Best Bogleheads Podcasts (2025)

1
Episode 84, Jeff Clark, author of "How America Saves 2025," Vanguard's annual report on workplace 401(k) plans, host Rick Ferri 56:16

15d ago56:16

56:16

Jeff Clark is a 27-year veteran of Vanguard Workplace Solutions, Head of Defined Contribution Research, and author of How America Saves 2025. We discuss trends in defined contribution plans and how auto-enrollment and target-date funds are changing the way Americans save and invest for retirement. Rick Ferri, CFA, a long-time Boglehead and investme…

1
Future of Financial Literacy and Smart Investing  1:07:05

7d ago1:07:05

1:07:05

On this special Q&A episode—recorded July 29 2025—Paul Merriman gears up for his August 2 keynote at the Garrett Planning Network Retreat, where he will address more than 100 hourly financial advisors about the future of financial literacy. He invites listeners to email questions for the panel ([email protected]) and then dives into ten wide‑ra…

1
Small cap value still the best , bonds and 2 funds for life Q&A 54:56

14d ago54:56

54:56

In this episode, Paul Merriman shares insights into upcoming events, including his presentation at the Garrett Planning Network Retreat, as well as his reflections on asset allocation, government bond strategies, and the benefits of various portfolios for different life stages. Tune in for a deep dive into how different funds and asset classes perf…

1
12 Million Dollar Decisions 2:13:31

21d ago2:13:31

2:13:31

In November 2020 The Merriman Financial Education Foundation released “We’re Talking Millions! 12 Simple Ways to Supercharge Your Retirement.” The purpose of the book was to focus on a series of very simple steps any investor might take to improve their financial future. "Understanding how to invest wisely for your future can be daunting. Many peop…

1
11 Q&A-Bonds, Rebalancing, All Value, Vanguard vs. Avantis & DFA 54:41

28d ago54:41

54:41

Many of you have been submitting thoughtful questions through our AI chat, particularly on fund selection, asset allocation, and broader investment strategy. It’s encouraging to see this level of engagement with the core principles that shape long-term financial success. While the AI generally provides sound and efficient guidance, there are times …

1
Avantis Vs. DFA and the Winner Is? 37:41

1M ago37:41

37:41

On this week's podcast, we dive into my fascinating six-month journey with AI, exploring how tools like ChatGPT are revolutionizing access to information and informed guidance. Drawing inspiration from Seth Godin's insightful piece, "Education is Free, Learning is Expensive," we'll discuss why true learning demands commitment and effort, especially…

1
The SPIVA Report- Proof You Can Buy! 47:28

1M ago47:28

47:28

Today, we're diving into something super important for anyone interested in mutual funds: the SPIVA Report, it's a big deal, and we'll break down why. But before we get to that, a quick note about August 4th. Chris, Daryl, and I are getting together that day to figure out how we can do even more to help you, not just now, but for the rest of your l…

1
Episode 83, Phil DeMuth, "The Tax-Smart Donor" and how to optimize your lifetime giving plan, host Rick Ferri 59:49

2M ago59:49

59:49

Phil DeMuth, Ph.D., discusses being a tax-smart donor by strategizing your charitable giving in a way that maximizes both your philanthropic impact and your potential tax benefits. We discuss his new book, "The Tax-Smart Donor," and highlight the benefits of creating a charitable giving plan as part of a well-structured financial plan. Phil is a Ma…

1
June Q&A with Paul, Chris an Daryl 56:57

2M ago56:57

56:57

Watch video here. Join Paul Merriman, Chris Pedersen, and Daryl Bahls for a deep dive into questions facing today’s investors! In this episode, our team tackles a wide range of topics designed to help you make smarter financial decisions, whether you’re a seasoned DIY investor or just getting started.Main Topics Covered:1. Midcap Funds – Are They N…

1
A Very Special Birthday and an investment choice forever 54:09

2M ago54:09

54:09

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 invest…

1
$100 a month to $37 million, Bear markets, Bogleheads and a free education 48:44

2M ago48:44

48:44

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. Last week, I spent two full days at Western, meeting with students, faculty, and staff. I gave presentations to …

