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.
- US Large Cap45%
- US Mid Cap12%
- US Small Cap10%
- Europe Large Cap18%
- Europe Small Cap5%
- Emerging Markets8%
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
US Large Cap
Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF
US Mid Cap
Vanguard Small-Cap ETF
US Small Cap
iShares Europe ETF
Europe Large Cap
iShares MSCI Europe Small-Cap ETF
Europe Small Cap
Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF
Emerging Markets
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.