In this special episode, Paul Merriman reflects on six decades of financial evolution, sparked by his son's 60th birthday. He draws fascinating comparisons between life and investing in 1965 and today, offering invaluable insights for every investor. What You'll Learn: A Look Back at 1965: Paul revisits societal norms, income levels, and the investing landscape of 60 years ago, including startling facts about mutual fund loads and stock commissions. The Evolution of Investing: Understand the monumental shift from individual stock picking to the dominance of mutual funds and the revolutionary impact of index funds since their inception. Market Returns & Bear Markets: Gain perspective on historical S&P 500 returns, including adjustments for inflation, and a review of major bear markets over the past decades. The Power of Low Costs: Discover how investment costs, from loads to commissions, have drastically reduced, making it easier and more affordable for today's investors. Modern Investment Tools: Paul highlights the advent of crucial financial tools like IRAs, 401(k)s, and target-date funds that weren't available in 1965, empowering today's investors. Academic-Driven Investing: Explore the rise of academic influence in investing, with a focus on firms like Vanguard, DFA, and Avantis, and why their approach offers a trustworthy path to your financial future. The Role of AI in Your Financial Journey: Paul shares his perspective on how Artificial Intelligence can empower investors to make informed decisions and find reliable financial guidance. Top Financial Education Resources: Learn about the highly recommended (and free!) ⁠"Rebel Finance School"⁠ by Alan and Katie Donoghan for new investors, and explore how to access financial literacy programs like iGrad. The Importance of Financial Literacy: Paul emphasizes that financial literacy is often overlooked in traditional education and is essential for building a robust portfolio that will support you for a lifetime. DIY Investing Philosophy: Paul reaffirms his core mission as a teacher, empowering listeners to "do it yourself" and build their financial future with confidence. Truth Tellers: Paul asked our listeners for recommendations for ⁠Truth Tellers ⁠ as well as providing the list of our Truth Tellers in the show notes. Our Truth Tellers ⁠William J. Bernstein⁠ ⁠Ben Carlson, CFA ⁠ ⁠Jonathan Clements, Financial Writer/Author⁠ ⁠Larry Swedroe, Author, Speaker, Chief Research Officer ⁠ ⁠Dr. James Dahle, MD and the founder of The White Coat Investor ⁠ ⁠Morningstar – Christine Benz and John Rekenthaler, Financial Writers ⁠ ⁠Stan The Annuity Man, Annuity Expert⁠ ⁠George Sisti, Certified Financial Planner® ⁠ ⁠Rob Berger, podcaster, writer and author ⁠ ⁠Tim Ranzetta, ngpf.org⁠ ⁠Two Cents⁠ ⁠Tom Cock and Don McDonald Vestory⁠ ⁠Ben Felix ⁠ Don't miss this insightful episode filled with historical context, practical advice, and forward-looking strategies for your wealth-building journey.