1
Vanguard vs. Mutual Shares, Who is the Long Term Champ 32:28

2M ago32:28

32:28

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 …

1
Episode 82, Jonathan Clements, Jason Zweig, and Christine Benz are guests on this special podcast, host Rick Ferri 52:47

2M ago52:47

52:47

Jonathan Clements is a former Wall Street Journal personal finance columnist who is battling a rare form of terminal cancer, Jason Zweig is a current Wall Street Journal personal finance columnist, and Christine Benz is the director of personal finance and retirement planning for Morningstar, as well as the president of the John C. Bogle Center for…

1
Which 60/40 Portfolio is Best? 36:45

3M ago36:45

36:45

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…

1
Mastering Patience: Insights for Long-Term Success in DIY Investing 1:04:13

3M ago1:04:13

1:04:13

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. Drawing from academic research, historical data, and decades of experience, this episode covers: Why short-term returns are often just noise and how to focus on the bigger pictur…

1
Market Timing vs. Buy & Hold: Why market timing fails the test for most investors 38:17

3M ago38:17

38:17

"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 discu…

1
Financial Literacy and Mastering the Million Dollar Decisions 30:57

3M ago30:57

30:57

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 Educati…

1
Episode 81, Greg Zuckerman, author of "The Man Who Solved the Market," host Rick Ferri 45:20

3M ago45:20

45:20

Greg Zuckerman is an award-winning Special Writer at the Wall Street Journal and the author of several books on financial firms, hedge funds, trading, and other investing and business-related topics. This podcast focuses on trading and the fierce competition individuals face when attempting to trade against sophisticated hedge funds that employ the…

1
WSCPA- The ultimate buy and hold portfolio 59:38

3M ago59:38

59:38

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 wil…

1
How to Bake a Cake: An Asset Allocation Mashup | Rick Ferri & Paul Merriman 1:35:02

4M ago1:35:02

1:35:02

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 Educatio…

1
Small Cap Value Showdown Between Financial Legends — (This Could Add Millions To Your Retirement!) 1:56:06

4M ago1:56:06

1:56:06

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 perspecti…

1
Bootcamp #7 Flexible Distributions 1:00:27

4M ago1:00:27

1:00:27

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 …

1
Episode 80, Jeff Ptak, CFA, major trends in the mutual fund and ETF industry, host Rick Ferri 55:47

4M ago55:47

55:47

Jeff Ptak, CFA, is the managing director for Morningstar Research Services. Prior to that, he held positions as the chief ratings officer, head of global manager research, and president and chief investment officer of Morningstar Investment Services. In this episode, we discuss major new trends affecting the mutual fund and exchange-traded fund (ET…

1
Boot Camp #6 Fixed Distributions 2025 Update 46:33

4M ago46:33

46:33

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…

1
Bootcamp #5 Fixed Contributions Update 2025 1:05:58

5M ago1:05:58

1:05:58

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/v…

1
Bootcamp #4- Fine Tuning Your Asset Allocation 2025 Update 49:31

5M ago49:31

49:31

Here is the video link- 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…

1
Bootcamp #9 - Best-in-Class ETF Recommendations 1:10:53

5M ago1:10:53

1:10:53

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' …

1
Bootcamp #1 - The Biggest Decision of All: Stocks vs. Bonds 1:13:07

5M ago1:13:07

1:13:07

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 …

1
Episode 79, Mike Piper, CPA, author of After the Death of a Spouse, Next Financial Steps for Surviving Spouses, host Rick Ferri 57:40

5M ago57:40

57:40

Mike Piper is a CPA, author, and adviser. He has written several concise books dealing with various financial topics, including taxes, Social Security, estate planning, and other financial planning. His latest book, After the Death of a Spouse, Next Financial Steps for Surviving Spouses, is the topic of this podcast. Mike also created the Oblivious…

1
The Good, Bad, Ugly and Average Risk and Returns of Small Cap Value, S&P 500 and 2 and 4 Fund Portfolios 48:53

6M ago48:53

48:53

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 d…

1
Bootcamp #2 The Ultimate Buy and Hold Portfolio: Update 2025 40:33

6M ago40:33

40:33

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…

1
Bootcamp #3 Sound Investing Portfolios 41:03

6M ago41:03

41:03

In this Podcast, Paul, Chris, and Daryl describe the Sound Investing Portfolios and their background, rationale, construction, and performance. 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 …

