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Artwork for Sound Investing

Sound Investing

Paul Merriman
Investment Strategies
S&P 500
Retirement Planning
Small Cap Value
Investing
Asset Allocation
Diversification
Target Date Funds
Financial Literacy
Investment Strategy
Bonds
Etfs
Mutual Funds
Financial Education
Index Funds
Market Timing
Inflation
Dollar Cost Averaging
Portfolio Diversification
Stocks

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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes548Founded7 years ago
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BusinessInvesting

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Artwork for Sound Investing

Latest Episodes

In this interview from the 2026 Bainbridge Community Foundation Annual Financial Education Series, Paul sits down with Bill Bernstein — neurologist, financial historian, and author of The Four Pillars of Investing and If You Can — for a wide-ranging ... more

Chris and Paul explain what target-date funds are and do, and how to augment them with some small-cap value to get the broad diversification benefits of the other Sound Investing portfolios.

They describe several approaches and tools investors can u... more

Paul sits down with Chris Pedersen and Daryl Bahls for the first Q&A session in months — and this one is built around the questions readers and listeners ask most often. Chris and Daryl share what they're working on next (Best-in-Class ETF updates, T... more

Paul and Chris introduce the new Avantis and DFA Best-in-Class fund family recommendations and talk about the shift away from evaluating and recommending à la carte choices from multiple fund providers.

They emphasize that the quality and breadth o... more

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Recent Guests

Chris Pedersen
Guest presenter discussing Two Funds for Life and target date fund innovations
Merriman
Episode: Boot Camp #9 - 2 Funds for Life and Target-Date Funds
Daryl Bahls
Volunteer with the Bainbridge Community Foundation; portfolio analysis contributor
Bainbridge Community Foundation
Episode: Q&A With Chris Pedersen and Daryl Bahls: Thinking Through Your Portfolio Choices
Larry Swedroe
Author and investment expert known for evidence-based investing
Evergreen content in Merriman ecosystem
Episode: Larry Swedroe: The Evidence-Based Rules Every Investor Needs to Know | Bainbridge Financial Literacy Series 2026
Mark Zoril
Founder/Executive at PlanVision
PlanVision
Episode: PlanVision: Low Cost Flat-Fee Financial Planning for Do-It-Yourself Investors
Jackie Cumminskoski
Co-host of Catching Up to Fi
Episode: How to Bake a Cake: An Asset Allocation Mashup | Rick Ferri & Paul Merriman
Paula Pant
Host and content creator at Afford Anything, known for her insights on financial independence and investing.
Afford Anything
Episode: Questions from Paula Pant
Brian Barnes
Founder and CEO of M1 Finance
M1 Finance
Episode: Interview with Brian Barnes, Founder and CEO of M1 Finance
Paul Merriman
Author, financial educator, and host of the Sound Investing podcast.
Sound Investing
Episode: Paul Merriman: Millionaire Index Fund Investing Portfolios
Stan Haithcock
Known as Stan the Annuity Man, he is a financial expert focusing on annuities and retirement planning.
The Annuity Man
Episode: Understanding the Pros and Cons of Annuities with Stan Haithcock

Host

Paul Merriman
Financial educator, author, founder of the Merriman Financial Education Foundation and host of education-focused investing discussions.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 526 ratings
  • Respectful, thoughtful, patient and comprehensive. Terrific financial content

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Media Jack
    a month ago
  • Great info

    This is a recipe for success. Thank you all for donating your time and knowledge to helping others.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Dman4321
    United States2 months ago
  • Love the show

    And everyone’s work! Appreciate you all so much.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Qrrvjkgxhjlkvg
    United States6 months ago
  • Great Opportunities

    By utilizing the teachings of Paul Merriman and his associates you will be presented a great opportunity to save and invest for your future. It’s not rocket science, it’s all about consistency over a 20,30,40 horizon of time. Just do it!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Hawkmaniac09
    United States6 months ago
  • Invaluable information for DIY investors.

