How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

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mptfan
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How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by mptfan »

For those of us who have been regular contributors to the Bogleheads forum over the years, we sometimes hear from those who have come asking for advice regarding how the advice has helped them, but sometimes we don't. Also, I know there are many lurkers. So I am curious to hear from those of you who came to the Bogleheads asking for advice or help...

How have the Bogleheads helped you?
How did you find the Bogleheads?
Did you read any of the recommended books?
What did you learn?
What is the most important thing that you learned?
What did you change or do differently after getting advice from the Bogleheads?
Did you pay off debt?
Did you stop using an advisor, or did you change advisors?
Did you change your savings habits?
Did you become more educated about saving and investing?
Did you become more educated about tax issues?
Did you wake up and realize how much you were paying in fees and expenses?
Did you have an "ah - ha!" moment?
How is your portfolio different now?
Are you in a better financial position now?
Have you used what you learned to help others?
Do you talk about what you have learned with others, or do you keep it to yourself?
Last edited by mptfan on Tue Jan 17, 2012 1:36 pm, edited 2 times in total.
livesoft
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Re: How have the Bogleheads helped you?

Post by livesoft »

I must say again that Bogleheads have helped me tremendously with my portfolio and saved me tens of thousands of dollars in taxes. Yes, tens of thousands of dollars.

When I first came here, I had actively-managed balanced funds in taxable. I had some actively-managed small-cap foreign funds in taxable as well. I had a limited amount of fixed income. My 401(k) was all actively-managed funds. I had a portfolio that was not atypical of the many "pimp my portfolio" threads.

Then I got rid of my balanced funds. I put mostly international funds in my taxable account. I was able to get on my employer's 401(k) committee and gently (and successfully) push to changing providers and getting index funds as choices. Along the way, some new products in the form of Vanguard ETFs came to market which covered the small-cap foreign space and the total international space.

I never used an advisor and still do not. I did not change my savings habits. I had been using Vanguard, TIAA-CREF, and Dodge&Cox for most of my investments, so my fees and expenses are not much lower today. I have always contributed the maximum possible to all retirement plans and also to a joint taxable account. I was doing tax-loss harvesting, but not to the extent that I do nowadays. I have no qualms about selling losers at all.

Another thing that has been very helpful to me is to see how others invest. I have more appreciation for the "common man" and the difficulty of figuring this all out than I ever had before. This has been tremendously helpful with my duties on the 401(k) committee as I am not just looking out for myself, but for all my colleagues at work, too. OTOH, you all may have noticed that I don't abide by folks looking for handouts. I want them to do their own research (and searches of the forum) and teach themselves investing rather than getting things spoon fed to them.
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BolderBoy
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Re: How have the Bogleheads helped you?

Post by BolderBoy »

Livesoft covered it.

I came here having dumped my 4th (and last) advisor, none of whom ever did better than I was doing on my own (and I was a mess) and the last advisor did MUCH worse than I was doing on my own. My "portfolio" was a disaster of "more is better". When I was making the switch to all Vanguard, one of first Vanguard reps I interacted with to make an exchange said, "Oh my. I see you are a fund collector." I had no idea what he meant, didn't ask and he didn't volunteer what he meant.

[hanging head in shame] I have read NONE of the recommended books - instead, I'm a voracious reader of this forum and through it have been learning what is in the books. That aside, just following the simplest approach offered here, is really all that needs to be done.

The wealth of knowledge and experience here is staggering. I'm quite sure that if I had in 1992, the knowledge I have now, my portfolio would be several times larger than it is.

And I continue to be overwhelmed and extremely grateful for the frequent, very detailed posts that many of the regulars in particular make; these obviously take many hours to create and polish. This is super-advisor level advice and analysis that is unmatched and best of all, free for the masses.

My thanks to all!
YDNAL
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Re: How have the Bogleheads helped you?

Post by YDNAL »

mptfan wrote:How have the Bogleheads helped you? How did you find the Bogleheads? What did you learn? Did you read any of the recommended books? What did you change or do differently after getting advice from the Bogleheads? Did you pay off debt? Did you stop using an advisor, or did you change advisors? Did you change your savings habits? Did you become more educated about saving and investing? Did you wake up and realize how much you were paying in fees and expenses? How is your portfolio different now? Did you have an "ah-ha!" moment? Are you in a better financial position now? What is the most important thing that you have learned? Have you used what you learned to help others? Do you talk about what you have learned with others, or do you keep it to yourself?
A lot of questions, eh?

I will selectively answer some. I came to Vanguard Diehards (Morgningstar Forum) around 2002 since it is promently seen in their "Markets" page - but never registered. This page includes X-Ray (free) that I used for quite some time. Never used an advisor. Didn't change savings habits. I share what little I know.
Landy | Be yourself, everyone else is already taken -- Oscar Wilde
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ejvyas
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Re: How have the Bogleheads helped you?

Post by ejvyas »

How have the Bogleheads helped you?
To start portfolio

How did you find the Bogleheads?
Google some keywords to start portfolio


Did you read any of the recommended books?
Yes some of them and ordering more

What did you learn?
EVERYTHING :D

What is the most important thing that you learned?
stay the course, no one can beat the market

What did you change or do differently after getting advice from the Bogleheads?
Started Vanguard account

Did you pay off debt?
No debt

Did you stop using an advisor, or did you change advisors?
Stopped advisor

Did you change your savings habits?
No

Did you become more educated about saving and investing?
Of course!

Did you become more educated about tax issues?
Of course!

Did you wake up and realize how much you were paying in fees and expenses?
Of course!

Did you have an "ah - ha!" moment?
Of course!

How is your portfolio different now?
low cost index funds

Are you in a better financial position now?
Not better financially but better financial information wise

Have you used what you learned to help others?
Try to teach same lesson to friends

Do you talk about what you have learned with others, or do you keep it to yourself?
Talk about indexing and bogleheads all the time
MWCA
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Re: How have the Bogleheads helped you?

Post by MWCA »

Biggest thing Ive learned is to keep costs down. Ive shared this with others in my circle when they ask.
We are all worms. But I believe that I am a glow-worm.
gofigure
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Re: How have the Bogleheads helped you?

Post by gofigure »

I think the biggest thing Bogleheads has given me is a framework in which to grow and manage the assets we're going to use to fund our retirement and that's just huge! Thank you!!!
Khanmots
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Re: How have the Bogleheads helped you?