Today I’ve got a lot to share: my recent trip to Western, new educational tables from Daryl Bahls, a must-read article by Ben Carlson, a fantastic free resource called Rebel Finance, and some takeaways from the latest Bogleheads meeting. 00:48 Trip to Western: Teaching, Presenting, and Giving Back It’s been a wonderful week. I spent two full days at Western, presenting to seniors about to graduate, to faculty and staff, and to a personal finance class. I also had a fantastic hour with the Financial Management Association Club. These students were fired up about their financial futures, and it was energizing to see their interest. A big part of my visit was to help everyone—students, faculty, and staff—see how they can get involved in building financial literacy on campus. And to make things a little more exciting, I offered a $1,000 drawing for students. Whoever won could take the money with no strings attached, but I also offered to personally help them set up a Roth IRA and invest it wisely. 03:49 Daryl Bahls’ New Tables: The Power of Compound Growth A huge thank you to Daryl Bahls, who put together some new tables for my presentations. These tables are more than just numbers—they’re a window into the power of long-term investing. $1000 in Roth IRA on 22nd birthday We looked at what happens if you invest $1,000 into a Roth IRA at age 22 and never add another dime. With assumed returns of 8%, 10%, and 12%, the results are astonishing. That $1,000 can grow to $30,000, $69,000, or even $156,000 over 45 years. But the story doesn’t stop there—after you start taking 5% withdrawals in retirement, and even after you pass it on to your heirs, the money keeps working, potentially multiplying your original investment by hundreds or even thousands of times. $100/mo for 45 years in Roth IRA starting on 22nd birthday Then we explored what happens if you save $100 a month for 45 years. The numbers explode: at 8%, you end up with nearly half a million dollars; at 10%, over $900,000; at 12%, $1.7 million. And after decades of withdrawals and inheritance, the cumulative benefit can reach into the tens of millions. One of the key lessons here is that time and consistency are your best friends. Even small amounts, given enough years and the magic of compounding, can become life-changing sums. 16:29 Lessons on Sequence of Returns A quick but crucial side note: When you invest a lump sum and let it grow, the sequence of good and bad years doesn’t matter—over the long haul, but the sequence of returns is very important. But when you’re adding money regularly (dollar-cost averaging), the sequence does matter. Buying more shares during downturns can actually boost your long-term results, especially in volatile asset classes like small-cap value stocks. 29:14 The Importance of Financial Education I know a lot of people, especially young folks, feel like they can’t get started with investing—maybe they think they don’t have enough money, or it’s too complicated, or they’re afraid of losing it all. These are real concerns, but they can be overcome. Sometimes you just need the right teacher, or even a preacher, to help you take that first step and keep moving forward. One of my biggest takeaways from this week is how many young people leave school without basic money skills. That’s why I’m so passionate about the Merriman Financial Literacy Program at Western and resources like iGrad, which are now available to all graduates at no cost. 32:00 Rebel Finance: Free, Practical Education Speaking of great teachers, I want to give a big shoutout to Alan and Katie of Rebel Finance. Thanks to an email from ChooseFI, I discovered their f ree 10-week course . I’ve watched their introduction and first session, and I’m impressed by how they keep things simple, interactive, and fun—even with thousands of participants tuning in live. They cover everything from budgeting to investing to negotiating a raise, and they archive all their content on YouTube . If you or someone you know needs a practical, supportive entry point to personal finance, I highly recommend checking them out. Links are in the notes. 38:48 Ben Carlson’s Article: “On the Inevitability of Bear Markets” I also want to spotlight an article by Ben Carlson, “On the Inevitability of Bear Markets.” Carlson lays out the odds: 32% chance of a bear market in any given year, 77% over five years, 95% over ten years. But here’s the encouraging part: The longer you stay invested, the higher your odds of seeing positive returns—100% for 20-year periods in the S&P 500. Bear markets are a fact of life, but so is long-term growth if you stay the course. 44:00 Bogleheads Meeting: Community and Sharing This week, I also attended a local Bogleheads chapter dinner—a gathering of people who believe in index investing and lifelong learning. We swapped ideas about financial planning tools, shared stories about helping our parents and kids, and just enjoyed a sense of community. I met a bright high school junior who’s already reading “We’re Talking Millions” and learning about investing. The future is in good hands! And don’t forget: I’ll be speaking at the Bogleheads Conference in San Antonio this October. Alan and Katie from Rebel Finance will be there too as guests, not speakers! Check the show notes for more info. 47:09 AI in Financial Education A quick note on the future: Artificial intelligence is changing how we learn and teach about investing. I’m using AI more and more to organize my thoughts and create better educational content. If you’re experimenting with AI in your own financial journey, I’d love to hear about your experiences. We might even do a white paper or a special episode on AI and investing soon. 48:00 Final Thoughts and Gratitude Let me close with this: Start early, even if it’s just a small amount. Stay consistent, and let time and compounding do the heavy lifting. Use the resources and communities around you—whether it’s Rebel Finance, Bogleheads, or your own circle. Don’t let fear or complexity hold you back. The math is powerful, but the mindset is even more important. And if you find value in what we’re doing, please help us spread the word—like, subscribe, share, or leave a review. Every bit helps us reach more people and make a bigger impact. Thank you for your support, your questions, and your commitment to learning. Good fortune, and happy investing! Watch Paul's video What Every Young Investor Should Know

