"All of us must become better informed. It is necessary for us to learn from others' mistakes.

You will not live long enough to make them all yourself.” Admiral H.G. Rickover

In This Edition
Slow Brew Finance Podcast

Upcoming
Truth Teller - Jim Dahle
Testimonial

Dear Friends,

Our mission is to educate investors about the most important investment decisions they are likely to make in their lifetime. It is relatively easy to get access to investors who are either close to, or in, retirement. We already have invitations to speak to thousands of such investors in 2024. But it is much more difficult to reach young first time investors, especially those who are willing to take the education beyond looking for a quick way to make a lot of money. I suspect most young people are more likely to listen to another young person than an 80 year old who periodically forgets the point he’s trying to make.

I believe Jose Ordonez is one of those teachers. He doesn’t have a big following yet but his commitment to giving people the information they need is obvious to me.

The following interview was great fun for me and hopefully helpful to Jose’s followers. And if you know anyone that would find it helpful I hope you will pass it along.

Listen to the podcast here or watch the video here.

00:00 - Intro
03:04 - Your Own Small Value Portfolio
07:23 - Value and Quality
10:12 - What if Value Doesn't Work Anymore?
14:47 - International Diversification
19:51 - Momentum
23:14 - Size
27:55 - Market Timing via Trend Following
39:13 - The Key to Becoming a Good Investor
46:42 - Investor Psychology
55:59 - Outro

*Check out the Slow Brew Model Portfolio on M1:
The “Aggressive” Cold Brew Portfolio: https://m1.finance/Qu3hl99NFyyM
The “Balanced” Espresso Portfolio: https://m1.finance/87_jIaWs-qdm
The “Conservative” Matcha Portfolio: https://m1.finance/6jWj41MllcrD

For more content head to: https://www.slowbrewfinance.com
X: https://www.x.com/SlowBrewFinance

Upcoming

Tomorrow, Chris, Daryl and I will be addressing a number of topics that we think you will find of interest. Let me know if you have a pressing question and we will try to get to it. paul@paulmerriman.com.

Avantis vs. Vanguard: Does It Make Sense to Switch Up Your Portfolio?

I have recently had wonderful feedback about our list of Truth-Tellers. In a recent article one of our most prolific Truth-Telling educators, Jim Dahle, President of White Coat Investor, wrote a long article comparing Avantis vs. Vanguard.

Here’s how it starts:

I received an email the other day:

“I was wondering your opinion on Avantis funds compared to Vanguard index funds. I primarily use Vanguard index funds and a sprinkling of PRIMECAP funds. But I was recently listening to Paul Merriman, and he seems to be a fan of Avantis funds and using factor-based investing.

I was comparing (using PortfolioVisualizer) two portfolios. One portfolio with Vanguard index funds (VOO – 60%; VBR – 20%; VXUS – 20%) compared to [Avantis] (AVUS – 60%; AVUV – 20%; AVDE – 20%). This is close to an apples to apples portfolio using Vanguard ETFs and comparable Avantis ETFs. The returns over the longest period of time where data was available have the Avantis portfolio ahead by decent amount. Yes, the Avantis funds have a higher expense ratio, but it is not very high for an actively managed fund. For example, AVUS has ER of 0.15%. The one issue is the data only goes back to January 2020, as that is how far back data for AVUS goes. This analysis is for January 2020-June 2023 due to data constraints.

Just wondering your thoughts on this and with Avantis funds for a portion of the portfolio—for example, the small cap value and international portion of a portfolio. These asset classes are where I saw a larger difference in returns with Avantis funds compared to Vanguard.” Read the rest of the article here.

Testimonial

"Thank you again for sharing your financial knowledge with millions of people. I know that because of you, my family and I are financially secure. Please continue your excellent work in this area."

J.D.

3 ways investors are tricked — and 6 ways to protect yourself

Factor Investing & Investor Behavior

The Lifelong Process of Financial Education with Paul Merriman

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.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
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.
Support our mission by making a tax-deductible donation to the Foundation.

In This EditionSlow Brew Finance Podcast UpcomingTruth Teller - Jim DahleTestimonial

In This Edition
Slow Brew Finance Podcast

Upcoming
Truth Teller - Jim Dahle
Testimonial

A deep dive into SCV