Post by Khanmots »

About a year ago I'd had some questions regarding how I managed my investments come up in an internal job interview (was for an internal business analyst position so it made sense) and that was enough to get me seriously thinking about how I wasn't managing them. That I wasn't really paying close enough attention to what my advisor was really doing and what all was going on with the funds. From there I did a lot of thinking about how the market works and what makes sense. Decided that I couldn't compete in analysis with the "Big Boys" and that in the long-run any one of them isn't going to outperform the aggregate... and as they're the market drivers... it led me to the belief that an efficient market (with some reservations) makes sense. So I started looking for resources for those who believe in an efficient market...

And voila, bogleheads! :D

So... most of the questions you ask about fees, escaping advisors, and such aren't things that I realized after finding the forum but rather why I hunted the forum up in the first place.

That said, I've primarily used the boglehead forum as a source to primary sources... in other words, links to research papers, various studies, tax documents, etc. I've also found it a good resource for finding ideas on tax strategies to research. Also grabbed a few links to some good books from here as well (although I found some of the recommended ones to be overly simplistic and not offering much, but that's me not the book I think). I've also found the community great at helping me get over that barrier of moving everything over to self-managed and taking ownership of it all. And can't forget the benefit that comes from being able to read and participate in discussions on ideas and theories. Did get some advice on my initial allocation thoughts to make sure I wasn't overlooking anything, and now I'm confident enough that while I'm still slowly refining my allocation and adjusting where things are held for slightly more tax-efficiency I don't feel the need to post about it. When I was making that first leap into self-managing things though, that proverbial hand-holding was quite helpful!

As for others, I've put together my own recommended reading list that I pass on to coworkers and friends that are interested and am happy to discuss things with them.
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kingsnake
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Re: How have the Bogleheads helped you?

Post by kingsnake »

I went from all actively managed funds to index funds. I had no fixed income and now have about 40% bonds. I have I bonds and total bond funds.
My Roth and 401K are all in bonds for the tax advantages. The forum and Guide to Investing got me on course.
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prudent
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Re: How have the Bogleheads helped you?

Post by prudent »

A little background... I got interested in the markets as a teenager, even though we were poor and I knew no one who actually invested. In the summers I would take the bus downtown and hang out at one of the brokers where they had a dozen chairs in front of the ticker, and the retired folks who also hung out there would patiently explain things to me. I would paper-trade stocks using a momentum strategy and meticulously record my "buys" and "sells". It was obvious to me that I was destined to be a world-class investor given my stellar record! :wink: It was probably 15 years later before I was able to set aside anything to invest with, in the company 401k.

Wanting to be a market gunslinger, but unable to trade individual stocks in the 401k, I thought I would just wheel and deal the funds just like stocks. 401k rules prohibited that. So it became boring. By sheer luck, I started looking at expense ratios in the 401k and something nagged me about how much the impact would be, and I gravitated towards the index funds even though I didn't understand fully why. I knew nothing about asset allocation but spread out my investments in the 401k just to not have all my eggs in one basket. I was more worried about losing money than gaining it (when you grow up poor, you tend to think that way).

When I stumbled across this forum (I think it was the wiki I found first), I realized that even though I knew plenty about investing, I wasn't applying proper techniques to my own investments. Got two Bogleheads books from my library, read plenty of stuff here as well.

While I have not posted a lot of questions here, I have taken advantage of the information already shared here and in the Bogleheads books.

What I changed was my asset allocation, my rebalancing approach, focused more on low-cost index funds, upped my savings rate to max the 401k, took advantage of the Roth IRA. I am very debt-averse so I didn't have to deal with any debt.

I have much appreciation for the members here who share their insights.
Random Poster
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Re: How have the Bogleheads helped you?

Post by Random Poster »

mptfan wrote:How have the Bogleheads helped you? Made my investments more tax efficientHow did you find the Bogleheads? Can't recall.
Did you read any of the recommended books? Not yet.
What did you learn? Tax-efficient placement of funds.
What is the most important thing that you learned? Tax-efficient placement of funds.
What did you change or do differently after getting advice from the Bogleheads? Made my investments more tax efficient
Did you pay off debt? Not due to any advice received here.
Did you stop using an advisor, or did you change advisors? Not applicable.
Did you change your savings habits? No.
Did you become more educated about saving and investing? I would like to think so.
Did you become more educated about tax issues? Yes.
Did you wake up and realize how much you were paying in fees and expenses? Not applicable.
Did you have an "ah - ha!" moment? One might say so.
How is your portfolio different now? More tax-efficient.
Are you in a better financial position now? I would like to think so.
Have you used what you learned to help others? I've tried to.
Do you talk about what you have learned with others, or do you keep it to yourself? Both, depending on the topic.
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bob90245
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Re: How have the Bogleheads helped you?

Post by bob90245 »

I like this format. So I will use it! :D
mptfan wrote:How have the Bogleheads helped you? Keeps me current on the latest books and articles related to all things investment-wise.
How did you find the Bogleheads? From the old Morningstar Forums when it was called Diehards.
Did you read any of the recommended books? A couple dozen of them.
What did you learn? Slice and Dice is better than Total Stock Market.
What is the most important thing that you learned? My stock picking genius was more likely due to luck.
What did you change or do differently after getting advice from the Bogleheads? Not applicable.
Did you pay off debt? Never had debt.
Did you stop using an advisor, or did you change advisors? Not applicable.
Did you change your savings habits? No. I've always been a big saver.
Did you become more educated about saving and investing? Yes.
Did you become more educated about tax issues? Yes.
Did you wake up and realize how much you were paying in fees and expenses? Not applicable.
Did you have an "ah - ha!" moment? Yes. See above..
How is your portfolio different now? I use funds instead of picking stocks.
Are you in a better financial position now? Let's just say, "What lost decade?".
Have you used what you learned to help others? Yes.
Do you talk about what you have learned with others, or do you keep it to yourself? Only when asked for my advice.
Ignore the market noise. Keep to your rebalancing schedule whether that is semi-annual, annual or trigger bands.
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NAVigator
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by NAVigator »

How have the Bogleheads helped you? By explaining a better way to invest
How did you find the Bogleheads? I started with M* after seeing Diehards in web search
Did you read any of the recommended books? Almost all of them.
What did you learn? Too much to list!!!
What is the most important thing that you learned? That "average" beats "most"
What did you change or do differently after getting advice from the Bogleheads? my portfolio
Did you pay off debt? yes, no-debt
Did you stop using an advisor, or did you change advisors? I almost hired an advisor when I discovered Diehards/BH
Did you change your savings habits? No, but my frugal ways were verified
Did you become more educated about saving and investing? You bet!
Did you become more educated about tax issues? Yes and I adjusted my portfolio accordingly
Did you wake up and realize how much you were paying in fees and expenses? I learned the importance of low-cost investing
Did you have an "ah - ha!" moment? Yes, at every step since my oh-oh moments from previous investing
How is your portfolio different now? It grows instead of shrinks
Are you in a better financial position now? Yes, indeed
Have you used what you learned to help others? I am helping my adult children
Do you talk about what you have learned with others, or do you keep it to yourself? Yes at my local BH group meetings

I read most of the posts on the forums here and learn so much. I really appreciate the Wiki because it distills the wisdom from the forum into informative topics that are easily accessed. In short, I have learned a lot, I put it into practice, and I try to help where I can.

