Main Page
Welcome
We help you make good financial decisions by tuning out the noise and focusing on just a handful of simple, core principles that have proved successful over time. Although they are simple, following them is not always easy.
If this is your first visit, begin at "Getting started" below.
Regular visitors may want to look at our new articles.
Getting started
For US investors:
- Getting started - Start here.
- Investment philosophy - Our investment principles.
- Investing start-up kit - A top-down approach to start investing.
- Investment policy statement - Identify your investment objectives and how you plan to meet them.
- Prioritizing investments - Choosing where to save your investing money, such as an employer's retirement plan or a savings account.
For non-US investors:
- Getting started for non-US investors - Start here.
- Investment philosophy for non-US investors - Our investment principles.
- Investing start-up kit for non-US investors - A top-down approach to start investing.
- Outline of non-US domiciles - Overview of topics specifically for non-US investors.
Personal finance
Personal finance covers not only investing, but day-to-day finances, budgeting, insurance, taxes, estate planning, and retirement.
For US investors:
- Personal finance planning start-up kit - Start here.
- Financial planning - The first thing you should do.
- Household budgeting - Understand how much you make and how much you spend.
- Emergency fund - Have cash on-hand for life's unexpected events.
- Insurance - Auto, home, medical
- Estate planning - Be prepared when bad things happen.
Retirement
Retirement is a major event in many people's lives. It is not only a lifestyle change, but a change in income and spending.
Planning for this life-changing event is important.
- Retirement planning start-up kit - Start here.
- Preparing for retirement - Steps you should take before retiring.
- Retirement policy statement - Lay-out your retirement plans and strategies.
From today's featured article
Risk is the uncertainty (variation) of an investment's return, which does not distinguish between a loss or a gain. However, investors usually think of risk as the possibility that their investments could lose money.
Risk tolerance is your emotional and psychological ability to endure investment losses during large market declines without selling or undue worry, such as losing sleep. To know whether a portfolio is right for your risk tolerance, you need to be brutally honest with yourself as you try to answer the question, "Will I sell during the next bear market?" (more...)
This week in financial history
- 1999 - The first edition of John Bogle's classic book, Common Sense on Mutual Funds: New Imperatives for the Intelligent Investor was published by John C. Wiley & Sons.
March 19:
- 1999 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average tops 10,000 points for the first time. Source: Closing milestones of the Dow Jones Industrial Average
March 21:
- 1868 - The Foreign and Colonial Government Trust published the earliest known mutual fund prospectus in London, England. The fund offered shares at 85 pounds sterling. The fund, now known as Foreign and Colonial Investment Trust, still trades on the London Stock Exchange.
- 1924 - The Massachusetts Investment Trust was organized in Boston as a managed fund offering redeemable securities, thus becoming the first open-ended mutual fund in U.S. Source: Business history: advisors
March 22:
- 2000 - The Standard & Poors 500 index closed over 1300 for the first time in history on March 22, 2000. Source: Closing milestones of the S&P 500 Index
March 23:
- 1720 - The South Sea Bill, granting virtual monopoly powers to the South Sea Co., passes in the British House of Commons after six hours of fierce debate, during which the price of South Sea shares fluctuates from 270 to 400.
- 1987 – The Standard & Poors 500 stock index closes above 300 for the first time, less than a year-and-a-half after breaking the 200 barrier. The index finishes the day at 301.16. Source:Closing milestones of the S&P 500 Index
March 24:
- 1995 - The Standard & Poors 500-stock index closed over 500 for the first time. Source:Closing milestones of the S&P 500 Index
- 1998 - The Standard & Poors 500-stock index closed above 1100 for the first time. Source:Closing milestones of the S&P 500 Index
Can't find what you're looking for?
You can search or register to ask a question on our forum, or browse recent posts from our home page or our blog.
Contributing to the wiki
If you would like to edit the wiki, you must first join the forum. Once you have joined, post your request in Join the Wiki!
Forum members are welcome to post suggestions in Suggestions for the Wiki.
Sister projects
Our Canadian sister site, Financial Wisdom Forum, and its wiki, finiki, the Canadian financial wiki, has a similar focus with many like-minded members, and you might also find this site interesting.
We also have a sister site in Spain, Bogleheads® España (en español).
We are also on Facebook.