Richard Buck, Ghostwriter

Richard Buck was a Seattle Times business reporter for 20 years, capping a 30-year journalism career that included eight years as a writer and editor for The Associated Press. He began working with Paul in 1993 and retired in the fall of 2011 as senior editor of Merriman LLC. In that position he helped Paul and other Merriman staff members write many articles at FundAdvice.com and was the ghostwriter for Paul’s books, Financial Fitness Forever, Live It Up Without Outliving Your Money! Since the formation of The Merriman Financial Education Foundation in 2012, Rich has been Paul’s co-writer for the How To Invest Series, hundreds of MarketWatch articles and the book, We’re Talking Millions! 

Email: Richard Buck 

Margie Baxley, Technology/Website Manager

Margie Baxley is owner of Geek Websites, offering web design and hosting services. She is the technology and website manager for PaulMerriman.com since 2012, also editing podcasts and videos and producing PowerPoint presentations to accompany Paul’s live and online events.

Email: Margie Baxley 

Reneé Ashley- Social Media Manager, Graphic Designer

Reneé Ashley lives in Texas with her husband and four children. She handles social media marketing for Paul Merriman, as well as other authors and podcasters. Reneé also designs graphics for Paul Merriman.com.

Email:  Reneé Ashley 

Chris Pedersen – Director of Research

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, Portfolio Configurator 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.

Email:  Chris Pedersen 

Daryl Bahls – Director of Analytics

Daryl Bahls is an engineer by training and an analyst by nature. He spent his working years as a system engineer, engineering manager and member of the technical fellowship in the aerospace industry. His investment style has evolved over the years but eventually landed him firmly in the ‘slice and dice’ side of the buy-and-hold investing world. In addition to investment modeling in support of Paul’s continuing financial education work at PaulMerriman.com and The Merriman Financial Education Foundation, he likes to travel, read and follow sports –– primarily baseball, football, curling and rugby.

Email: Daryl Bahls

Jess Hartter- University Outreach and Education Programs

Jess retired from a career in engineering and project management in 2022 at the age of 35. He began his investing career at the age of 10 in 1996, and was an active stock trader for 17 years before discovering the “Shockingly Simple Math Behind Early Retirement.” In 2014 at the age of 27 he joined the FIRE movement and set a goal of retiring in 10 years.  At this point he pivoted to an index investing strategy that evolved from a Total US Stock Market strategy to a more diverse strategy upon discovery of the Merriman Foundation’s work. Jess taught financial literacy classes for 5 years before joining the Merriman Foundation in 2023. 

Jess currently leads the university outreach and education program at the Merriman foundation. He enjoys traveling with his young family and a general curiosity in living a mindful and fulfilling life.

Email: Jess Hartter

Aysha Griffin, Former Communications Director (Rest in Peace)

Aysha Griffin was a certified business and life coach, writer/editor, and advocate for women’s financial empowerment. A desktop publishing pioneer, she founded her own marketing/communications agency in 1986, following a career in newspaper, magazine and broadcast news. A business and travel writer/blogger, she is author of Leonardo’s Revenge and Other Stories and ghostwriter/editorial consultant for dozens of authors. A world traveler with a wide range of professional experience, she facilitated workshops in entrepreneurship and money management. Since 2012 she had been communications director for The Merriman Financial Education Foundation and PaulMerriman.com. She lived on the Costa Brava in Catalunya Spain with her Standard Poodle till her unfortunate passing in February 2023.