1
The Index Edge: Paul Merriman’s Investment Insights 1:15:50

6M ago1:15:50

1:15:50

In this insightful conversation, renowned financial expert Paul Merriman shares his wealth of knowledge and experience in investing. He discusses his journey from stockbroker to founding his own investment advisory firm, and eventually establishing the Merriman Financial Education Foundation. Paul delves into various topics, including: ✅ The import…

1
Introduction to Boot Camp 36:18

7M ago36:18

36:18

The podcast starts with a brief history of the growth of the Merriman Financial Literacy Foundation. From it’s small beginning in December 2012, it has produced over 1000 videos, articles and podcasts, published 6 books, spoken at many national conferences, underwritten a university class on investing for non finance majors at Western Washington Un…

1
Episode 78, Carola Binder, author of Shock Values: Prices and Inflation in American Democracy, host Rick Ferri 59:12

7M ago59:12

59:12

My guest on Episode 78 is Carola Binder, an associate professor of economics at the University of Texas at Austin and a fellow at the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy. She is also a research associate of the National Bureau of Economics Research in the Monetary Economics group. Carola holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Be…

1
Why should small cap value make higher returns? 56:23

7M ago56:23

56:23

In this first Q&A podcast of 2025, Paul, Daryl, and Chris discuss several listener questions and expand on Paul's rebuttal of Big ERN's recent criticisms of diversifying with small-cap value. 0:00 – Introduction 0:29 – Responding to Big ERN's critique 2:11 – Small-cap value lumpsum vs. dollar-cost averaging 6:38 – Daryl's take on SCV's premium pers…

1
The True Story About Small Cap Value 45:01

7M ago45:01

45:01

There has been a lot of anti small cap value articles and podcasts over the last several years. I have been asked many times whether I think the small cap value premium is a thing of the past.In this podcast I have addressed the most commonly discussed criticisms of small cap value. During the presentation I reference a blog entitled, "Small-Cap Va…

1
Could this be the #1 Reason to Invest in Index Funds? Part 2 18:13

7M ago18:13

18:13

On December 26, 2019 Paul recorded a podcast entitled, “Could This Be the #1 Reason to Invest in Index Funds?” We were shocked to learn that over 1,000,000 investors opened the podcast. In this podcast he addresses the topic again in “Could This Be the #1 Reason to Invest in Index Funds? Part 2” The podcast reviews the well established index advant…

1
Episode 77: Aswath Damodaran, the Dean of Equity Valuation from the Stern School of Business, host Rick Ferri 56:02

8M ago56:02

56:02

Aswath Damodaran is a Professor of Finance at the Stern School of Business at New York University, where he teaches corporate finance and equity valuation. He is known in the investment industry and academia as the Dean of Equity Valuation. Aswath is the author of several widely used academic and practitioner texts on valuation, corporate finance, …

1
Risk with Paul, Daryl and Chris 1:01:35

8M ago1:01:35

1:01:35

Paul, Daryl, and Chris discuss the risks of investing and life. Paul starts with an introduction and admission of his challenges managing risks related to diet and health. He then gets Chris and Daryl to chime in with their definitions and perspectives on risk. Daryl then shares a framework for evaluating risk from his days as a systems engineer. T…

1
Questions from Paula Pant 50:58

8M ago50:58

50:58

While I was at the Bogleheads conference in Minneapolis earlier this year, I had a lengthy interview with Paula Pant. I enjoyed the interview and found lots of questions and comments under the YouTube presentation that I wanted to answer. While I wrote short comments on the site, I decided many of the questions were worthy of more discussion.Here i…

1
Investing at market high, market timing, best distribution strategy 1:08:30

8M ago1:08:30

1:08:30

The podcast is dedicated to answering questions about: Target date funds: “Do you think someone that simply maxes out their retirement accounts with target date funds and total market funds will be “fine”? Selecting a distribution strategy: What advice can you give to a DIY investor who is trying to decide what to do about how they access their mon…

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