    I’ve been listening to this podcast for several years. I always find invaluable data to help shape my understanding of managing my portfolio of investments on my own. Please keep up the great work!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    TermLimitsNeeded
    United States8 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some critique the length and depth of discussions, preferring more concise formats.
Listeners appreciate the clear, education-first approach to investing.
Many praise the long-term, patient framework and practical tools.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Larry Swedroe: The Evidence-Based Rules Every Investor Needs to Know | Bainbridge Financial Literacy Series 2026
Q: What are your thoughts on AI and its impact on active management and market efficiency?
AI will generally make markets more efficient by enabling rapid mispricing discovery and exploitation, which tends to erode alpha; the prudent approach is to rely on broadly diversified, systematic funds and let managers who adhere to disciplined rules adapt to new information.
Larry Swedroe: The Evidence-Based Rules Every Investor Needs to Know | Bainbridge Financial Literacy Series 2026
Q: How should an investor approach rebalancing when markets become irrationally exuberant or when valuations diverge dramatically?
Use rebalance as a default for most investors; in extreme mispricings, consider limited tilts or 'sin a little' adjustments (e.g., 5-10%), always based on long-run plan and risk tolerance rather than short-term momentum.
Christine Benz: Practical Retirement Planning from Morningstar's Top Expert
Q: Any thoughts on withdrawing from different accounts (brokerage, traditional IRA, Roth) to maximize tax efficiency in retirement?
The speakers advise starting with taxable accounts to manage taxes efficiently, then prioritizing tax-deferred accounts, and finally Roth accounts; avoid depleting tax-protected accounts too early and consider sequencing that preserves tax-advantaged withdrawals over time.
Christine Benz: Practical Retirement Planning from Morningstar's Top Expert
Q: What is the difference between FXAIX and VOO, and which is better for an investor to choose?
Christine and Paul discuss how both FXAIX (a Fidelity index fund) and VOO (an S&P 500 ETF) track broad market indices; the choice often comes down to cost, liquidity, and tax considerations, with both being viable depending on the investor's platform and preferences.
Christine Benz: Practical Retirement Planning from Morningstar's Top Expert
Q: If I set up my retirement portfolio as the four-fund, would it be better to use factor-based funds over index funds, and should I include international as well?
Paul and Christine agree that the four-fund framework can be implemented with either up-to-date factor-based or broad index exposure, but emphasize that the key is to maintain a globally diversified core (total US and international) with a tilt toward value and small-cap exposures if appropriate, while keeping costs low.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Sound Investing

What is Sound Investing about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful, long-form show focused on evidence-based, low-cost investing, retirement planning, and simple, repeatable strategies for long horizons. Across episodes, guests and hosts emphasize diversification, minimal fees, and disciplined approaches such as “two funds for life,” four-fund global allocations, and DIY planning tools. Unique strengths include data-driven narratives, practical calculators, and education-first guidance that helps listeners implement sound investing without hype. The format often blends expert perspectives with Q&A to translate theory into actionable steps for real people at different life stages.

Where can I find podcast stats for Sound Investing?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Sound Investing. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Sound Investing and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Sound Investing get?

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What are the audience demographics for Sound Investing?

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How many subscribers and views does Sound Investing have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Sound Investing has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Sound Investing?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Sound Investing:

1. Bogleheads On Investing Podcast
2. The Rob Berger Show
3. Talking Real Money - Investing Talk
4. The Long View
5. Stay Wealthy Retirement Podcast

How many episodes of Sound Investing are there?

Sound Investing launched 7 years ago and published 548 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Sound Investing?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Sound Investing?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Sound Investing from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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What guests have appeared on Sound Investing?

Recent guests on Sound Investing include:

1. Chris Pedersen
2. Daryl Bahls
3. Larry Swedroe
4. Mark Zoril
5. Jackie Cumminskoski
6. Paula Pant
7. Brian Barnes
8. Paul Merriman

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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