Synopses & Reviews
Praise for
The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing
"If you master the concepts laid out in this book, you'll do very well."
Reuters News
"Kindness, integrity, and common sense can be scarce on Wall Street, but the Bogleheads have each in abundance. Reading The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing is like learning investing from your grandfather. There's a lifetime of wisdom packed into these pages, coupled with a sincere desire to help investors meet their goals. Jack Bogle will be proud!"
Don Phillips, Managing Director, Morningstar
"The Vanguard Diehardsa.k.a. the 'Bogleheads'are easily the planet's most well-informed, congenial, and successful group of individual investors. At long last, they're letting the general public in on their solutions, their secrets, and their strategies. If you're about to retire, are planning to retire, or are even thinking of retiring, you can't afford not to read this book."
William J. Bernstein, cofounder, Efficient Frontier Advisors, LLC
author of The Intelligent Asset Allocator and The Four Pillars of Investing
"More than thirty years ago John Bogle started a war in the mutual fund industry. His weapon was low fees, and his shield was common sense. In this book, three ardent followers sagely outline Bogle's approach that has benefited millions and will benefit millions more."
Richard Ferri, CFA, President, Portfolio Solutions LLC
author of The ETF Book: All You Need to Know About Exchange-Traded Funds (Wiley/December 2007)
"Those investors who have the courage, discipline, and wisdom to follow the sound financial and investment strategies of The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing are virtually certain to achieve results superior to not only the vast majority of individual investors, but the vast majority of professionals as well. What is perhaps more important is that the quality of their lives will be improved because they will have more time to spend on the really important things in their lives."
Larry Swedroe, author of The Only Guide to a Winning Investment Strategy You'll Ever Need
Review
"The Bogleheads march readers smartly through the basics...[and] pepper the text with practical tips and Web links." (
Bloomberg.com, March 2006)
"The book provides sound advice on a variety of issues including mutual funds, bonds, diversification and taxes." -- Lynn O'Shaughnessy, The San Diego Union-Tribune (July 2006)
" ... if you're planning on investing for the purpose of building a stable, lifelong economic backbone, I couldn?t recommend this book more highly. It's a well-conceived explanation, from top to bottom, of an investment philosophy that will create a life full of steady gains and sustainable wealth." -- (www.thesimpledollar.com March 2007)
Review
"Generically, the Bogleheads are folks who admire John Bogle, founder of the Vanguard mutual fund company . . . So, why
did they write this book? Probably for a little ego boost. Also, perhaps, to share a lifetime of accumulated knowledge, to help other people achieve their financial goals, and to leave the world a slightly better place. Are these guys
nuts,or what? Anyway, they did a good job. This is definitely a book for beginning investors, but the facts are solid, the advice almost impossible to argue with . . . . If you're looking for a financial book you can
trust, we can't think of a better candidate than this, except possibly for one of the books by the Master (i.e., John Bogle) himself. If you want to get started investing, if you need a new investment plan, or if you'd like to validate an existing plan, we suggest that you sit down, read this book, and
trust what you read. How rare is that?"—Roy Weitz, FundAlarm.com (December 2005)
"The chief Boglehead is Taylor Larimore, 81, a former official at the Small Business Administration . . . He and a few other Vanguard fans started the Diehards forum in 1998. Now Larimore and two other longtime Diehards—Mel Lindauer, 67, a retired owner of a graphic arts business, and Michael LeBoeuf, 63, a former management professor—have written The Bogleheads Guide to Investing . . . . The book’s main themes should come as no surprise. In his own writing, Bogle emphasizes diversification, low costs, and index funds; here, his followers try to make those notions graspable for beginners . . . . Also, unlike most investing authors, the Bogleheads offer advice on topics from taxes to insurance to estate planning ."—Penelope Wang, MoneyMagazine (January 2006).
