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John Bogle
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.
For US investors:
- 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
An index fund is a fund that pools investors capital for the purpose of investing in securities, typically a mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF), that aims to replicate the movements of an index of a specific financial market.
A well-managed index fund provides investors with a simple way to access such advantages as low costs, improved tax efficiency, style consistency and reduced manager risk. Investors should be mindful that not all index funds are low cost and that some indexes can be exploited by active investors when the indexes periodically reconstitute.
The key measure for accessing an index fund's efficiency is how well it tracks its benchmark index. (more...)
This week in financial history
- 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
March 25:
- 1885 - The New York Stock Exchange established the Department of Unlisted Securities, creating the over-the counter market. Source: Chronology of New York Stock Exchange (1792-1929)
- 1957 - Six European countries (Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg) sign the Treaty of Rome, creating the European Economic Community (EEC), or 'common market'. The idea is for people, goods and services to move freely across borders. Source: EUROPA - The history of the European Union: 1945 - 1959
March 26:
- 2008 - Ford sold Jaguar and Land Rover to India's Tata Motors Limited for $2.3 billion. Source: Tata to buy Ford's Jaguar, Land Rover for $2.3 bln
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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).
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