I am very grateful for what I have learned. I had to retire due to a medical situation at the age of 56. Investing effectively made it possible. Thanks to all.

Jerry
"I was born with nothing and I have most of it left."
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Majormajor78
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by Majormajor78 »

Here's my answers to some selected questions. I saved the best for last.
How have the Bogleheads helped you?
Helped me create a real plan instead of simply shooting from the hip at things I thought I needed. Looking back, my AA isn't all that differnt than what it was but now it's much more streamlined and less liekly to drift.
How did you find the Bogleheads?
Google - I was taking advantage of TD Ameritrades commission free etf's and was searching for info on the vanguard options availible.
Did you read any of the recommended books?
I've read the Boglehead's Guide and Common Sense on Mutual funds but I've never even looked at the full list of recommended books. :oops:
What did you learn?
That my mother lied... I'm not that special.
Did you become more educated about tax issues?
Oh yes, here was a real eye opener. I'm just glad i had all the bond in the 401k out of pure dumb luck and convenience.
Did you have an "ah - ha!" moment?
My desire to own any individual stock ended when Mark Hurd couldn't keep his pants zipped up. I couldn't believe that tens of billions of dollars could go up in smoke just because somebody supposedly had an itch to scratch.
"Oh, M. le Comte, it is only a loss of money which I have sustained... nothing worth mentioning, I assure you."
Badinvestor
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by Badinvestor »

Saint Jack's "sell" market call at the end of 2007 was really good.
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xystici
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by xystici »

* How have the Bogleheads helped you?
In many ways. I went from 0 to 60 mpg in a short amount of time in financial education and financial confidence. This allowed me to create an IPS and my first personal and customized mutual fund portfolio based on index funds.

* How did you find the Bogleheads?
Around October 2009 via Amazon.com. I was reading the recommendations of an investing book which now I do not remember when I noticed the Bogleheads' Guide to Investing book. It had better reviews than the book I was looking at... The problem for purchasing the Bogleheads' Guide to Investing though was that I hated very much that cover with those boobleheads. I finally end-up buying that weird-looking cover book and the rest is history...

* Did you read any of the recommended books?
Yes, I have read some of the GEM books listed in the Wiki.

* What did you learn?
Many things. For example, that nobody can predict financial returns consistently. Also that it is best to spend the time with family and friends than reading 10K reports in order to beat the market.

* What is the most important thing that you learned?
Simplicity and common sense on personal finance, saving, and investing.

* What did you change or do differently after getting advice from the Bogleheads?
Many things. For example, I sold all of the individual stocks I owned and close my TD Ameritrade account, opened a ROTH IRA, maxed-out 401K for the first time, successfully asked my company to get Vanguard funds into our 401K, dropped Cable TV, etc.

* Did you pay off debt?
I had no debt and I had paid my mortgage already before joining the Bogleheads

* Did you stop using an advisor, or did you change advisors?
I did not use an advisor before joining the Bogleheads

* Did you change your savings habits?
Not much. My family and I were already savers and living well below our means. That is one of the reasons I got hooked to Bogleheads forum and philosophy because I liked to see that most of the people in the forum were "like us".

* Did you become more educated about saving and investing?
Yes. Specially in investing.

* Did you become more educated about tax issues?
Yes, indeed.

* Did you wake up and realize how much you were paying in fees and expenses?
Yes, specially when I read about how little people tipped their hair stylist after a hair cut or how much I could save if I was to cut my hair myself...

* Did you have an "ah - ha!" moment?
Yes, after reading the first chapters of the Bogleheads' Guide to Investing and the Millionaire Next Door

* How is your portfolio different now?
Now my portfolio is a well diversified low-cost index fund portfolio that is controlled by my IPS

* Are you in a better financial position now?
Yes, definitely.

* Have you used what you learned to help others?
Yes.

* Do you talk about what you have learned with others, or do you keep it to yourself?
I talked to others that I think might be interested or that could benefit. I wish, though, I could talk of personal finance and investing more often to others.

Thanks Bogleheads once again for your support.
Trust yourself, Break the rules, Don't be afraid to fail, Don't listen to naysayers, Work your butt off. "It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped. Choose now and well"
chaz
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by chaz »

Much good info on this forum.
Chaz | | “Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons." Woody Allen | | http://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
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FabLab
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by FabLab »

chaz wrote:Much good info on this forum.
I can't think of a more pithy response than that!
The fundamental things apply as time goes by -- Herman Hupfeld
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Noobvestor
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by Noobvestor »

Do you talk about what you have learned with others, or do you keep it to yourself?
I can't seem to stop, hence my avatar
"In the absence of clarity, diversification is the only logical strategy" -= Larry Swedroe
Agent9
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by Agent9 »

I was directed to this forum from another personal finance forum after asking about creating an AA for my retirement portfolio. When I first started posting for help retiredjg took the time to answer all of my 100 or so questions through my intro thread as well as PMs. I really appreciate his, and all of the other volunteers here, willingness to help us noobies. You guys sure spend a lot of time drilling to the heart of the questions and formulating responses that neophytes can understand. Are y'all retired or something?

As for myself helping others. Since coming to this forum I've only had 2 or 3 opportunities to talk about my investments and it usually doesn't get further than 'Lazy Portfolio' and '80 / 20 Stocks to Bonds' before the other person's eyes start glazing over. They never give me the opportunity to talk about the awesomeness of Vanguard ultra-low expense index funds. :(
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VictoriaF
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by VictoriaF »

1. I joined the Bogleheads shortly after 11 September 2001, and the community, which was only the Morningstar Diehards at that time, has provided me with a balance to the shock I was in in the aftermath of the attack. I found the Diehards through Jason Zweig's article about a Diehards' reunion that came out earlier in 2001.

