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Weekly podcasts with Paul Merriman. Strategic planning for investing at every stage of life.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Sound Investing connects low-cost portfolio design with the patience and discipline required to follow it through changing markets.
Paul Merriman treats investing as a chain of decisions whose costs compound over decades. Sound Investing moves between direct teaching, detailed Q&A, interviews, and conversations with research and analytics colleagues, keeping its attention on the choices a do-it-yourself…
A target date fund gets its own rung on the ladder; you choose how far to climb.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A steady case for buy and hold when market timing starts to look clever.
Investing's oldest temptation is cast as a practical choice between market timing and buy and hold, with Warren Buffett as the hook before the talk widens to everyday investors.
The bigger risk may be trusting the wrong investing advice.
It frames the core investing mistake as a matter of trust, not just the usual habits people blame, and that angle gives the piece its edge. The discussion moves through index-fund discipline, the limits of leaning on past results, and the 60/40 versus S&P 500 comparison, which…
A patient lesson in why learning, and investing, both punish impatience.
The episode starts with a personal turn toward AI and ChatGPT, then settles into Seth Godin's reminder that education is free while learning is expensive.
A reflective investing lesson about time, family, and realistic money expectations.
This episode uses a son's 60th birthday as its emotional anchor, then moves naturally into time, happiness, and the long view of investing. Its main point holds steady: money has real limits, and expectations need to stay grounded over decades.
A careful look at advice fees, simple portfolios, and the hard part of following through.
This Q&A focuses on a practical question: how to choose an investing path that holds up in real life. It spends real time on advisor fees, including the math behind a 1% charge on a $2.5 million portfolio, and on the gap between smart ideas and what people actually do.
A blunt reminder that familiarity is not the same as safety.
This episode keeps its point simple: familiar companies can lull investors into bad habits, and that comfort can cost money. Don McDonald and Tom Koch keep the discussion practical rather than flashy, which suits the subject.
A patient tour of how small monthly savings can compound into serious retirement and inheritance outcomes.
The episode treats compounding as something people can picture, not just admire from a distance. It moves through new tables, retirement scenarios, a Bogleheads meeting, and plain math, and the strongest stretch is the slow narrowing between modest monthly saving and very large…
Retirement math, diversification, and hidden bond exposure are treated as practical allocation questions.
The episode treats retirement math as a question of what diversification still delivers once compounding ends and withdrawals start. The host leans on long historical stretches, including the 1970s and 2000s, to make the case that an S&P 500-only portfolio can struggle in flat…
BBC's daily business show, from toy-industry founders to Anthropic's Pentagon standoff.
Paul Merriman discusses investment strategies, highlighting portfolio diversification and the impact of small-cap value.
Paul Merriman discusses financial literacy education at Western University, using examples like how $1,000 can grow to millions in a Roth IRA and how $100 monthly savings could reach $37 million.
Paul Merriman explores the debate between market timing and buy-and-hold investing, using Warren Buffett's historical moves and AI-generated insights to argue that buy-and-hold is superior for most investors due to emotional and practical challenges.
Paul Merriman discusses investment strategies for wealth building, emphasizing the power of compound interest, early investing, and portfolio diversification.
Paul Merriman analyzes the performance of 60/40 portfolios during bear markets, comparing them to all-equity strategies and discussing diversification benefits.
Paul Merriman reflects on his son's 60th birthday to discuss changes in investing since 1965, including income growth, mutual fund evolution, and S&P 500 returns.
Paul Merriman discusses small cap value investing, comparing DFA and Vanguard funds with historical returns, addresses retirement asset allocation strategies, critiques AI in financial advice, and explores bond and portfolio diversification topics.
Don McDonald and Tom Koch debunk 10 common investment myths, including relying on 'a guy,' trying to predict markets, starting savings too late, and misunderstanding risk.
Hosts Jackie and Bill interview Paul Merriman about financial literacy during Financial Literacy Month, covering his nonprofit work at Western Washington University, stories of investment scams, and the impact of education on million-dollar decisions.
Paul Merriman discusses the biggest mistake investors make, focusing on the debate over equity vs bond allocation in retirement.
Learning is hard.
Paul Merriman discusses the importance of patience in long-term investing, focusing on the small cap value premium and historical performance comparisons.
Paul Merriman discusses the SPIVA report, which analyzes active vs.
Paul Merriman discusses the upcoming Boglehead Conference, analyzes the performance of small-cap value versus the S&P 500, critiques cryptocurrency risks with a humorous poem, and warns against 100% equity portfolios pushed by advisors.
Paul Merriman answers listener questions submitted via AI on his website, covering topics like portfolio strategies, bond allocations, and fund comparisons.
Paul Merriman discusses his upcoming educational talks at Western Washington University and highlights a free financial literacy course by Alan and Katie Donnegan.
Paul Merriman hosts Chris Pedersen and Darrell Balls for a Q&A session on investing strategies, covering topics like mid-cap fund inclusion, portfolio rebalancing, small cap value performance, and teaching financial literacy to young people.
Paul Merriman presents a financial education series on investing and retirement planning for all income levels.
Paul Merriman discusses the importance of finding a low-cost financial advisor and the impact of fees on long-term investment returns.
Paul Merriman discusses his philosophy of aiming for 'more than enough' in investing, contrasting with John Bogle's concept of 'enough'.
Paul Merriman discusses the importance of understanding the math of investing for long-term success, targeting do-it-yourself investors.
Paul Merriman discusses bond allocation, international investing, and small-cap value funds for long-term investors.
Paul Merriman discusses retirement portfolio performance and sequence of return risk with a caller.
Introduction to a community foundation event featuring investing expert Paul Merriman discussing index fund investing and asset allocation.
Paul Merriman is introduced by Jim Hopper at a community foundation event, highlighting his mission to provide financial education to all.
This episode features an introduction to a community foundation event and a finance expert discussing index investing and asset allocation.
An introduction to Paul Merriman and his mission to provide financial education, focusing on index investing and asset allocation.