The more you understand, the more confident you'll feel

We've created some great information to help educate you so that you can feel good about your money management decisions. We encourage you to read these and attend a workshop to learn more about how to keep on living the good life.

Ten retirement lessons from the smartest people I know » Read Article

In an article that first appeared in Southern California Senior Life, Paul Merriman shares what he's learned from smart people who have retired successfully.

Retirement: When your portfolio starts paying you » Read Article

When you reach retirement, four major decisions will determine the bulk of your financial future. This article is about two of those decisions:

The ultimate buy-and-hold strategy » Read Article

In this update to one of the most important items in our article library, Paul Merriman shows how a series of simple but powerful concepts can put patient investors far ahead of the crowd. This 2007 update adds returns from 2006 plus a new portfolio.

Fine tuning your asset allocation » Read Article

Perhaps the biggest job that any investor has is managing risk. If you take too much, you could be flirting with disaster; if you take too little, you could cheat yourself out of the returns you need to take care of yourself, your family and your heirs. In this article, Paul Merriman shows how to get this important equation just right.

The perfect portfolio » Read Article

Great chefs know that it takes more than the right ingredients to make an outstanding meal. If you put everything together in just the right way, ordinary ingredients can turn into magic. In this article, Jeff Merriman-Cohen shows how the same thing is true for investing.

The second most important investment decision you must make » Read Article

In the following article from the FundAdvice.com archives, Paul Merriman discusses the second most important decision investors have to make. Though the article was written a few years ago in the midst of a severe bear market, its insights and lessons are just as important now as they were then.

The best mutual funds: DFA or Vanguard? » Read Article

We have been teaching investors how to use Vanguard and Dimensional Fund Advisors funds for more than a decade. Paul Merriman tells why we think they are the best in the world -- and how they compare with each other.

Getting retirement right: A tale of two investors » Read Article

In this article, Paul Merriman describes two of our clients who are retired. One has done just about everything right, while the other has made so many mistakes that his life is more difficult than it needs to be. Paul paints a pair of vivid word pictures that show what works - and what doesn't.

Retirement: Not as easy as you think » Read Article

Late in 2006, we spoke extensively with six Merriman Capital Management financial advisors about the shift from earning a living to being retired. The following article is composed of edited excerpts from these conversations. Participants were Cheryl Curran, Jim Whipps, Aaron Spencer, Tyler Bartlett, Mark Metcalf and Laura Wood. Moderators were FundAdvice.com Managing Editor Richard Buck and Associate Editor Niki Hermanson.

Trust, the most important variable » Read Article

One of the most important decisions you make as an investor is where you place your trust. In this article, Paul Merriman discusses this issue and tells what he trusts.

My 500 year estate plan » Read Article

Paul Merriman's estate plan is the topic of Chapter 16 in his book, "Live It Up without Outliving Your Money," published in 2005 by John Wiley & Sons. In this article, Paul summarizes that discussion and adds some new material.

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