2. I had right ideas about investing after having read Eric Tyson's Personal Finance for Dummies, but I needed to clarify some specific details, and I was interested in independent verification of Tyson's statements. The Diehards/Bogleheads have provided that, and much more.

3. I was very fortunate that my initial message has brought responses from Taylor, Mel and Bob Stowe. The Diehards were knowledgeable, welcoming and helpful, an ideal web-based community, very different from what one would expect from the Internet. The openness of this Forum is one of its greatest advantages -- a disingenuous statement is quickly revealed as such.

4. A few years ago, I saved a fairly high amount of my tax money after speaking with Grabiner. I asked him some question, and he has brought up another possibility that I just have not thought of.

5. Other savings were less immediate or visible, but nevertheless real. About a year ago, grok87 has started a thread 30 year TIPs yield at 1.98%- back up the truck, beep, beep.. that alerted me to TIPS at a great rate. In 2008-2009, I've bought some TIPS at even better rates with Larry Swedroe's encouragement. Before that, I got some high-rate I-Bonds after reading Mel's tutorial.

6. In 2007, I have attended my first Bogleheads Reunion. In one of the discussions, Bill Bernstein said something that has triggered my decision to get rid of my REITs fund and put money into TIPS. That was a brilliant move.

7. Now, my assets are fairly static. I don't change them apart from balancing new flows. And still I take advantage of new information such as the recent news about the $10,000 limit on I-Bonds.

8. The Bogleheads are also a great place to learn new things or about new things. For example, JMacDonald has alerted me to the Teaching Company's courses.

9. There are also many useful discussions that I benefit from. People here are remarkably knowledgeable about great books, interesting events, travel destinations, and consumption venues.

10. Paradoxically, I am spending more now than I did before I have joined this group. Thanks to bobcat2 (Bob K.) I am a believer in consumption smoothing.

Victoria
Last edited by VictoriaF on Tue Jan 17, 2012 5:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Inventor of the Bogleheads Secret Handshake | Winner of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. | Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)
chipmonk
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by chipmonk »

How have the Bogleheads helped you?
Above all, the Bogleheads have helped me understand the importance of constructing a tax-efficient portfolio, and how to do it.
How did you find the Bogleheads?
I got my PhD, got a "real job," got some very generous gifts from my parents, and suddenly had a whole bunch of money to invest. I was raised by frugal parents who lived below their means and saved almost all of their money for retirement and education. I have had a Vanguard account in my name since before I was 18 (inheriting Flagship status is awfully nice). So I suppose I didn't have very far to go to find the Bogleheads. :)
Did you read any of the recommended books?
Several.
What did you learn?
I gotta say that I didn't learn much from the books that I hadn't already learned from the Bogleheads forums and wiki. I mean that as a testament to the high quality of advice and discussion on this site, and don't mean to denigrate the books in any way.
What did you change or do differently after getting advice from the Bogleheads?
I rearranged my portfolio to make it much more tax-efficient (bonds in IRA and 401k, stocks in taxable).
Did you pay off debt?
I'm thankful to have never had any debt besides a 0% car loan and some 0% credit card arbitrage.
Did you change your savings habits?
I started maxing out my Roth IRA, Trad 401k, HDHP HSA, and added some regular taxable correlations as well.
Did you have an "ah - ha!" moment?
The biggest "Aha!" moment for me is when I realized, with help from the Bogleheads, that money is fungible... if you don't need (most of) your money until you retire, you shouldn't look at your retirement and individual accounts separately, but consider them as part of a unified whole portfolio.
Have you used what you learned to help others?
Do you talk about what you have learned with others, or do you keep it to yourself?
I'm always extremely hesitant to discuss finances with friends and acquaintances who don't actually seek advice from me. However, I have encouraged many coworkers to invest along Boglehead-ish principles during a large discussion that began when our employer changed our 401k plan investment choices (and not for the better... they took away most of our Vanguard Institutional funds :x).
Steve K
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by Steve K »

How have the Bogleheads helped you? Tax efficiency, costs matter, proper asset allocation.
How did you find the Bogleheads? Don't recall.
Did you read any of the recommended books? Yes, many of them.
What did you learn? Tax efficiency, costs matter, proper asset allocation and more.
What is the most important thing that you learned? Same as last
What did you change or do differently after getting advice from the Bogleheads? Taxable bonds to 401K, overall improved tax efficiency and focus on index vs managed.
Did you pay off debt? None, other than mortgage, paying early.
Did you stop using an advisor, or did you change advisors? Never used one.
Did you change your savings habits? No, just investing smarter.
Did you become more educated about saving and investing? Without question.
Did you become more educated about tax issues? Yes.
Did you wake up and realize how much you were paying in fees and expenses? Yes.
Did you have an "ah - ha!" moment? More than one.
How is your portfolio different now? Less expensive, more tax efficient, allocated to meet my desire and need for risk.
Are you in a better financial position now? Yes.
Have you used what you learned to help others? Yes
Do you talk about what you have learned with others, or do you keep it to yourself? Talk when asked.
lwfitzge
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by lwfitzge »

mptfan wrote:For those of us who have been regular contributors to the Bogleheads forum over the years, we sometimes hear from those who have come asking for advice regarding how the advice has helped them, but sometimes we don't. Also, I know there are many lurkers. So I am curious to hear from those of you who came to the Bogleheads asking for advice or help...

How have the Bogleheads helped you? build a plan & stick to it; simplify asset allocation; reduce costs- average ER from >1 to .2; tax efficiency
How did you find the Bogleheads? google search
Did you read any of the recommended books? yes, most of them
What did you learn? nobody has a crystal ball so go for index performance cheaply; keep more "your" money by minimizing fund costs & payments to IRS
What is the most important thing that you learned? most "hot" fund managers revert to the mean; I stopped chasing performance; e.g., LMVTX, Fairholme, CGMFX :(
What did you change or do differently after getting advice from the Bogleheads? manage assets as a single portfolio w focus on index funds, sold actively managed funds
Did you pay off debt? refinanced to 15 yr mortgage, got cash back cards w balance paid off monthly
Did you stop using an advisor, or did you change advisors? never had one :D
Did you change your savings habits? no, always a saver
Did you become more educated about saving and investing? of course
Did you become more educated about tax issues? definitely
Did you wake up and realize how much you were paying in fees and expenses? in a cold sweat, I saw ER of 2%+ & can't imagine what the other admin & trading fees were
Did you have an "ah - ha!" moment? when I saw on Vanguard site estimate my annual savings of portfolio of .2 ER vs average of >1 ER; saving more than $11K/yr :greedy
How is your portfolio different now? most index w small/value tilt; fixed income is more diverse w Total Bond + TIPS + Foreign bond + munis [taxable account]
Are you in a better financial position now? yes
Have you used what you learned to help others? yes, taught other these principles when asked; got fund admin to add lower cost index options for our employees
Do you talk about what you have learned with others, or do you keep it to yourself?
speak w close friends and coach the interested when asked
RTR2006
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by RTR2006 »

I discovered the Bogleheads after leaving a meeting with my wife in early 2007 with a financial adviser at UBS (Union Bank of Switzerland) who insisted that they were going to put all of my money in hedge funds (yes, you read this right).