"The new "Bogleheads Guide to Investing!" Gotcha! A must-read!"- Paul Farrell, Marketwatch.com
"If you master the concepts laid out in this book, you'll do very well." (Reuters News)
"'The Bogleheads' Guide' is both a textbook for beginners and a refresher course for old hands. It blends elements of financial-planning primers like 'The Wealthy Barber' with tips on why it pays to be cheap, a la 'The Millionaire Next Door.' ... The Bogleheads march readers smartly through the basics of how much they need to save for retirement, how to allocate their assets and when to rebalance their portfolios. The authors steer through the minefield of taxes and warn neophytes to master portfolio-gutting emotions including greed and fear." - James Pressley, Bloomberg.com
Synopsis
The Bogleheads’ Guide to Investing is a slightly irreverent, straightforward guide to investing for everyone. The book offers sound, practical advice, no matter what your age or net worth. Bottomline, become a Boglehead and prosper! Originally just the chat-line ruminations of Boglehead founder Taylor Larimore, and Morningstar forum leading cohorts Mel Lindauer and Michael LeBoeuf, their trusted advice has been brewed and distilled into an easy-to-use, need-to-know, no frills guide to building up your own financial well-being – so you can worry less and profit more from the investments you make. Invest like a Boglehead, and let their grassroots investment wisdom guide you down the path of long-term wealth creation and happiness, without all the worries and fuss of stock pickers and day traders. If you face a financial crisis or problem, or simply want to know what is prudent to do with the money you save, the Bogleheads will have the answers you need to help you gain your financial footing and keep it.
Synopsis
Now, with The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing, you'll discover what it really means to be a Boglehead and learn how this approach can enable you to become a better investor and manager of your own financial resources. Assuming no extensive knowledge of finance on your part, Boglehead forum leaders Taylor Larimore, Mel Lindauer, and Michael LeBoeuf show you how to invest with simplicity and minimize the costs and taxes that quietly eat away at returns. Along the way, they'll also show you how to join the legions of Boglehead investors currently onlineso you can post your own questions or help others solve their particular investment problems.
Other important topics covered throughout this book include:
- What types of investments you should use to get on solid financial ground
- How you can protect your investments against the ravages of inflation
- Steps to building a simple but effective investment portfolio and how to determine when to rebalance your portfolio
- How to live a comfortable retirement without running out of money
- How to efficiently pass on assets to your heirs
- How to keep your investing style simple, giving you more time to live life to the fullest
- And much more
With over a century of combined investment experience among them, authors Larimore, Lindauer, and LeBoeuf have seen a variety of different approaches to the market, but none more effective than the low-cost, tax-efficient philosophy of Jack Bogle. If you're looking for better long-term returns for your investment dollars, The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing can show you the way.
About the Author
Taylor Larimore, Mel Lindauer, and Michael LeBoeuf are three millionaires who met online and combined their investing experience and efforts to help others. The authors have contributed over 40,000 posts on the Diehards and Bogleheads forums. You can read more about each of them in "About the Authors" on page 293.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments.
Foreword (John C. Bogle)
Introduction.
Part I: Essentials of Successful Investing.
Chapter 1. Choose a Sound Financial Lifestyle.
Chapter 2. Start Early and Invest Regularly.
Chapter 3. Know What You're Buying: Part One.
Chapter 4. Know What You're Buying: Part Two.
Chapter 5. Preserve Your Buying Power with Inflation-Protected Bonds.
Chapter 6. How Much Do You Need To Save?
Chapter 7. Keep It Simple.
Chapter 8. Asset Allocation.
Chapter 9. Costs Matter.
Chapter 10. Taxes: Part One.
Chapter 11. Taxes: Part Two.
Chapter 12. Diversification.
Chapter 13. Performance Chasing and Market Timing Are Hazardous to Your Wealth.
Chapter 14. Savvy Ways to Invest For College.
Chapter 15. How to Manage a Windfall Successfully.
Chapter 16. Do You Need an Advisor?
Part II: Follow-Through Strategies to Keep You On Target.
Chapter 17. Track Your Progress and Rebalance When Necessary.
Chapter 18. Tune Out the "Noise."
Chapter 19. Mastering Your Investments Means Mastering Your Emotions.
Chapter 20. Making Your Money Last Longer Than You Do.
Chapter 21. Protect Your Assets By Being Well-Insured.
Chapter 22. Passing It On When You Pass On.
Chapter 23. You Can Do It.
Appendices.
Appendix I. Glossary of Financial Terms.
Appendix II: Books We Recommend.
Appendix III: Financial Web Sites We Recommend.
Appendix IV: Vanguard Asset Allocation Questionnaire and Pie Charts.
About the Authors.
Index.