In this episode, Paul Merriman details his upcoming presentations at Western Washington University, where he will be connecting with students, professors, and staff about the critical importance of personal finance education. Paul also gives practical investing advice, including a hands-on guide to using Morningstar’s chart and comparison tools to analyze mutual funds and ETFs. Special Feature: Free Online Financial Literacy Course Paul spotlights a fantastic, free multi-week financial literacy course led by Alan and Katie Donoghan—nationally recognized educators from the UK. This course is perfect for first-time investors of any age, as well as anyone looking to build a solid foundation in personal finance. Course Dates: The next session starts 2 June 2025 at 8pm UK time . Sessions run weekly throughout the summer. What’s included: Engaging lessons on investing basics, budgeting, mortgages, and money management—delivered in a fun, approachable style. Format: Live online sessions (with replays on YouTube), each followed by an expert Q&A. Who’s it for: Anyone—from college students to adults in their 40s or 50s—looking to take control of their financial future. Previous students give rave reviews: Over 15,000 people have enrolled, with glowing testimonials from participants who now feel confident and empowered about their finances. How to join: Register here for free and find the intro video and full schedule. All sessions are accessible worldwide. Morningstar Tools & Tables Referenced: Paul walks listeners through using Morningstar’s chart and comparison features, specifically referencing the following funds and time periods: VFINX (Vanguard 500 Index Fund): Time period: From August 31, 1976 to May 23, 2025 Used to illustrate long-term S&P 500 performance TESIX (Franklin Mutual Shares Fund): Time period: From August 31, 1976 to May 23, 2025 Compared side-by-side with VFINX to show how a value fund performed versus the S&P 500 over nearly 50 years DFLVX (DFA US Large Cap Value Fund): Time period: From 1993 to 2025 Compared with TESIX and VVIAX for large cap value performance VVIAX (Vanguard Value Index Fund): Time period: From 1993 to 2025 Used for comparison with DFLVX and TESIX DFSVX (DFA US Small Cap Value Fund): Time period: From 2000 to 2025 Compared with TESIX for small cap vs large cap value performance AVUV (Avantis US Small Cap Value ETF): Time period: From 2021 to present Compared with DFLVX and VVIAX for recent small cap value performance How Paul Uses Morningstar: On Morningstar, Paul suggests: Navigating to the “Chart” tab for each fund Selecting “Max” to see the longest available performance history Entering ticker symbols (like VFINX, TESIX, DFLVX, VVIAX, DFSVX, AVUV) in the “Compare” box to view multiple funds together- make sure any funds being compared to the primary fund have a track record from a date at least as long as the primary fund Using Morningstar’s Chart and Compare tools: Compare VFINX vs TESIX (1976–2025) Compare DFLVX , VVIAX , and TESIX (1993–2025) Compare DFSVX vs TESIX (2000–2025) Compare AVUV vs DFLVX and VVIAX (2021–present) PDF showing the above comparisons

Prior to discussing his topic of the day, Paul shares his thoughts on a ⁠recent podcast ⁠ featuring Truth Tellers Tom Cock and Don McDonald, joined by Weston Wellington from Dimensional Fund Advisors. Weston weighs in on some of the most critical issues facing investors right now. Here are the topics on the podcast with Tom Cock and Don McDonald- 0:53 Weston Wellington on volatility and market uncertainty 2:47 Why volatility is the “price we pay to play” 3:32 The media’s role in investor anxiety 4:57 Should investors act on daily financial advice? 6:15 Portfolio changes should reflect personal changes, not headlines 7:24 Spam vs. Motorola: A lesson in stock picking 9:44 Dimensional’s stance on individual stock ownership 10:02 Diversification as “the closest thing to a free lunch” 11:07 Are alternative investments the new magic bullet? 12:43 Mutual funds vs. ETFs—what works best and when 15:27 Industry evolution: from 8% loads to indexing dominance 18:29 Where Dimensional fits in the modern fund landscape 21:01 AI vs. “aggregated intelligence” in managing portfolios 24:04 How regular people can find real financial advice 25:34 The key to success: Temperament, not timing 26:44 Weston’s side gig as a roving birthday singer 27:58 Why Weston hasn’t been invited lately (and he's lonely) Next, Paul highlights a recent article by another Truth Teller, Ben Carlson. In ⁠“60/40 Portfolio Corrections, Bear Markets and Recoveries,” ⁠ Ben breaks down the differences in returns during bear markets and the bounce-back that follows. Inspired by this, Paul explores a question that doesn’t get much attention: What’s the impact on a portfolio when you apply a 4% fixed withdrawal rate to the nine Sound Investing equity portfolios, each with a 60/40 equity-to-fixed income split? The results may surprise you! Paul notes there’s more to come on this topic, as these findings could have a real impact on how investors choose their retirement portfolios. As promised, here are the links to the Sound Investing Portfolios: ⁠50% U.S. / 50% International⁠ ⁠70% U.S. / 30% International⁠

