"What you don’t know about investing is the investment history you don’t know.” Larry Swedroe

In This Edition
Truth Teller Corner- Larry Swedroe
AAII Houston Chapter- Chris Pedersen
Truth Teller Corner- Ben Carlson
Latest MarketWatch article
Latest Podcast
Testimonial

I heartily recommend you read this thoughtful article by Larry Swedroe. Anyone one with large cap or small cap value, as part of their asset allocation, will gain great insight into the historical performance of these two productive asset classes.

Along with a better appreciation of the past, you will find at least 10 big lifetime lessons for successful investors.

Demystifying Diversification — Asset Class & Portfolio Essentials with Chris Pedersen

May 18, 2024 10:30 am- noon (Central Time)

Chris will show us how a study of different investments’ (asset classes) long-term past performance and diversification can help us achieve our financial goals. Three things you will learn from this presentation are:

Past performance does not guarantee future returns, but it provides valuable insights for setting expectations.

Asset allocation is key to managing volatility and achieving financial goals. By combining different investments, we can create a path tailored to individual risk tolerance.

Understanding historical performance across asset classes allows us to construct well-balanced portfolios for a successful financial journey.

Chris Pedersen is Director of Research at The Merriman Financial Education Foundation and creator of the 2 Funds for Life investing approach to augmenting target-date funds. He is an engineer by training, and a new opportunity finder by nature. In his work for the foundation, he develops and maintains a set of best-in-class exchange-traded fund (ETF) recommendations, the customizable Merriman Aggressive Target Date glidepath calculator and regularly contributes to articles and podcasts. Like the rest of the Merriman Foundation staff, his work is motivated by a genuine desire to learn and help, free of any financial incentives or conflicts of interest.

Registration: This meeting will be online only. Registration information will be available in the first week of May.

Truth Teller Corner- Ben Carlson

30 Years of Financial Market Returns

Every expert I have read agrees that the secret to successful long term investing is the ability to take the risk of equities and “stay the course.” What is often overlooked is how wild the ride is likely to be, Truth-Teller Ben Carlson does a terrific job of walking us through the last 30 years of returns for stocks, bonds and cash. But it’s important to note, if you looked at 25 instead of 30 years, the return for stocks would have been about 30% lower.

Latest MarketWatch article- Juice up your S&P 500 fund for higher returns

In this article I’m arming you with information and insights to successfully whip your investment portfolio into shape and secure your long-term financial future. Welcome to the third installment of Investor Boot Camp 2024.

We started by making the multimillion-dollar case for investing in stocks instead of bonds. In the second installment of the series I showed you how to double your lifetime returns by diversifying into nine asset classes beyond the S&P 500 SPX.

Join Christine Benz, Director of Personal Finance and Retirement Planning at Morningstar, for answers to seven of the biggest questions facing those entering or in retirement.

Financial literacy is empowering—yet good, practical education about financial management is too often out of reach for people, especially those with limited incomes. Former BCF Board member Paul Merriman—founder of The Merriman Financial Education Foundation—has dedicated his retirement to providing free education for all ages about how to secure a more stable financial future.

On behalf of BCF, every year Paul organizes ⁠⁠free virtual events⁠⁠ with speakers who are nationally renowned experts in their fields in order to help educate our community on how to better plan for our futures. These events target all ages and levels of financial literacy, including youth, first-time investors who are still in the workforce, and those who have just entered retirement.

Click for video

Latest Podcast- Understanding the Pros and Cons of Annuities with Stan Haithcock

I interviewed Stan Haithcock, the expert I depend on when I have questions about annuities. We will dig into single premium life annuities (SPIA), multiple-year guaranteed annuities (MYGA) and other insurance products that are often over sold and over priced. What is the truth and how can you get what you need at the right price? Join me and Stan as he answers my questions and yours.

Stan Haithcock, also known as "Stan the Annuity Man" is recognized as one of the top independent annuity agents in the United States. Stan has authored seven books on annuities — all free on his website— and has produced over 1,000 educational videos on YouTube. His goal is to help do-it-yourself investors understand how annuities work and to protect them from costly mistakes.

⁠Click to watch video

Youtube Testimonial

"Paul and the team have been one of my north stars in my journey to learning in the past few years. I'm so grateful for all the information that the Foundation provides. I have so much to learn and in my mid 60's with a husband still working I've taken on creating a taxable account with M1 with cash from a real estate sale. I'm mustering the courage to move away from an advisor and transfer an IRA and another taxable account to save on fees and have some control. I know and trust the research that you've all done. Even if I don't understand all of it I can still make my decisions based on various articles, videos and portfolios that are offered on the site to feel "good enough" about my choices. Thank you all."

Juice up your S&P 500 fund for higher returns

Latest Podcast- Understanding the Pros and Cons of Annuities with Stan Haithcock

Truth Teller Corner- Ben Carlson

Understanding the Pros and Cons of Annuities with Stan Haithcock

Call To Action!

Here are a few simple ways to support the financial education work of The Merriman Financial Education Foundation, a registered 501(c)3. In so doing you help better the lives of individuals, families and communities, creating more opportunities for all.

Subscribe to our weekly “Sound Investing” podcast, available on your favorite listening platforms and leave a review. Tell us what you think!
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel, and hit the thumbs up, subscribe, leave a comment and share the link with your social media and friends.
Use our M1 Finance affiliate link to set up a brokerage account and use our portfolio suggestions. If you fund your account with a minimum of $1,000, our foundation will receive a one-time affiliate fee —at no cost to you—which helps support our financial education projects.
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Buy our latest books, We’re Talking Millions! 12 Simple Ways To Supercharge Your Retirement and 2 Funds for Life: A quest for simple & effective investing strategies; all the profits help support our work.
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In This EditionTruth Teller Corner- Larry SwedroeAAII Houston Chapter- Chris PedersenTruth Teller Corner- Ben CarlsonLatest MarketWatch articleLatest PodcastTestimonial

In This Edition
Truth Teller Corner- Larry Swedroe
AAII Houston Chapter- Chris Pedersen
Truth Teller Corner- Ben Carlson
Latest MarketWatch article
Latest Podcast
Testimonial

Great Advice From 4 Truth-Tellers