This came about 5 years after I pulled my retirement account from Neuberger & Berman, who did in fact manage my account from 1997 until some time in 2000 or so, proceeding in the meantime to put all of my retirement account holdings into stocks that they managed, charging me ~$100 per trade to click a mouse to load me up with 100 or 200 shares of something they held hundreds of thousands of shares in (ah, I remember them well, except few of them exist any more...) and proceeding to reduce my account holding by about 30% in this time period.

I pulled my account from them, moved it to Schwab (where it remains to this day, albeit now holding mostly Vanguard index funds), and loaded what I had left in blue chips (I had read somewhere that blue chips "had some life left in them," so what the hell...). And I was lucky. I did buy and hold Citibank, Goldman Sachs, IBM, Intel , JP Morgan, Intel, JNJ, Chevron, etc etc etc, but I was 100% in stocks, and didn't know a bond from a TIP. My account did recover a great deal over time, and I did sell most stocks at or near their peaks (sold GS at $182 and C at $48/share, I recall).

But... I still didn't know what the hell I was doing. So after leaving the UBS meeting, I started clicking away, and I found the Bogleheads. Simple as that. You can see from my registration that I've been here for a while, and I got personalized assistance from Laura, queen of the Bogleheads. In a matter of weeks I developed a balanced (45% equities/55% fixed, based on my age) portfolio, and re-balance once a year.

Our account is higher than it's ever been (yes, I also max out my 401K, I buy P&G stock in a DRIP plan and my GE is tilting up nicely up and to the right, finally), and I owe it all to the Bogleheads.

Let me say this again: I owe it all to the Bogleheads.

I know this doesn't answer all of your questions, but I hope all the poor, lost souls out there wondering how to turn their retirement holdings into true retirement portfolios read this and see the light.

Laura, Mel, Taylor, YDNAL, EmergDoc, livesoft, and too many others... have helped me immensely. Their kindness - and generosity with their time - is another gift that keeps on giving.

Did I say that I love these guys (and gals)?

:D

RTR
peppers
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by peppers »

I am not a finance guy, but just reading some of the posts and following some of the ongoing discussions is truly special. I really appreciate getting perspective on an issue from all sides. The Boglehead Forum has made me "think and rethink" a lot of my old conventional wisdom. I credit that to all the sharp pencils that post here and are too numerous to mention. But I will give a tip of the hat, to that "butterfly guy" living somewhere in the universe. When I scroll down the posts, and see that orange wing popping up, I just know its going to be good. Once again, thanks to all.
"..the cavalry ain't comin' kid, you're on your own..."
Fallible
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by Fallible »

Just reading these questions helped me because they've clarified some of my thinking about what the Bogleheads have meant to me. Because I've basically been a Boglehead since the late '80s (and a born one probably), I've skipped a few questions.

How have the Bogleheads helped you? -- I've been a Vanguard indexer since the late '80s, after discovering John Bogle. But the Bogleheads have helped me stay the course and greatly improved my understanding of taxes.

How did you find the Bogleheads? -- A friend told me about them.

Did you read any of the recommended books? -- Just about all of them.

What did you learn? -- That I had done more right things than wrong things with my investments and why, especially why.

What is the most important thing that you learned? -- What it means to 'stay the course' and that it doesn't preclude certain portfolio modifications.

What did you change or do differently after getting advice from the Bogleheads? -- No major changes, just important and needed affirmations that I was still on the right track, especially in this long aftermath of the '08 crisis. .

Did you change your savings habits? -- No need to, but as NAVigator said earlier in this thread, "my frugal ways were verifited."

Did you become more educated about tax issues? -- Definitely! And my tax man was impressed with my new-found knowledge.

Did you wake up and realize how much you were paying in fees and expenses? -- That's what I learned when I discovered Mr. Bogle in the late '80s.

Did you have an "ah - ha!" moment? -- It was more an AAUUGH!!! moment when I finally realized the fees and expenses involved in an actively-managed fund and the broker and the brokerage.

Have you used what you learned to help others? -- I try to, but I'm not certain how much help I've been.

[/quote]
"Yes, investing is simple. But it is not easy, for it requires discipline, patience, steadfastness, and that most uncommon of all gifts, common sense." ~Jack Bogle
clevername
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by clevername »

I naturally progressed towards Bogleheadism as I learned more about markets and finances. I started off with too much cash and some awful mutual funds complete with front and back end fees plus high ER. Lots of overlap and not much of a long term plan. I had an E*trade account that I used to make myself a mini index fund: some financial stocks, GOOG, AAPL, industrial, some blue chips, plus some speculation in things like Tesla Motors (I'm glad I sold that because I just heard they are having serious financial woes at the moment).

My portfolio grew about 20% that year and I thought "Hey, I'm pretty good at this." Then I checked the dow and S&P and such and they all grew 30-40%! So I thought "Why not index?"

And that was pretty much that.
VgSince1982
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by VgSince1982 »

....By making me aware of John Bogle's quote (he attributes someone else) "The greatest enemy of a good plan is the dream of a perfect plan."

Those words gave me the courage 10 or 11 years ago to get tons of advice from Diehards (then on Morningstar) and create a good plan.

My husband and I promised myself to stick with my plan and not spend precious time paying attention to the financial news networks.

I have also appreciated advice on how to spend money carefully - thereby allowing more money to be saved over these years.

Thanks to all!
Default User BR
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by Default User BR »

Here was some of the best help I received:

http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=205202

A real game-changer for me.