Being a do-it-yourself investor can be both rewarding and challenging. In this episode, we explore the essential mindset and strategies needed to succeed in the long term.

"Buy and hold investors don’t just win on average returns— they win by avoiding the behavioral landmines that sabotage long-term success.” Paul Merriman In this podcast Paul addresses one of the most important investment decisions a do it yourself investor will make. Paul opens the discussion with comments from a ⁠Forbes article⁠ from 2008 that discusses Warren Buffett’s market timing decision he made to get totally out of the market in 1969 and back aboard in 1974. The podcast (with the help of Chatgpt, includes a list of 10 common reasons market timing doesn’t work for amateur investors. 1. Missing the best days 2. Emotional decision-making 3. Perfect timing is impossible 4. Higher costs and taxes 5. Volatility is high during recovery 6. Recency Bias 7. Focus on noise, not timing signals 8. Overconfidence 9. Loss of Compound Growth 10. Data shows long-term investing wins Paul challenges AI that there are many emotional disadvantages with timing. The most important performance and non performance hurdles: 1. Decision-making: Timing requires lots of work and buy and hold almost none. 2. Mistakes: Market timing suffers lots of mistakes and buy & hold rarely wrong in the long term. 3. Emotional Toll: Timing has lots of emotional challenges and buy & hold is more peaceful. 4. Behavioral Risks: Timing has lots of behavioral risks and buy & hold is simple. 5. Time Commitment: Timing takes time and action and buy & hold is rarely touched. 6. Expenses: Costs and taxes are both lower with buy & hold. 7. Timers must be more resilient with many decisions being wrong. 8. Financial Results: A few timers may perform well but all buy & holders are likely to have “won”.

⁠Watch Video here⁠  April is Financial Literacy Month, and to help us celebrate we brought in a returning guest, Paul Merriman. Paul has been on the show before to discuss investment portfolios, but today he talks with us about some extraordinary strides he's making as a financial literacy advocate through his nonprofit, The Merriman Financial Education Foundation. We also share some of our favorite financial literacy resources. RESOURCES MENTIONED ON THE SHOW 🌐 Visit Catching Up to FI website https://catchinguptofi.comPaul's Website https://www.paulmerriman.comMerriman Financial Literacy Program at Western Washington University https://financialliteracy.wwu.eduIGrad https://www.igrad.com/Next Gen Personal Finance https://www.ngpf.orgWhite Coat Investor https://www.whitecoatinvestor.comThe John C. Bogle Center for Financial Literacyhttps://boglecenter.net TIMESTAMPS / CHAPTERS 00:00 📣 Introduction and Financial Literacy Impact 01:09 👋 Welcome and Guest Introduction 01:35 🤝 Paul Merriman's Nonprofit and Financial Literacy Story 02:33 💡 The Importance of Financial Literacy 06:59 🏫 Nonprofit Initiatives and University Programs 16:15 🏋️‍♀️ Bootcamp and Investment Decisions 18:07 🌐 Other Financial Literacy Organizations 22:09 🏛 State-Level Financial Literacy Education 25:55 ✨ Final Thoughts and Encouragement 31:27 🙏 Conclusion and Farewell

Watch video here⁠ This updated discussion of the Ultimate Buy and Hold Portfolio highlights the advantages of equity asset allocation and worldwide diversification. The presentation was presented to members of the Washington State Society of CPAs. At the end of the presentation Paul adds his list of 15 million dollar decisions that all investors will make in their lifetime. Here is feedback from one of the CPAs that attended this presentation. "I watched the video and found it very valuable. I am sending it to my adult children.” I hope you do that as well.

