open with…
Sound InvestingSupercharge Your Retirement with Paul Merriman
Paul Merriman brings 60+ years of investing experience to the Retire Today podcast, breaking down what really determines retirement success. Most investors…
Sound InvestingAAII Presentation Follow-Up: ETF Tax Efficiency, Rebalancing, and Smarter Diversification
First, a big thank-you to everyone who joined me for the AAII presentation last Saturday. I appreciate your patience during my rocky Zoom start—and a special…
Sound InvestingStaying the Course — Insights on Reasonable & Unreasonable Portfolios, Quilt Charts & 2025 Returns
In this episode, Paul dives into one of the most important themes in long-term investing: staying the course, even when individual asset classes deliver…
Sound InvestingThe Merriman Financial Education Foundation: Plans, Priorities & Lessons for 2026
Paul Merriman welcomes back Chris Patterson, Director of Research, and Daryl Balls, Director of Analytics, for another thoughtful roundtable discussion. These…
Sound InvestingThe Biggest Mistake Beginner Investors Make - and How to Avoid them
In this practical and inspiring ETFatlas podcast episode, host Jack Lempart welcomes Paul Merriman for a return conversation focused on the biggest mistakes…
Sound InvestingChris & Paul October 2025 Q&A: Best-in-Class ETFs, Equal-Weight vs. Cap-Weight, and How Much Small-Cap Value?
Watch YouTube video here. Paul Merriman and Chris Pedersen tackle your biggest questions—from simplifying portfolios and picking best-in-class ETFs to…
Sound InvestingCan You Trust the Market? Equal-Weighted S&P 500 vs. Four-Fund Strategy
In this week’s episode, Paul Merriman shares lessons from a lifetime of investing—prompted by conversations with students, longtime collaborator Rich Buck, and…
Sound InvestingThe Final Chapter: S&P 500 vs. 60/40 vs. Four-Fund Strategy
In this final episode of our four-part series, Paul Merriman compares three powerful approaches for a lifetime of investing: 100% S&P 500: high-risk…
Sound InvestingRetirement Distributions: All S&P 500 vs. 60/40 Portfolio
Paul Merriman continues our series on radical lifetime investment strategies—comparing an all-equity S&P 500 portfolio to a balanced 60% equity/40% bonds…