03 / 04Complexity 4 of 4

Merriman-Inspired Grid.

Region and size, sleeve by sleeve.

Inspired by Paul Merriman's Ultimate Buy & Hold work, this template splits equities into explicit regional and size sleeves so each exposure can be seen and rebalanced directly. It is a simplified implementation, not Merriman's canonical 10-asset-class portfolio.

EU UCITS (simplified implementation)

Optimized for
  • US Large Cap45%
  • US Mid Cap12%
  • US Small Cap10%
  • Europe Large Cap18%
  • Europe Small Cap5%
  • Emerging Markets8%
HoldingTickerWeight

iShares Core S&P 500 UCITS ETF (Acc)

US Large Cap

SXR845%

SPDR S&P 400 U.S. Mid Cap UCITS ETF

US Mid Cap

SPY412%

SPDR Russell 2000 U.S. Small Cap UCITS ETF

US Small Cap

ZPRR10%

iShares STOXX Europe Large 200 UCITS ETF

Europe Large Cap

EXSC18%

SPDR MSCI Europe Small Cap UCITS ETF

Europe Small Cap

SMC5%

iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets IMI UCITS ETF

Emerging Markets

EIMI8%

EU tax note: Granular ETF sleeves can create more trading friction over time. In Europe, some sleeves also rely on narrower UCITS funds with higher spreads and lower assets than the US equivalents.

Educational, not advisory. Starters illustrate published asset-allocation structures. They are not recommendations, and you remain responsible for choices that fit your jurisdiction, taxes, and horizon.

Strengths

  • Each region and size sleeve is visible, independent, and easy to rebalance.

  • Makes large-, mid-, and small-cap exposure explicit instead of burying it inside a broad fund.

  • Keeps emerging markets as a separate decision rather than a residual weight.

Trade-offs

  • One of the most complex starter structures in the gallery.

  • Requires more discipline to maintain than a broad-market core.

  • Prone to tinkering when one region under- or out-performs.

  • UCITS implementations often need substitute funds rather than exact one-to-one Merriman building blocks.

Cookie settings

Essential cookies keep sign-in and session security working. Optional telemetry helps us maintain the service. Read more in Privacy.