Brian
sschullo
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by sschullo »

I came to the bogleheads seriously ten years ago after lurking since 1997 at the old “diehard” forum. I knew JB since the middle 90s but did not know the indexing strategy at all. I had to lose big time after the tech bubble crash to come to my senses about sector investing and active management. Even though I was smart enough not to pay commissions and avoid ALL advisers (horrific experieces with insurance agents!!) before I knew about Bogleheads, I needed to learn to diversify, and implement the stock bond split. That split alone saved my portfolio during the 2008 malestrom. The single biggest thing I learned from the Bogleheads was that actively managed funds fail to out performed the indexes over long periods of time through the debates between Adrian and Petro.

My energies have always been with advocating for better choices in 403b plans especially with K-12 teachers. My partner and I are almost finished with two books: one is my 20 year advocacy experience and the other is about our experiences from annuities, sector investing, indexing strategy, going back 30 years with 18 years of portfolio data. It's a personal financial memoir about how an ordinary couple learned the investing process through failures and success despite not learning to invest until our fifties! The bogleheads are the heart of our learning.
Last edited by sschullo on Thu Jan 19, 2012 9:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
Never in the history of market day-traders’ has the obsession with so much massive, sophisticated, & powerful statistical machinery used by the brightest people on earth with such useless results.
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by White Coat Investor »

I found the Bogleheads shortly after finding Vanguard as a result of recommendations in some bogleheadish books frequently recommended here and some not frequently recommended here. I was lucky to find them just after my first year of residency. I've learned tons and hopefully passed on at least as much.
1) Invest you must 2) Time is your friend 3) Impulse is your enemy | 4) Basic arithmetic works 5) Stick to simplicity 6) Stay the course
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ray.james
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by ray.james »

In a simple line "I learned the idea of index funds and thereby lot of financial peace and time to enjoy life "

Biggest aha moment:when I really understood guaranteed return of debt payoff with zero risk. guaranteed risk seems obvious but understanding the zero risk is the moment.
Also the tricks of TLH.

Surprisingly I found this site when I was looking on gold & market outlook and fell in love with the discussions here(I was 'wow'ed on some of the posts by YDNAL, calijim, grabiner and many more). As I settled in with the ideas, I understood that this was the best thing to happen to financial life.

Some changes came in lifestyle - less debt/aggressive debt payoff; I always saved more since I started earning but stopped blowing that on 'killer stocks of tomorrow'.
When in doubt, http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=79939
Anon1234
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by Anon1234 »

I found the Bogleheads after listening to William Bernstein as a guest on Econtalk. A nuerosurgeon portfolio manager sounds like someone I want to learn from :D
http://www.econtalk.org/archives/_featu ... bernstein/
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muddyglass
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by muddyglass »

mptfan wrote:For those of us who have been regular contributors to the Bogleheads forum over the years, we sometimes hear from those who have come asking for advice regarding how the advice has helped them, but sometimes we don't. Also, I know there are many lurkers. So I am curious to hear from those of you who came to the Bogleheads asking for advice or help...

How have the Bogleheads helped you?
How did you find the Bogleheads?
Did you read any of the recommended books?
What did you learn?
What is the most important thing that you learned?
What did you change or do differently after getting advice from the Bogleheads?
Did you pay off debt?
Did you stop using an advisor, or did you change advisors?
Did you change your savings habits?
Did you become more educated about saving and investing?
Did you become more educated about tax issues?
Did you wake up and realize how much you were paying in fees and expenses?
Did you have an "ah - ha!" moment?
How is your portfolio different now?
Are you in a better financial position now?
Have you used what you learned to help others?
Do you talk about what you have learned with others, or do you keep it to yourself?
the main thing i learned from the bogleheads forum is how freakin' easy it is to be a successful investor. a year ago, i didn't know much about investing or finance in general, but over the course of a year i've read a ton of the recommended books as well as the well-written posts here. this forum is simply superb. the regular posters are helpful and have a wealth of knowledge that they freely share. this is the first place i turn to whenever i need to look something up regarding money. in fact, i just finished filling out some forms to open up a solo 401k after learning a lot about them here. my sincere thanks go out to all of you!

fortunately, i don't have any debts, i'm a natural saver, and i avoided wall street folks like the plague, so i never experienced a lot of the terrible difficulties i read about when newbies come here for help after being exploited for years. most of my savings is in cash, which i'm slowly dollar cost averaging into the market while keeping in mind an asset allocation, tax efficiency, and other boglehead principles. thanks to the bogleheads, my financial house is built on a solid foundation.

i sometimes discuss these things with others in real life and even helped a friend open up a roth ira with vanguard. it's sad to see how much money others have lost by not following such basic common sense ideas, so i do what i can to pass on what i've learned here.
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by Mudpuppy »

I've always been a frugal person (only debt are Direct student loans for graduate school and a mortgage), but I was absolutely clueless when it came to investing. No one in my family has "invested" more than having a CD account because very few of them had the extra cash to begin with (that was the motivation for my frugal nature, frankly). My self-education at that point had been limited to trying to figure out the funds in my employer's 457 plan. I was talking about this with a couple of IT friends and one of them recommended Vanguard and this forum. After that, I started to notice how often Vanguard and Bogle came up in the CNN Money personal finance advice columns and thought I best check this out. I lurked for quite a while before making an account.

So this forum has helped me figure out what all the terminology means (because before I was wondering why the 457 plan had "large cap" and "large cap index" for example). I had at least already figured out to look at the ER of the funds (chalk one up to a natural frugal tendency), but had no clue on asset allocation before reading through the wiki and posts here. Now I have a simple three-fund approach in my IRA (using Lifestrategy funds to lower the ER until I can switch to Admiral funds) and I've navigated through the murky waters of my 457 plan (while frequently muttering that 2-4 pages of summary does not a prospectus make) to develop a cohesive asset allocation across both.
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JPH
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by JPH »

I've always been a saver too. When I was a child my mother gave me an allowance of one silver dollar per week. After a few weeks it bacame a collection that I could play with. I still view my investments as something of a collection.

