PODCAST

Sound Investing

Paul Merriman

Weekly podcasts with Paul Merriman. Strategic planning for investing at every stage of life.

business investing

All Episodes

00:39:02

What 2025 Taught Us About Investing (And Why “Normal”...

Sound Investing ·

2026/01/07

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 to uncover what the markets taught us and how those lessons can help do-it-yourself investors make better decisions going forward.Despite endless predictions about what markets should do, Paul reminds us that his role isn’t to forecast the future—but to help investors understand risk, return, and how to build portfolios they can truly stick

00:43:09

Pediheart Podcast #366: A Focus On Financial Health...

Sound Investing ·

2025/12/31

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 with noted authority on index investing and personal finance, Mr. Paul Merriman. Paul is a retired investment advisor who now has a popular podcast "Sound Investing" and website in which he offers advice on investing for 'do it yourself' investors. In this week's episode, the 5th of his visits to Pediheart, Mr. Merriman

00:19:36

The Importance of Keeping Investing Simple!

Sound Investing ·

2025/12/24

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:That every investor who follows our work will know how to invest for the rest of their life.To explain why that goal matters, Paul walks through the forks in the road every investor eventually faces—from betting on individual companies to owning entire markets, from chasing excitement to embracing simplicity.Drawing on real experiences, including

01:20:17

Paul Merriman on Long-Term Investing, Compounding,...

Sound Investing ·

2025/12/17

Compounding Project Podcast – Episode 36In Episode 36 of The Compounding Project Podcast, legendary investing educator Paul Merriman shares timeless insights on long-term investing, the power of compounding, and how everyday investors can build lasting wealth.Paul explains why starting early is one of the most important financial decisions you can make, how compound growth works quietly over decades, and why low-cost index funds remain the foundation of successful investing strategies.This episode

01:17:55

AAII Q&A Series (Part 3 of 3)

Sound Investing ·

2025/12/10

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 Individual Investors — AAII.At the end of that nearly two-hour talk, I promised that I’d do a podcast answering every single question that came in. Well… there were 36 questions. That’s a little too much for one episode, so we broke them into three parts.This is Part 3 — the final 12 questions. If you haven’t heard Parts 1 and 2 yet, we’ll link

00:55:46

AAII Q&A, Part 2 — 12 More Questions Answered

Sound Investing ·

2025/12/03

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 role of gold, how the 10-Fund Strategy compares to the S&P 500, growth vs. value, rebalancing discipline, and how to choose the right bond allocation in retirement. If you were at the AAII event, you’ll find the exact 12 questions listed below so you can jump straight to your topic.12 AAII Questions CoveredThoughts on risk-parity

01:06:15

Thanksgiving, AAII Q&As. Retirement Portfolios, Value...

Sound Investing ·

2025/11/26

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 my annual tradition of writing a fresh Thanksgiving list—people, communities, and institutions that have shaped my life and this work. I’m especially thankful for you, the DIY investors who keep showing up to learn, ask thoughtful questions, and hopefully staying the course.I also share appreciation for the resources that support disciplined

00:44:01

Supercharge Your Retirement with Paul Merriman

Sound Investing ·

2025/11/19

Paul Merriman brings 60+ years of investing experience to the Retire Today podcast, breaking down what really determines retirement success. Most investors think it’s about picking the right fund or timing the market—but Paul says the biggest threats aren’t headlines. They’re costs and emotions.In the 1960s, investors routinely paid 8.5% to buy a mutual fund. Today fees are far lower, but the impact is still huge. Paul notes that even a 1% difference in expenses “can cost you about $3.5 million over

00:51:30

AAII Presentation Follow-Up: ETF Tax Efficiency,...

Sound Investing ·

2025/11/12

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 shout-out to Suzette Moskwa, who saved the day by running the slides!As promised, I’m following up on your chat comments and questions from the session. This week’s focus is on your insights; in the next couple of weeks, I’ll share a full Q&A edition covering listener questions on portfolio construction, diversification, and long-term

00:19:07

Staying the Course — Insights on Reasonable &...

Sound Investing ·

2025/11/05

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 unexpected short-term results. Whether you’re a seasoned DIY investor or still building confidence, Paul shares timely lessons to help you make better decisions—and support others who rely on your guidance.Paul also previews his upcoming presentation for the AAII Puget Sound Chapter, where he’ll take one of the deepest dives yet into Daryl Balls’

00:53:26

The Merriman Financial Education Foundation: Plans,...

Sound Investing ·

2025/10/29

Watch video here.Paul, Daryl, and Chris are back together to discuss plans, priorities, investing lessons, and listener questions. In this lively roundtable, the trio opens up about what’s next for The Merriman Financial Education Foundation—from simplifying tools like Best-in-Class ETFs and Two Funds for Life, to making the website and Boot Camp Series easier to navigate for new learners.They also share candid insights about long-term investing, the patience it takes to stick with small-cap value,

01:46:55

The Biggest Mistake Beginner Investors Make - and How...

