“Education is the key that unlocks the golden door to freedom.” —George Washington Carver

In This Edition
Ben Carlson: Truth Teller of a Lifetime
Retiremeet 2026
Latest Podcast- A Surprise, a Big Thank You, and What’s Coming Next
Testimonial

Ben Carlson: Truth Teller of a Lifetime

If I could choose just one teacher to help navigate the maze of information facing investors who manage their own portfolios, it would be Ben Carlson. I can count on Ben to deliver a thoughtful, relevant column almost every day of the year—clear-eyed, practical, and grounded in long-term perspective. Below are five recent examples. Each one offers an important lens on what DIY investors need to be thinking about and preparing for right now.

Five recent favorites from Ben Carlson:

Retiremeet 2026

Retiremeet 2026 will take place on March 7, 2026, in Bellevue, Washington. The conference brings together investors and financial professionals for a full day of practical discussion focused on retirement planning, investment strategy, and real-world decision-making. The emphasis is on thoughtful preparation, clear thinking, and learning from experienced voices rather than chasing headlines.

If you’re planning to attend Retiremeet and would like me to address a particular topic, email me your question ahead of time and I’ll be ready to talk with you about it during my day at the conference. I look forward to seeing you there.

Latest Podcast- A Surprise, a Big Thank You, and What’s Coming Next

Sometimes the best moments are the unexpected ones. This week brought one of those moments when Daryl Bahls delivered an extraordinary surprise: access to every table used across our entire investing Boot Camp Series — months of work, ready ahead of schedule.

That gift makes it possible to move forward faster, including setting up pages for the upcoming Series and potentially releasing the tables before all the podcasts and articles are complete.

The White Coat Investor: 150+ Portfolios That Work

We revisit the White Coat Investor article ⁠“150 Portfolios Better Than Yours”⁠ (now over 200 portfolios), originally published in 2014.

The key lesson: There is no single “best” portfolio — most of the portfolios are legitimate and effective. What matters most is:

Choosing a sound portfolio
Understanding why it works
Staying the course over decades

Early success can be misleading, but the portfolio you choose in the beginning can mean millions of dollars more in the long-term.

Why Portfolio Design Matters So Much

Using historical data going back to 1970, we explore how different strategies produce dramatically different outcomes over time:

S&P 500 only vs. globally diversified portfolios
Multi–asset-class investing
Value-focused portfolios (U.S. and international)

Even small additional amounts can lead to large differences over a lifetime.

What We Do — and What We Don’t Do To Help Investors

We are:

Focused on education
Dedicated to do-it-yourself investors
Grounded in academic research and evidence-based investing

We are not:

Financial planners
Estate planners
Tax advisors

Our goal is to help investors build portfolios they can trust through good markets and bad — with the potential to land in the top 5–10% of long-term outcomes.

Preview: The 10-Part Boot Camp Series

Over the coming weeks, we’ll release a comprehensive boot camp covering:

Stocks vs. Bonds — why this decision alone can be a $10 million difference
Equity Asset Class Selection — based on academic research, not trends
Simple Sound Investing Portfolios — small, powerful, manageable
Adding Bonds Intelligently — controlling risk without killing returns
Long-Term Contributions — what steady investing really looks like
Fixed Withdrawal Strategies — taking distributions when you retire with only "enough"
Flexible Withdrawal Strategies — especially for those who’ve oversaved
Target-Date Funds & Glide Paths — with added diversification insights
ETF Selection — why DFA and Avantis may help investors stay the course
Investing for Children & Newborns — including new retirement account considerations

Each topic will eventually include:

A podcast
A video
A written article
Supporting data tables

Daryl has now produced 247 educational tables, all designed to support smarter portfolio decisions. You will see all of them during the 10 week series.

Testimonial at "2 Funds for Life Q&A”

"I read both free books, We’re Talking Millions! by Paul Merriman and 2 Funds For Life by both of you Paul and Chris. They are valuable information and interesting with different scenarios. Thank you for good content you have in the book and in this video. We’re grateful for your knowledge.”

Download FREE Book!

A Surprise, a Big Thank You, and What’s Coming Next

Follow Me On TikTok

Supercharge Your Retirement with Paul Merriman

On YouTube, click More below the video.

Scroll down to find the chapters—these break the video up into sections for easier navigation.

How to retire with more money and greater peace of mind

In This EditionBen Carlson: Truth Teller of a LifetimeRetiremeet 2026Latest Podcast- A Surprise, a Big Thank You, and What’s Coming NextTestimonial

In This Edition
Ben Carlson: Truth Teller of a Lifetime
Retiremeet 2026
Latest Podcast- A Surprise, a Big Thank You, and What’s Coming Next
Testimonial