Watch the video here⁠ Join me on Catching Up to Fi l with Rick Ferri to discuss key investing topics like asset allocation and the pros and cons of small-cap value vs. total market funds. TIMESTAMPS / CHAPTERS 00:00 ⛓️ Understanding Bonds and Young Investors 02:31 🌟 Introduction to Financial Literacy Titans 03:12 🎓 Paul Merriman's Financial Education Foundation 04:18 🧠 Rick Ferri and the Bogle Center for Financial Literacy 12:09 ⚖️ The Importance of Asset Allocation 23:11 🌍 Debating International vs. US Stocks 35:12 🗓️ Target Date Retirement Funds: Pros and Cons 45:55 📈 Exploring Small Cap Value Investing 49:34 🧩 Understanding Non-Traditional Index Funds 50:28 🔍 Small Cap Value Performance Analysis 52:56 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Generational Wealth and Portfolio Management 53:54 🧬 Diverse Value Factors in Investing 55:55 🚧 Challenges of Small Cap Value Investing 57:33 🧭 The Philosophy of Long-Term Investment Strategies 01:01:11 🧪 Debating the Evidence-Based Investing Approach 01:12:46 🛡️ The Importance of Staying the Course 01:22:05 🎤 Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Watch video here In the left corner, we have Paul Merriman, the seasoned finance veteran weighing in at 183 pounds. In the right corner, Dr. Karsten Jeske, the scrappy newcomer at 208 pounds. The bell rings, and the small cap value debate begins. This episode features a financial boxing match between two investment heavyweights with dramatically different perspectives. Paul Merriman champions diversification through the efficient frontier, which means adding small cap value to your portfolio. Dr. Karsten Jeska has “thrown cold water” on this approach, favoring simpler strategies like “VTSAX and chill.” The stakes are high — we’re talking potentially millions of dollars in your retirement account over decades. Merriman argues that history shows clear evidence for small cap value’s premium. From 2000 to 2009, small cap value outperformed the S&P 500 in all but one year, compounding at 10 percent while the S&P 500 returned negative 1 percent. He believes this pattern will continue, creating a powerful diversification effect when combined with broader market indexes. Jeske counters that small cap value’s outperformance is mostly “front-loaded” in history, happening before anyone knew about it. Since 2006, small cap value has underperformed. He argues that once an advantage becomes widely known, it disappears in an efficient market. Adding small cap value might even be “di-worsification” — increasing complexity without improving returns. The debate expands beyond small cap value to touch on: Active vs. passive investing strategies Market timing vs. buy-and-hold approaches Simplicity vs. complexity in portfolio construction The role of faith vs. evidence in investment decisions While both experts disagree about small cap value’s future, they agree on fundamentals: invest early, stay invested for the long term, and understand that no one can predict markets with certainty. What starts as a technical debate evolves into a philosophical discussion about evidence, probability, and the limits of our knowledge — all with millions of retirement dollars hanging in the balance. Timestamps: Note: Timestamps will vary on individual listening devices based on dynamic advertising run times. The provided timestamps are approximate and may be several minutes off due to changing ad lengths. (0:00) Debate intro: small cap value vs index funds (4:01) Merriman: small cap value offers premium returns (9:40) Jeske: small cap value underperformed since 2006 (18:20) Historical performance data significance (25:15) Stakes: difference of millions over time (33:08) Diversification vs added volatility debate (41:45) Risk-adjusted returns comparison (49:08) Questioning true diversification benefits (57:40) Value traps and actively managed funds (1:05:08) Technology stocks vs value investments (1:13:45) Data selection bias in studies (1:19:40) Faith vs science in investment decisions (1:29:20) Personal risk tolerance considerations (1:36:08) Closing arguments on investment strategies (1:42:08) Paula declares the debate a draw

