Synopses & Reviews
Praise for The Investor's Manifesto"Bill Bernstein's impassioned new book is indeed a manifesto—a call to action for Main Street investors to free themselves from exploitation by Wall Street money moguls; to understand the brute principles that ultimately determine stock market returns; and to establish the sound and simple strategies necessary for investment success. The Investor's Manifesto is a grand-slam home run."
—John C. Bogle, founder of the Vanguard Group, Inc.
"This is the investment book that my kids, step-kids, and sisters will read, remember, and thank me for. Bernstein's way with ideas and words means that for all of them, practical investment is no longer too hard or too dull to master. The ahaaa moment for me was finding out what Bernstein is recommending to his readers now."
—Ed Tower, Professor of Economics, Duke University
"The Investor's Manifesto is packed with wisdom and charmingly written. It belongs on every investor's bookshelf."
—Burton G. Malkiel, author of A Random Walk Down Wall Street
"There is no better writer on investing than William Bernstein. If he has written it, it is a must-read. Whether you are just beginning your journey or already in retirement, this book is an invaluable guide filled with pearls of wisdom."
—Larry Swedroe, Principal and Director of Research, The Buckingham Family of Financial Services, author of Wise Investing Made Simple and The Only Guide You'll Ever Need series
"In The Investor's Manifesto, author William Bernstein, PhD, MD, has condensed his long experience and intellectual wisdom into an easy-to-read and easy-to-understand book that deserves to be on the bookshelf of every serious investor."
—Taylor Larimore, coauthor of The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing and The Bogleheads' Guide to Retirement Planning
"The Investor's Manifesto brilliantly lays out timeless investment strategies in a clear, easy-to-understand manner. Whether an investing novice or an experienced investor, Bill Bernstein helps you recover from the market decline and build a solid financial future. Longtime Bernstein fans find the answer to the question 'What would Bill do?'"
—Laura F. Dogu, coauthor of The Bogleheads' Guide to Retirement Planning
Review
"So how do we take care of ourselves? Easy. I believe
The Investor's Manifesto: Preparing for Prosperity, Armageddon and Everything in Between is the shortest and most lucid explanation of index investing and simple asset allocation yet written. . . . This is a must-read book."
—Scott Burns, Syndicated Columnist and Principal of Assetbuilder.com
Synopsis
A timeless approach to investing wisely over an investment lifetimeWith the current market maelstrom as a background, this timely guide describes just how to plan a lifetime of investing, in good times and bad, discussing stocks and bonds as well as the relationship between risk and return.
Filled with in-depth insights and practical advice, The Investor's Manifesto will help you understand the nuts and bolts of executing a lifetime investment plan, including: how to survive dealing with the investment industry, the practical meaning of market efficiency, how much to save, how to maintain discipline in the face of panics and manias, and what vehicles to use to achieve financial security and freedom.
- Written by bestselling author William J. Bernstein, well known for his insights on how individual investors can manage their personal wealth and retirement funds wisely
- Examines how the financial landscape has radically altered in the past two years, and what investors should do about it
- Contains practical insights that the everyday investor can understand
- Focuses on the concept of Pascal's Wager-identifying and avoiding worst-case scenarios, and planning investment decisions on that basis
With The Investor's Manifesto as your guide, you'll quickly discover the timeless investment approaches that can put you in a better position to prosper over time.
Synopsis
With the current market maelstrom as a background, this timely guide describes just how to plan a lifetime of investing, discussing stocks and bonds as well as the relationship between risk and return.
Synopsis
As recently as a generation or two ago, the lack of financial ability wasn't a handicap for the average person. But in today's world—where most of us have been forced to manage our own investment and retirement portfolios—it has become essential to understand the finer points of our financial life.
While the meltdown of 2008–2009 has compounded the complexity of the investment landscape, timeless investment principles can help you navigate even the toughest investment terrain. That's why bestselling author William Bernstein—a grassroots hero to independent investors—has written The Investor's Manifesto.