The thing I have learned from this site is that asset allocation is about safety. For most of my career I rejected the idea. My philosophy was that because nobody could tell me what allocation would procuce the greatest future wealth, there was no value in worrying about it. When I joined the site I was severely overexposed to equities for my age. Now, I'm almost to where I want to be and feel a lot safer.
While the moments do summersaults into eternity | Cling to their coattails and beg them to stay - Townes Van Zandt
Boglemama
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by Boglemama »

How have the Bogleheads helped you?
So many ways. I am the financial planner for our family and my husband could care less about money. It helps to be able to bounce ideas off of people.
How did you find the Bogleheads?
I don't remember how.
Did you read any of the recommended books?
I bought and read ALL of them.
What did you learn?
Wow. Keeping costs low, the power of saving, minimizing taxes, stay the course, etc.
What is the most important thing that you learned?
Confidence
What did you change or do differently after getting advice from the Bogleheads?
I looked at our portfolio overall instead of as each account. I changed from a target fund with 1.4% to funds that range from .22-.07%, I regularly do a financial overview with debt, interest rate, & net worth. I REALLY enjoy it!
Did you pay off debt?
That was always a goal of ours
Did you stop using an advisor, or did you change advisors?
n/a
Did you change your savings habits?
I upped our retirement savings to 43% of our net pay
Did you become more educated about saving and investing?
Absolutely!
Did you become more educated about tax issues?
Absolutely! We will be getting back $1,000 as a tax credit for contributing to our state's 529!
Did you wake up and realize how much you were paying in fees and expenses?
yup!
Did you have an "ah - ha!" moment?
All the time.
How is your portfolio different now?
More bonds, as I realized that the potential gain for just being in stocks wasn't worth the volatility.
Are you in a better financial position now?
Oh yeah.
Have you used what you learned to help others?
I have, but a lot of people don't like to talk about money.
Do you talk about what you have learned with others, or do you keep it to yourself?
I try to share. I feel empowered and want others to feel that way too.
Kuota Rider
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by Kuota Rider »

When my first son was born (six years ago), I interviewed a couple financial advisors and was not happy with their quoted fees. So I began reading simple investing books and kept reading / progressing until I found the Boglehead's Guide to Investing.
I now create a monthly budget and review it each year (401K, Roth and 529's are included in budget).
I have an IPS which I review each year.
I max out 401K and two Roth's.
I have changed (almost) all of my accounts from TRP to Vanguard.
I have become a true believer in both indexing as well as low cost ER's.
I have begun campaigning to friends about the rewards of both indexing and personal investing.
But the biggest thing I think I have learned from this group is simply not to worry...just keep doing what I am doing and everything will work out.

Thanks everyone.

-M
grok87
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by grok87 »

VictoriaF wrote: 5. Other savings were less immediate or visible, but nevertheless real. About a year ago, grok87 has started a thread 30 year TIPs yield at 1.98%- back up the truck, beep, beep.. that alerted me to TIPS at a great rate. In 2008-2009, I've bought some TIPS at even better rates with Larry Swedroe's encouragement. Before that, I got some high-rate I-Bonds after reading Mel's tutorial.

Victoria
Thanks Victoria,
here's the thread for those interested
http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=64679
cheers,
RIP Mr. Bogle.
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og15F1
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by og15F1 »

This topic is great. I thought about posting some type of thank-you-topic after having been reading this site for a year but this thread suits the purpose. Now down to it:

How have the Bogleheads helped you?

#1 Helped me understand how to prioritize saving for retirement versus paying down debt
#2 Helped me get a grasp on retirement savings to the extent that I began to believe it was possible to hit "my number"
#3 Helped me setup a framework to accomplish financial goals


How did you find the Bogleheads?

A sequence of errors that [my investing] started with a friend recommending the Magic Formula Investing book (ha), through Scottrade, through buying BP after Goldman rated it a buy and then they had the oil spill, on to believing in indexing with ETFs, to the Little Book of Common Sense Investing, to the Bogleheads Guide to Investing, to here


Did you read any of the recommended books?

Yes


What did you learn?

To diversify and minimize costs


What is the most important thing that you learned?

To save as much as possible and choose an allocation I can stick with


What did you change or do differently after getting advice from the Bogleheads?

Almost everything


Did you pay off debt?

The opposite

I chose to back off paying down my student loans which are at less than 1% and invest the difference

I financed a new car at 0% that we have dedicated cash in the bank to pay off

This website has helped me understand how to use debt to my advantage


Did you stop using an advisor, or did you change advisors?

Never had one


Did you change your savings habits?

Big time

Went from about 5%-10% a year to saving around 30% of gross for retirement and another 10%-20% towards a house down payment.


Did you become more educated about saving and investing?

Big time


Did you become more educated about tax issues?

Yes - and I think understanding taxes helped me negotiate a better starting salary at my new job


Did you wake up and realize how much you were paying in fees and expenses?

I always knew but I woke up when I realized I can buy the market at Vanguard commission-free


Did you have an "ah - ha!" moment?

When I read Rick Ferri's book All About Asset Allocation, the part about volatility and returns, and it clicked to me why bonds are important. That and rebalancing.


How is your portfolio different now?

It's twice as big

It's all at Vanguard

It's only three funds


Are you in a better financial position now?

Yes, to the extent that it's becoming a problem on its own...

I'd share, for the sake of encouragement to others, that the discussions on here helped prompt me to take a chance in life and I ended up relocating to a job making 50% more than at my past employer - base salary. I'm still nowhere near some of the big figures people are throwing around on here but it has definitely eased the burden of saving and my wife and I have kept our lifestyle basically the same / hardly above college level. I drive a beater and my wife shops at Ross. However people come to us now for financial help (hence my comment about it being a problem).


Have you used what you learned to help others?

Trying and failing. It's too boring for others. They like holding large allocations of past-employer stock, timing markets, etc...


Do you talk about what you have learned with others, or do you keep it to yourself?

Same as above


Thanks to the regular contributors. You have been very helpful. Special thanks and respect to Grabiner, BruDude, Bob's Not My Name, and Nisiprius. The snarky and regularly-negative posters get no thanks.
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BHCadet
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by BHCadet »

How have the Bogleheads helped you? It changed my investment philosophy and gave me the knowledge and courage to make the changes.
How did you find the Bogleheads? Forbes ranked Bogleheads as one of the top ten financial sites.
Did you read any of the recommended books? The Four Pillars of Investing, Random walk down Wall Street, The Bogleheads’ guide to Retirement Planning, etc.
What did you learn? Use low cost index funds, stay the course, tax efficiency, and keep it simple.
What is the most important thing that you learned? Way to withdraw and rebalance the portfolio during retirement.
What did you change or do differently after getting advice from the Bogleheads? The number of mutual funds in our portfolio reduced by more than half.
Did you pay off debt? Yes.
Did you stop using an advisor, or did you change advisors? Didn’t have one.
Did you change your savings habits? No, we always live below our means.
Did you become more educated about saving and investing? Yes…
Did you become more educated about tax issues? Yes…
Did you wake up and realize how much you were paying in fees and expenses? Yes…
Did you have an "ah - ha!" moment? Yes, it was on how to withdraw and rebalancing the portfolio during retirement.
How is your portfolio different now? I use Investment Policy Statement and Asset Allocation to guide my investment decision process instead of chasing the latest hot funds every few months from the magazines.
Are you in a better financial position now? Yes
Have you used what you learned to help others? I tried, but…
Do you talk about what you have learned with others, or do you keep it to yourself? I tried, but…
clevername
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by clevername »