If a retired investor has the ability to use a flexible distribution strategy it will likely produce one of the best financial outcomes in retirement. Before discussing flexible distributions Paul lists the reasons he believes that 99% of successful long term depends on defensive steps. After listing 18 defensive decisions he explains why flexible distributions are better than fixed distributions for those who have over said. The presentation includes 16 distribution tables that can be found in this pdf for the presentation . In each case Paul compares the difference in returns and risk between the fixed and flexible distribution strategies. The discussion compares returns and total distributions for two of the 9 sound investing portfolios: one using the S&P 500 and the other the U.S. 2 Fund Portfolio (50/50 S&P 500Small Cap Value). Other links noted in the presentation: Sound Investing Portfolios

The move from the accumulation to distribution period of an investors lifetime includes some very important decisions. What asset allocation between equities and fixed income? What combination of equity asset classes in the equity portion, as well as fixed income asset classes? What amount of distribution will be made annually? Will the payments be monthly, quarterly or annually? Will payments be adjusted for inflation and how often? Will the distributions be based on a fixed distribution with regular adjustments for inflation (the topic in this presentation) or on a flexible basis (the topic of the next segment)? In this podcast Paul uses 15 slides to address the questions above. It is recommended the viewer print out the ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠PP presentation⁠ to make it easier to follow the numbers. Many may find it is easier to follow the information on ⁠ Paul’s video⁠ ⁠ on the same topic. If you have questions about the presentation please leave comment or question in the comment section of the video or email ⁠⁠paul@paulmerriman.com⁠⁠ . For those sending an email please let us know the topic of the Boot Camp presentation.

Watch video here  Young and first time investors have to address a number of monumental decisions. How much money to save for the future How much they should invest in equities and bonds How much of the equities should be in large, small, value, growth, U.S. and international asset classes How much to increase the investment each year This podcast/video helps the investor address those decisions. For those listening to the podcast here is a link to the pdf of all of the tables referenced in the presentation. He only focuses on a handful of tables but here is a ⁠ link for those who want to review the entire set of tables.⁠ Paul discusses the accumulation process from the viewpoint of an investor as well as a small business owner. If you have questions please send them to ⁠paul@paulmerriman.com⁠ or leave them in the comment section below.

Here is the video. This is the 4th in a series of 9 Boot Camp videos/podcasts. The previous three segments covered : ⁠Stocks vs. Bonds⁠ ⁠The Ultimate Buy and Hold Portfolio⁠ ⁠Sound Investing Portfolios.⁠ In this presentation Paul focuses on the differences between the risks and returns of different percentages stocks and bonds. He also discusses one table that mixes different percentages of the S&P 500 and small cap value.Here are a couple of videos that focus on small cap value. ⁠ $13.83 Million? Yes Please! Paul Merriman’s Small Cap Value Strategy ⁠ ⁠ The one asset class you must own

⁠Watch Video here⁠ Chris Pedersen updates his recommendations and describes his selection process in an interactive presentation with Paul and Daryl along for the ride. This "Best In Class ETFs Recommendations" presentation is the 9th in the Boot Camp Series. (We have not completed some of the earlier presentations due to the high interest in Chris' Best In Class Recommendations). The focus of each the Boot Camp presentation is to help investors make the best of what we consider to be the biggest long term decisions they will make. Of course we cannot know the ETFs that will produce the highest returns but we can measure the likely impact of the factors that Chris discusses during his presentation. On behalf of all of the people who find this work helpful, as well as Daryl Bahls and myself, I want to thank Chris Pedersen for all he has done to help us understand the potential long term advantage of his analysis. It is our hope that his work will give investors the confidence and commitment to “stay the course" in the normal ups and downs of the market. 00:00:00 - Intro 00:07:15 - Changes 00:12:31 - Factor Basics 00:18:00 - Selection Criteria 00:20:21 -- Quantifying Differences 00:24:32 -- Comparing in an Asset Class 00:31:10 -- More than just numbers 00:32:12 -- BIC ETFs on Website 00:33:05 -- US Large Cap Blend 00:34:33 -- US Large Cap Value 00:37:40 -- US Small Cap Blend 00:42:30 -- Int'l Large Cap Value 00:43:30 -- Int'l Small Cap Blend 00:44:15 -- Em. Mkts Small Cap Blend 00:44:50 -- Portfolio Configurator 00:46:25 -- Roboadvisor ETFs 00:51:06 -- Versus Russell 2,000? 00:54:00 -- Avantis & DFA Advantage 01:03:36 -- Analysis Timeframes 01:04:44 -- Closing Remarks  Links: ⁠Best-in-Class ETF Recommendations Page⁠ ⁠Portfolio Configurator⁠ ⁠Sound Investing Portfolios Bootcamp Page⁠

