Sound Investing

Just because an investment doesn’t work out as well as expected does not mean the investment decision was a mistake.  In this podcast Paul discusses the recent failure of evidence-based investing.  He questions the assumptions investors make about investments that have been successful over both short and long-term periods.  His comments are in response to …

The annual Ultimate Buy-and-Hold Strategy article and podcast are among the most important pieces Paul and Rich produce (with a lot of help from Daryl Bahls in creating the updated tables). This podcast addresses topics not covered in the Marketwatch article.  Paul answers such questions as: Are returns reasonable? What is the impact of annual and monthly rebalancing? …

This discussion dives into the merits of dividend-paying stocks versus bonds for income-seeking investors. It weighs the effectiveness of a balanced fund against target date funds, analyzing risks and potential returns. The conversation also highlights the importance of dollar cost averaging in volatile markets and encourages younger investors to stay committed. Additionally, it unpacks the differences between ETFs and mutual funds, stressing the significance of diversification and strategic portfolio construction.

In this special podcast Paul interviews Chris Pedersen about the 2019 changes to the Best-In-Class ETF Portfolio recommendations. This will be helpful to those who want to understand the details of how Chris made the decisions to select the best in each asset class, changing many from the previous year. The discussion includes comparing the …

What information is really meaningful to be a successful investor, especially in light of conflicting, enticing and scary reports? In this podcast, Paul asks and explores the questions: Will a list of 10 likely catastrophic events be enough to keep you out of the market?  Will a newsletter, produced by an ethical organization, likely give …

In this special podcast, Paul discusses his list of “A Dozen Million-Dollar Decisions.” This advice for college students was recorded this week for students at Western Washington University, Paul’s alma mater and where The Merriman Financial Education Foundation funds the development and presentation of Personal Investing 216, an accredited course since 2014. …

Or… Are you missing out on millions of dollars for your retirement? After deciding to save and invest, the most important investment decision of your life, in Paul’s opinion, is what this podcast addresses. Of the Millennials investing in 401k plans, nearly 25% are refusing to take the risk of investing in stocks (equities) and are …

Paul addresses an array of topics and questions, including this year’s plans for the Merriman Financial Education Foundation, Millennial spending habits, best and worst of times in 10-year periods for the S&P 500 and small-cap value, market timing, and recommendations regarding risk assessment, 401k’s, index funds and owning small-cap-value funds in retirement. 1.  What are the 2019 …

Paul answers recent questions from readers and listeners: 9:29 1.  A young investor asks me to explain, how does compound interest work?  I referenced this article: Save $1,000 a year. Retire with millions 19:41 2.  Do you expect index funds to keep outperforming actively managed funds? 25:35 3. Most of your articles are focused on accumulators. …

With the passing of 89-year-old John Bogle, many writers who have covered Bogle’s work wrote thoughtfully about his life and the impact as the creator of the first index mutual fund.  For 10 years, Tom Cock, Don McDonald and I interviewed him annually on our “Sound Investing” radio show on KVI in Seattle Washington. It …