One more thing: I simply don't care about financial news anymore. I find it really amusing seeing everyone running around scared all the time about Europe this and XYZ stock that. Finance porn (and worldnews in general) is an afterthought now, for entertainment and dinner party conversation only.
david99
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by david99 »

I agree that the Bogleheads really help to ingnore the financial porn and stay the course --- especially during times like 2008 when some folks are saying that the sky is falling.
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Liquid
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by Liquid »

This site is, at a minimum, worth the weight of its servers in gold.
Wolkenspiel
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by Wolkenspiel »

How have the Bogleheads helped you? -> greatly reduced performance-chasing, increased attention to costs
How did you find the Bogleheads? -> link from FIRE forum
Did you read any of the recommended books? ->not yet
What did you learn? -> n/a
What is the most important thing that you learned? -> that I don't know how to pick managers that know how to pick stocks (if they even exist)
What did you change or do differently after getting advice from the Bogleheads? ->see above
Did you pay off debt? -> yes
Did you stop using an advisor, or did you change advisors? -> n/a, never had one
Did you change your savings habits? -> somewhat
Did you become more educated about saving and investing? -> yes
Did you become more educated about tax issues? -> yes
Did you wake up and realize how much you were paying in fees and expenses? -> yes
Did you have an "ah - ha!" moment? -> more a slow awakening
How is your portfolio different now? -> 95% active -> 82% indexed
Are you in a better financial position now? -> yes
Have you used what you learned to help others? -> Tried, but treading very carefully
Do you talk about what you have learned with others, or do you keep it to yourself? -> see above
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VictoriaF
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by VictoriaF »

Liquid wrote:This site is, at a minimum, worth the weight of its servers in gold.
Servers as in client-server hardware? Or weight of its servers as the combined weight of the organizers, administrators, moderators and Wiki maintainers? :greedy

Victoria
Inventor of the Bogleheads Secret Handshake | Winner of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. | Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)
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FabLab
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by FabLab »

VictoriaF wrote:
Liquid wrote:This site is, at a minimum, worth the weight of its servers in gold.
Servers as in client-server hardware? Or weight of its servers as the combined weight of the organizers, administrators, moderators and Wiki maintainers? :greedy

Victoria
Guessing their combined weight sounds like new poll material :D
The fundamental things apply as time goes by -- Herman Hupfeld
chaika
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Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by chaika »

How have the Bogleheads helped you? When I found this site I was a babe in the woods wondering why my 100% stock fund portfolio was floundering. Diversification meant having a bunch of different funds at different companies.
How did you find the Bogleheads? Don't recall, maybe Google.
Did you read any of the recommended books? Yes, and bought copies for my kids. Started reading Scott Burns online, don't know whether he has any books on your list.
What did you learn? I sleep better with a balanced allocation than with 100% stock.
What is the most important thing that you learned? Hard to pick one out, as I have gotten almost my entire financial education from Bogleheads.
What did you change or do differently after getting advice from the Bogleheads? Moved one IRA out of a Value fund holding 26 stocks into a total stock market index. selling high, too!
Did you pay off debt? yes, all gone now!
Did you stop using an advisor, or did you change advisors? Did not use.
Did you change your savings habits? yes, tried to keep less cash in checking acct.
Did you become more educated about saving and investing? You betcha! but I don't know whether I will ever understand bonds.
Did you become more educated about tax issues? Yes but still confused.
Did you wake up and realize how much you were paying in fees and expenses? Yes.
Did you have an "ah - ha!" moment? Don't recall
How is your portfolio different now? Nearly all indexes now, includes bond funds.
Are you in a better financial position now? yes
Have you used what you learned to help others? yes
Do you talk about what you have learned with others, or do you keep it to yourself? Have talked to others.
User avatar
Cernel
Posts: 306
Joined: Sun May 04, 2008 11:06 am

Re: How have the BOGLEHEADS helped you?

Post by Cernel »

Yes, tremendously. My father taught me a lot, which are some of the fundamental principles of the Boglehead philosophy. I was still struggling in trying to beat the market. But becoming aware of this site, the philosophy of the Bogleheads and educating myself by reading many of the the recommended readings, I feel more comfortable with my investment philosophy and where I am headed, financially.

How have the Bogleheads helped you?
Basically it helped me solidify those principles that my father taught me with a proven record of financial comfort. I am not looking to make tons of money, I just want to provide for my family, insure I live a comfortable life and not be a financial burden on my kids as I grow older, and hopefully leave them an inheritance.

How did you find the Bogleheads?
Not sure. Can't remember if I read about them in Money magazine or just through some of the books that I read.

Did you read any of the recommended books?
Yes, many of them

What did you learn?
Tons. Too much to list here. Learning every day.

What is the most important thing that you learned?
Stop trying to beat the market.

What did you change or do differently after getting advice from the Bogleheads?
I actually wrote an IPS, moved out of actively managed funds into an all index fund portfolio, and basically have "stayed the course" with rebalancing.

Did you pay off debt?
Never had it (with the exception of my house mortgage, which has been paid off for years). One of the principles my father taught me.

Did you stop using an advisor, or did you change advisors?
Yes, I stopped, especially once I realized he was not making recommendations in my best interest, but in his.

Did you change your savings habits?
No, another one of my father's principles. I saved anywhere in the neighborhood of 20-30% of my salary and was able to put three kids through college without loans/debt, pay off the house and retire at 56 during the "great recession."

Did you become more educated about saving and investing?
Definitely. More so on the investing side since I think I was already a good saver.

Did you become more educated about tax issues?
Yes, I learned where to put my different investments. Still have a lot to learn in this area.

Did you wake up and realize how much you were paying in fees and expenses?
Yes

Are you in a better financial position now?
Definitely. As mentioned above, the knowledge gained through the bogleheads allowed me to retire at 56 during the Great Recession of 2008-09.

Have you used what you learned to help others?
Yes, especially with my kids

Do you talk about what you have learned with others, or do you keep it to yourself?
Yes, whoever is willing to listen.
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