Approaching the problems of investing and saving from the perspective of someone who has had to figure it out for himself, Bernstein knows firsthand how difficult these endeavors can be—especially for those with little professional experience in this arena. Now, with the current market maelstrom as a backdrop, he skillfully describes what it takes to plan for a lifetime of investing, discussing stocks and bonds as well as the relationship between risk and return. Written in a straightforward and accessible style, The Investor's Manifesto:
Explores the theoretical basis of investing and designing portfolios, drawn in large part from financial history
Offers insights on dealing with the emotions and attitudes that routinely cripple investors
Discusses how to deal with the investment industry when executing strategies designed for anything from saving for retirement to putting a child through college
Addresses ways in which individual investors can construct diversified portfolios that can blunt potentially damaging market forces
Covers the concept of Pascal's Wager—which will enable you to identify and avoid worst-case investing scenarios
If there were ever a time to take control of your financial future, it is now. Potentially generous returns are available to the brave, the disciplined, and the liquid. If you follow the advice found here and keep your head while others lose theirs, then you will have a fighting chance of avoiding the financial pitfalls in front of you and profiting over the long-term.
About the Author
William J. Bernstein, PhD, MD, is a bestselling author known as a grassroots hero to independent investors. Formerly a practicing neurologist, Bernstein approaches the problems of saving and investing as someone who had to figure it out for himself—from first principles up. He is the author of The Intelligent Asset Allocator and The Four Pillars of Investing—highly regarded, plain-spoken guides on how to build a diversified portfolio without the help of a financial advisor—the editor of the asset allocation journal Efficient Frontier, and the founder of the popular Web site efficientfrontier.com. He has also written two volumes of economic history, The Birth of Plenty and A Splendid Exchange, and is a coprincipal in Efficient Frontier Advisors.
Table of Contents
Foreword ix
Preface xiii
Chapter 1 A Brief History of Financial Time 1
In the Beginning 2
Near-Death in Venice 8
The Incredible Shrinking Risk Premium 11
Summary 12
Chapter 2 The Nature of the Beast 13
Of Ravens and Returns 13
History versus Math 18
Mr. Gordon’s Curious Equation 25
Math Detail: The Discounted Dividend Model 29
Home Sweet Home? 35
Adventures in Equity 38
Math Detail: Risk 43
Throwing Dice with God 47
Gene Fama Looks for Angles and Finds None 49
Sandbagged by a Superstar 52
Jack Bogle Outfoxes the Suits 56
It Is Better to Be Lucky Than Smart 63
Bond Funds: A Flatter Playing Field 64
Summary 65
Chapter 3 The Nature of the Portfolio 69
Four Essential Preliminaries 71
The Asset Allocation Two-Step 74
Math Detail: Mean-Variance Analysis 83
With Luck, Zigs, and Zags 84
Chasing Rainbows 88
Summary 93
Chapter 4 The Enemy in the Mirror 95
Inner Demons 97
Behaving Badly 100
Bargain-Basement Psychotherapy 116
Summary 125
Chapter 5 Muggers and Worse 127
The World's Largest Bad Neighborhood 128
The Fund Funhouse 135
Summary 142
Chapter 6 Building Your Portfolio 143
Financial Planning for a Lifetime: The Basics 143
Saving for Retirement: Nuts and Bolts 145
How to Save: Dollar Cost Averaging and Value Averaging 152
Four Investors, Four Plans 154
The Rebalancing Question 166
Math Detail: Rebalancing, Momentum, and Mean Reversion 169
Teach Your Children Well 172
Summary 174
Chapter 7 The Name of the Game 179
Investment Theory and History: The Short Course 180
The Portfolio Theory of Everything 181
We Have Met the Enemy, and He Is Us 181
Heads I Win, Tails You Lose 182
Fire When Ready 182
The Books You Need . . . Aged Like Fine Wine 185
Notes 188
Acknowledgments 193
About the Author 195
Index 196