Sound Investing ·

2025/10/22

In this practical and inspiring ETFatlas podcast episode, host Jack Lempart welcomes Paul Merriman for a return conversation focused on the biggest mistakes beginner investors make—and how to avoid them.The discussion reveals why most investing errors are emotional, not technical. Paul emphasizes that successful investing is usually simple, though almost never easy.Paul Merriman draws on decades of experience as an educator, advisor, and founder of the Merriman Financial Education Foundation to

00:56:53

Chris & Paul October 2025 Q&A: Best-in-Class ETFs,...

Sound Investing ·

2025/10/15

Watch YouTube video here.Paul Merriman and Chris Pedersen tackle your biggest questions—from simplifying portfolios and picking best-in-class ETFs to understanding equal-weighted funds, tax efficiency, and how much small-cap value to own. They dig into factor investing (size, value, quality, profitability, momentum), why reversion to the mean matters, and how to think like an owner—not a speculator. Plus: mentors, work-life balance, and the real risk investors face.Chapters00:00 – Intro &

00:53:49

Can You Trust the Market? Equal-Weighted S&P 500 vs....

Sound Investing ·

2025/10/08

In this week’s episode, Paul Merriman shares lessons from a lifetime of investing—prompted by conversations with students, longtime collaborator Rich Buck, and questions from new investors about trust and risk.Paul dives deep into the data behind his favorite long-term strategies, including the equal-weighted S&P 500 and the classic Four-Fund Portfolio, comparing 25-year results across multiple time periods.He explains why no one can predict short-term returns, but how history can still guide

00:30:39

The Final Chapter: S&P 500 vs. 60/40 vs. Four-Fund...

Sound Investing ·

2025/10/01

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, high-reward growth.60/40 mix of S&P 500 and bonds: a defensive balance.100% U.S. Four-Fund strategy: large-cap blend, small-cap blend, large-cap value, small-cap value.Paul uses 55 years of data (1970–2024) to show how these portfolios performed during both accumulation and retirement distributions. Paul highlights the following critical tables

00:37:12

Retirement Distributions: All S&P 500 vs. 60/40...

Sound Investing ·

2025/09/24

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 portfolio.After two episodes focused on the accumulation phase, this third installment shifts to retirement distributions:How much income could each portfolio provide?How did they hold up during major market crashes?What role did bonds play in protecting withdrawals during tough years?Using 55 years of historical data (1970–2024) and key tables

00:15:16

Paul Merriman on Money Life with Chuck Jaffe at FinCon

Sound Investing ·

2025/09/18

At FinCon, Chuck Gaffe- moneylifeshow.com sat down with Paul for a wide-ranging conversation about investing and financial independence.Paul shared insights on the rise of index funds, the FIRE movement’s “one-fund-for-life” approach, and how small portfolio adjustments can boost long-term returns. He also discussed timeless investing principles like staying the course, understanding risk, keeping costs low, and diversifying wisely.At FinCon, Paul reflected on everything from the rise of index funds

00:33:29

Two Radical Investments – U.S. 4-Fund Portfolio vs....

Sound Investing ·

2025/09/17

In Part 2 of this 4-part series, Paul Merriman compares the accumulation results of the U.S. 4-Fund Portfolio against the S&P 500, using both all-equity and 60/40 strategies.Paul analyzes five decades of data, showing how diversification affects returns, volatility, and long-term wealth creation. Paul also highlights the tables you’ll want to download and follow along with as he explains the numbers:Table B1: Fine-Tuning Table – S&P 500Table B4: Fine-Tuning Table – U.S. 4-Fund PortfolioTable

00:27:01

Saving for Retirement: 100% S&P 500 vs. 60/40 — A...

Sound Investing ·

2025/09/10

This is the first of a series of 4 podcasts focused on the decision to have all of your investments be all equities vs. a balanced portfolio of equities and fixed income. In this presentation Paul uses the S&P 500 in both the all equity and the 60/40 stock/bond portfolio. He uses the following tables during his presentation.Table B1 Fine Tuning Table: S&P 500 Equity PortfolioTable H2a Sound Investing Portfolios (these portfolios are all 100% equities)Table H2 Sound Investing Portfolios

01:01:10

The Last Step To Successful Investing

Sound Investing ·

2025/09/03

Paul starts this letter beginning with a letter from a listener. The letter ends with the reason why our work has had more impact than John Bogle and Benjamin Felix (Both Truth Tellers). The rest of the podcast is focused on a recent article- ⁠The Evolution of Financial Advice, by Ben Carlson. The focus is on the math, history and psychology of investing.Paul concludes that most steps to successful investoring are well documented. But two areas are still open for fine tuning: Portfolio

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