At FinCon, Chuck Gaffe- moneylifeshow.com sat down with Paul for a wide-ranging conversation about investing and financial independence.

Paul shared insights on the rise of index funds, the FIRE movement’s “one-fund-for-life” approach, and how small portfolio adjustments can boost long-term returns. He also discussed timeless investing principles like staying the course, understanding risk, keeping costs low, and diversifying wisely.

At FinCon, Paul reflected on everything from the rise of index funds to the FIRE movement’s “one-fund-for-life” strategy. His message was clear: while simple investing solutions can work, small, thoughtful adjustments—like adding different asset classes—can meaningfully improve long-term returns.

Paul also emphasized timeless investing principles:

Stay the course. Don’t bail when markets turn volatile.

Understand your risk. Know how much you can afford to lose before the storm comes.

Avoid unnecessary costs. A fraction of a percent in fees can add up to millions over a lifetime.

Diversify wisely. A broad mix of assets offers protection and opportunity across market cycles.

Whether discussing crypto, ETFs vs. mutual funds, or portfolio allocation strategies, Paul’s advice always comes back to one goal: helping investors achieve financial independence with confidence and peace of mind.

You can explore his free resources, podcasts, and articles at paulmerriman.com

In Part 2 of this 4-part series, Paul Merriman compares the accumulation results of the U.S. 4-Fund Portfolio against the S&P 500, using both all-equity and 60/40 strategies.

Paul analyzes five decades of data, showing how diversification affects returns, volatility, and long-term wealth creation.

Paul also highlights the tables you’ll want to download and follow along with as he explains the numbers:

• Table B1: Fine-Tuning Table – S&P 500
• Table B4: Fine-Tuning Table – U.S. 4-Fund Portfolio
• Table H2a: Sound Investing Portfolios – 100% Equities
• Table H2: Sound Investing Portfolios – 60/40 Portfolios
• Table C1 & C4: Fixed Contributions for Accumulation Analysis

Next week: We'll look at the distributions in retirement using the S&P 500 in both the 100% equity and 60% equities/ 40% bonds.

This is the first of a series of 4 podcasts focused on the decision to have all of your investments be all equities vs. a balanced portfolio of equities and fixed income. In this presentation Paul uses the S&P 500 in both the all equity and the 60/40 stock/bond portfolio. He uses the following tables during his presentation.

Table B1 Fine Tuning Table: S&P 500 Equity Portfolio

Table H2a Sound Investing Portfolios (these portfolios are all 100% equities)

Table H2 Sound Investing Portfolios (these portfolios are all 60% equities/40% fixed income) (NEW)

Table C1 Fixed Contributions ($1,000/yr: S&P 500 Equity Portfolio
In the next presentation he does the same analysis using the U.S. 4 Fund and Worldwide 4 Fund Portfolios for the equity portion of the portfolio.