Paul Merriman
Hosted by Paul Merriman
A retired financial advisor teaches DIY investors how to build wealth for retirement using evidence-based, buy-and-hold portfolio strategies.
This is an educational resource for do-it-yourself investors focused on long-term, evidence-based strategies. Rather than chasing trends, Paul Merriman and his colleagues (Chris Pedersen, Daryl Bahls) teach specific, diversified, buy-and-hold portfolios, often with a tilt towards small-cap value. Episodes are frequently deep-dive Q&As driven by listener questions or interviews with respected financial authors, all backed by extensive data tables and historical performance charts.
“The show's primary distinction is its non-profit, educational mission, which means no ads or sales pitches—just actionable advice. It stands out for its deep focus on specific, named portfolio models (like "2 Funds for Life") backed by decades of performance data, which are provided freely for implementation at major brokerages.”
Who hosts this show
Paul Merriman is a nationally recognized authority on personal investing who founded the Seattle-based investment advisory firm Merriman, LLC in 1983. After retiring in 2012, he founded The Merriman Financial Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to providing free, unbiased financial education. He is the author of several investment books and produces the weekly "Sound Investing" podcast to help people make informed decisions for their retirement.
Credentials & credits
- Founder, Merriman, LLC (1983-2012).
- Founder, The Merriman Financial Education Foundation.
- Author of multiple investment books, including "We're Talking Millions!".
- Columnist for MarketWatch.com.
- Distinguished Alumni Award, Western Washington University, School of Economics.
- Creator of the Merriman Financial Literacy Program at Western Washington University.
Other ventures
- The Merriman Financial Education Foundation.
- paulmerriman.com (financial education website).
- Author of books on investing.
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01Evidence-Based Investing, Index Funds & Staying the CourseJun 17, 2026 · 1h 07m
- 02Paul Merriman Financial Education for Every Stage of LifeJun 10, 2026 · 57 min
- 03Keeping More of What You Earn- Mike Piper and Paul MerrimanJun 3, 2026 · 1h 34m
- 04Automating Your Portfolio: M1 Finance vs. Fidelity Basket PortfoliosMay 27, 2026 · 46 min
- 05Bill Bernstein: 50 Years of Investing WisdomMay 20, 2026 · 1h 11m
- 06Boot Camp 9 - 2 Funds for Life & Target Date FundsMay 13, 2026 · 1h 08m
Notable episodes
- 01Bill Bernstein: 50 Years of Investing Wisdom
Features a wide-ranging conversation with Bill Bernstein, a highly respected author and theorist in the DIY investing community.
- 02Keeping More of What You Earn- Mike Piper and Paul Merriman
A practical discussion with CPA and author Mike Piper, covering topics from tax planning and Roth conversions to the psychology of saving.
- 03Automating Your Portfolio: M1 Finance vs. Fidelity Basket Portfolios
A highly practical episode that compares the specific tools investors can use to implement the recommended strategies, a hallmark of the show's actionable advice.
- 04Paul Merriman Financial Education for Every Stage of Life
A classic Q&A format episode where Paul and Chris Pedersen tackle ten listener questions, showcasing the show's core educational style.
What you'll be asked on this show
Paul Merriman hosts with an avuncular, professorial style, often joined by his expert colleagues Chris Pedersen and Daryl Bahls for Q&A sessions. The format alternates between these discussions, presentations on specific strategies, and long-form interviews with financial experts. A core feature is the heavy reliance on data tables and charts to illustrate concepts like long-term returns and risk.
Questions Paul Merriman keeps coming back to
- “How should an investor decide if their asset allocation is 'good enough'?”
- “How many years does it take to trust a strategy?”
- “How long do I have to wait for an asset class like small-cap value to perform?”
- “What are your thoughts on mixing and matching different portfolios?”
- “How do you work with a couple where one is an aggressive investor and the other is conservative?”
- “What do you recommend to encourage young people to educate themselves on finance?”
- “How do professional fund managers compare to the indexes?”
- “What is the most tax-efficient way to pull money out for early retirement?”
- “How has the change in RMD age affected Roth conversion decisions?”
Signature segments
- · Q&A episodes answering listener questions with Chris Pedersen and Daryl Bahls.
- · Extensive use of data tables and back-tested performance charts.
- · Analysis of specific model portfolios like the "Ultimate Buy-and-Hold" and "2 Funds for Life".
- · Annual "Boot Camp" series for DIY investors.
- · Interviews with respected financial authors and experts.
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are typically respected financial authors, CPAs, and academics who share a philosophy of evidence-based, long-term investing. Figures like author Bill Bernstein and CPA Mike Piper are booked to provide expert, practical advice that aligns with the show's educational mission.
- Steve Chenon Evidence-Based Investing, Index Funds & Staying the Course
- Mike Piperon Keeping More of What You Earn- Mike Piper and Paul Merriman
- Bill Bernsteinon Bill Bernstein: 50 Years of Investing Wisdom
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast is funded by The Merriman Financial Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. An affiliate link for the M1 Finance platform is occasionally mentioned, with the disclosure that any small, one-time benefit goes directly to the foundation.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- What is Paul Merriman's investing philosophy?
- He advocates for evidence-based, long-term, buy-and-hold investing using diversified portfolios of low-cost index funds, often with a strategic tilt toward factors like small-cap and value stocks.
- Is this podcast still active?
- Yes, new episodes are released on a weekly basis.
- What is the format of the show?
- The show varies between Q&A episodes with colleagues Chris Pedersen and Daryl Bahls, deep-dive presentations on specific strategies, and interviews with financial authors and experts.
- How is this podcast funded?
- The podcast is funded by The Merriman Financial Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and does not run third-party advertisements.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and most other major podcast players.
- Who is this podcast for?
- It is for do-it-yourself investors, especially those planning for retirement, who want to learn a data-driven, systematic approach to building wealth.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]The Merriman Financial Education Foundationpaulmerriman.com
- [02]About Paul Merrimanpaulmerriman.com
- [03]EverybodyWiki: Paul A. Merrimanen.everybodywiki.com
- [04]List of books by Paul A. Merrimanthriftbooks.com
- [05]The Merriman Financial Education Foundation - ProPublicaprojects.propublica.org
- [06]Three Simple Steps to Millions with Paul Merriman - Western Washington Universityyoutube.com
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