Talk:Bogleheads® investment philosophy

How does one reconcile "invest with simplicity" with the writings of Bogleheads authors William Bernstein, Rick Ferri, and Larry Swedroe, especially if simplicity is defined as only three or four funds, per the example? Yes, investing with simplicity is John Bogle's advice, but Bogleheads has evolved to encompass more than just John Bogle's advice; hence, the designation of "Bogleheads author" conferred on the aforementioned authors. Simplicity is good for novice investors, and even good for sophisticated investors who have decided that a simple total market portfolio makes sense. However, Bogleheads authors and many other Bogleheads go beyond a three or four-fund portfolio. Many examples can be provided; here is one: the sample portfolio on page 91 of "The Investor's Manifesto" includes 12 funds. It would be more credible to suggest a three- or four-fund portfolio when starting out (all but Larry Swedroe probably would be fine with this), but acknowledging that some Bogleheads add more funds (asset classes) as they deepen their knowledge of investing.--Kevin M 02:19, 24 April 2012 (CDT)


 * A sizable contingent of forum members adhere to total stock market investing as a practice, and as acolytes of John Bogle; they objected to including such notions as "tilting" as a piece of "official" Boglehead principles (these were originally referenced in the page). They were split off, verbatim from the original article (which was very much in the style of a personal essay. The current Bogleheads investment philosophy page has been re-edited into a more "encyclopedic" voice.) The original sections (with the addition of charts) are now featured in a companion page: Variations on Bogleheads® investing. This was seen an as a workable compromise to all the objections.--Blbarnitz 02:49, 24 April 2012 (CDT)

Reader feedback: Although I have wiki edit ri...
BeBH65 posted this comment on 5 November 2015 (view all feedback).

Although I have wiki edit rights, I am not bold enough to change this central page:

I suggest the following: (If I get told it is is a good idea, the I can do the edits myself)

in the section ... add .... ... "develop a workable plan" ... Main article: Financial planning ... "Invest early and often" ... Main article Importance of saving early

... "Never bear too much or too little risk" ... Main article: Risk and return: an introduction ... "Stay the course" ... Add second Main article: Rebalancing

Any thoughts?

Peculiar Investor 14:45, 5 November 2015 (UTC)

It is a good idea, we have a similar approach for the other sections. Use a template to add the main article references. For example:

Will appear as:

However, I don't think a second reference for "Stay the course" should be used. Two references may be confusing, and I am not sure that Rebalancing is an appropriate first principle. Rebalancing can be introduced after the portfolio is established.

You can practice your editing in the Sandbox. The link is on the left-hand side of every wiki page, under "For wiki editors". --LadyGeek 02:25, 6 November 2015 (UTC)