The 2024 numbers are finally in and we have produced the #1 investment decision in the Bootcamp series. There is no question that the biggest lifetime decision an investor makes is the choice between the safety of bonds and the potential long term growth of stocks. Here is a ⁠⁠ link⁠⁠ to the pdf of the set of slides Paul uses in the presentation. The presentation includes the ⁠⁠updated 1, 15 and 40 year returns tables ⁠⁠ along with the ⁠⁠quilt charts for the 1928 to 2024 period⁠⁠ . Our thanks to Daryl Bahls who has put together most of the tables in the Bootcamp series. If you have questions please send them to ⁠⁠paul@paulmerriman.com⁠⁠ . Please put Bootcamp #1 in the subject line.  ⁠Watch video here.⁠

The purpose of this podcast/video is to help investors understand the likely risk and return parameters of small cap value, S&P 500, 2 Fund Portfolio (50% each SCV/S&P) and 4 Fund Portfolio (25% each SCV/S&P/SCB/LCV). In each case the best, worst, and average 1, 2, 3, 5, 10. 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 year returns are listed. The following tables are discussed: ⁠S&P 500 Historical Risk and Return⁠ ⁠US SCV Index Portfolio Historical Risk and Return⁠ ⁠US 2 Fund Index Portfolio Historical Risk and Return⁠ ⁠US 4 Fund Index Portfolio Historical Risk and Return⁠  Also the risk and return page from the ⁠Sound Portfolios ⁠ is referenced.

This is the second presentation in the Boot Camp Series. Click for video . The first presentation (Stocks Vs. Bonds) will be available in the next two weeks. This presentation makes the case for diversifying a portfolio using multiple equity asset classes. Paul uses 4 set of tables to make his case: A1a: Ultimate Buy & Hold Equity Portfolio (50% US/50% Int'l) A2a: Alternative Equity Portfolio Tables (50% US/50% Int'l) A1b: Ultimate Buy & Hold Equity Portfolio (70% US/30% Int'l) A-2b: Alternative Equity Portfolio Tables (70% US/30% Int'l) Paul also mentions the recent video/podcast that addresses the Sound Investing Portfolios. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGv0ZdZ8adk https://www.paulmerriman.com/2025-bootcamp-3-sound-investing-portfolios

In this Podcast, Paul, Chris, and Daryl describe the Sound Investing Portfolios and their background, rationale, construction, and performance. Click for video link 00:00 - Intro 02:00 - DFA Background 05:47 - Portfolio Rationale 11:45 - Allocations 14:11 - Backtesting & Comparisons 19:32 - Rewards of Diversification 28:42 - Differing Good Times 32:40 - 70/30 US/Int'l Portfolios 35:05 - Which Funds? 39:08 - Close During the Podcast the following tables were referenced: ✅ ⁠ Table H1a - Sound Investing Portfolios: Asset Allocations (50% U.S. / 50% Int’l)⁠ ✅ ⁠Table H2a - Sound Investing Portfolios: Comparative Data (50% U.S. / 50% Int’l)⁠ ✅ ⁠ Table H3a - Sound Investing Portfolios: Annual Returns (50% U.S. / 50% Int’l)⁠ ✅ Table H4a - Sound Investing Portfolios: Quilt Chart (50% US / 50% Int'l) ✅ ⁠ Table H1b - Sound Investing Portfolios: Asset Allocations (70% U.S. / 30% Int’l)⁠ ✅ ⁠Table H2b - Sound Investing Portfolios: Comparative Data (70% U.S. / 30% Int’l)⁠ ✅ ⁠Table H3b - Sound Investing Portfolios: Annual Returns (70% U.S. / 30% Int’l) ✅ Table H4b - Sound Investing Portfolios: Quilt Chart (70% US / 30% Int'l)