The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing

The irreverent guide to investing, Boglehead style The Boglehead's Guide to Investing is a DIY handbook that espouses the sage investment wisdom of John C. Bogle. This witty and wonderful book offers contrarian advice that provides the first step on the road to investment success, illustrating how relying on typical "common sense" promoted by Wall Street is destined to leave you poorer. This updated edition includes new information on backdoor Roth IRAs and ETFs as mainstream buy and hold investments, estate taxes and gifting, plus changes to the laws regarding Traditional and Roth IRAs, and 401k and 403b retirement plans. With warnings and principles both precisely accurate and grandly counterintuitive, the Boglehead authors show how beating the market is a zero-sum game. Investing can be simple, but it's certainly not simplistic. Over the course of twenty years, the followers of John C. Bogle have evolved from a loose association of investors to a major force with the largest and most active non-commercial financial forum on the Internet. The Boglehead's Guide to Investing brings that communication to you with comprehensive guidance to the investment prowess on display at Bogleheads.org. You'll learn how to craft your own investment strategy using the Bogle-proven methods that have worked for thousands of investors, and how to: Choose a sound financial lifestyle and diversify your portfolio Start early, invest regularly, and know what you're buying Preserve your buying power, keeping costs and taxes low Throw out the "good" advice promoted by Wall Street that leads to investment failure Financial markets are essentially closed systems in which one's gain garners another's loss. Investors looking for a roadmap to successfully navigating these choppy waters long-term will find expert guidance, sound advice, and a little irreverent humor in The Boglehead's Guide to Investing.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments xiii Foreword by John C. Bogle xv Introduction xxiii Part I Essentials of Successful Investing Chapter 1 Choose a Sound Financial Lifestyle 3 Chapter 2 Start Early and Invest Regularly 13 Chapter 3 Know What You're Buying: Part One 25 Chapter 4 Know What You're Buying: Part Two 39 Chapter 5 Preserve Your Buying Power with Inflation-Protected Bonds 49 Chapter 6 How Much Do You Need to Save? 63 Chapter 7 Keep It Simple 75 Chapter 8 Asset Allocation 89 Chapter 9 Costs Matter 109 Chapter 10 Taxes: Part One 119 Chapter 11 Taxes: Part Two 131 Chapter 12 Diversification 143 Chapter 13 Performance Chasing and Market Timing are Hazardous to Your Wealth 153 Chapter 14 Savvy Ways to Invest for College 169 Chapter 15 How to Manage a Windfall Successfully 179 Chapter 16 Do You Need an Advisor? 187 Part II Follow-Through Strategies to Keep You On Target Chapter 17 Track Your Progress and Rebalance When Necessary 199 Chapter 18 Tune Out the "Noise" 211 Chapter 19 Mastering Your Investments Means Mastering Your Emotions 223 Chapter 20 Making Your Money Last Longer Than You Do 235 Chapter 21 Protect Your Assets by Being Well-Insured 243 Chapter 22 Passing It On When You Pass On 257 Chapter 23 You Can Do It 265 Appendices Appendix I: Glossary of Financial Terms 273 Appendix II: Books We Recommend 279 Appendix III: Financial Websites We Recommend 283 Appendix IV: Vanguard Asset Allocation Questionnaire and Pie Charts 287 About the Authors 293 Index 295