Bogleheads

[pkcrafter]

Bogle Marches On...

To conclude our series on Mr. Bogle's 12 Pillars of Investing, here is
Pillar #12.

Introduction:
The Vanguard Diehards forum has a well-earned reputation as one of the best investment resources on the internet because of its long history of attracting and helping newer, inexperienced investors. The seeds of success have grown from the fundamental teachings of our mentor, Jack Bogle. I feel our mission has been, and continues to be, to pass along the wisdom of Mr. Bogle.

In recent years, the forum has also attracted more knowledgeable investors who enjoy discussing sophisticated ways to reduce risk and/or increase investing returns. This is interesting and educational for knowledgeable and experienced investors. However, our advanced discussions are sometimes confusing and possibly even overwhelming for newbies and less-experienced investors. As a result of these more sophisticated conversations (about which experts often disagree), it is not unusual to see new investors with a few thousand dollars trying to start with complicated slice-and-dice portfolios.

I discussed this problem with Mel and Taylor with the idea that the best way to help new and less sophisticated investors would be to post a series of conversations that will bring us back to Jack Bogle's common sense, easy-to-understand ways to invest successfully. Mel and Taylor agreed and suggested I review each of Jack's "12 Pillars of Wisdom."

The 12 Pillars were originally published in 1994 as an Epilogue in Mr. Bogle's first book, Bogle on Mutual Funds. I will post a series of conversations featuring each of Mr. Bogle's "Twelve Pillars of Wisdom" for the benefit of our new and less-experienced investors. Replies are encouraged, but please keep on topic.

Pillar 12. Think Long-Term.

Do not let transitory changes in stock prices alter your investment program. There is a lot of noise in the daily volatility of the stock market, which too often is "a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." Stocks may remain overvalued, or undervalued, for years. Patience and consistency are valuable assets for the intelligent investor. The best rule: Stay the Course.

Link to Pillar 11

http://www.diehards.org/forum/....ght=pillar


Paul
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[bob90245]

In practice, I think Jack is more flexible. The quoted text implies rigid constant equity-fixed split regardless of perceived valuations.

In both books, Jack mentions Tactical Asset Allocation and allowing for "Bending the Course" (my words, not Jack's) by moving as much as 15% in either direction from one's "Stay-the-Course" Strategic Asset Allocation.