The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing by Taylor Larimore, Mel Lindauer & Michael LeBoeuf — book cover

The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing

Taylor Larimore, Mel Lindauer & Michael LeBoeuf · 2006

The internet community founded on John Bogle's wisdom distills decades of common-sense investing into one rule: spend less than you earn, buy low-cost index funds, and stay the course. A no-hype playbook that beats most professionals by simply not trying to.

10 min read · 10 chapters · Money

Why it’s on the shelf

Practical, no-nonsense playbook for low-cost, diversified lifelong investing.

Three of the ideas you’ll keep

The Clif summary of The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing pulls out 7 insights. Here are the first three.

  1. Live below your means and pay yourself first - your savings rate, not your stock picks, is the single biggest lever on your financial future.
  2. Buy low-cost, broadly diversified index funds instead of chasing star managers; over time, indexing quietly beats roughly 80% of active investors after costs.
  3. Costs are the one variable you control and they compound against you - aim for expense ratios at or below ~0.5% and treat every fee as a permanent drag on returns.

The other 4 — and the full 10-minute summary — are in the app.

What’s inside: 10 chapters

The whole summary runs about 10 minutes, read or listened to.

  1. Choose a Sound Financial Lifestyle
  2. Start Early and Invest Regularly
  3. Know What You're Buying
  4. Keep It Simple
  5. Asset Allocation: The Decision That Matters Most
  6. Costs and Taxes: The Returns You Get to Keep
  7. Diversify and Tune Out Market Timing
  8. Rebalance and Track Your Progress
  9. Special Situations: College, Windfalls, and Advisors
  10. Master Your Emotions and Stay the Course

Finish The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing tonight.

Read or listen to the full summary in about 10 minutes, then keep the ideas with a minute of review a day. Start with the 2-minute quiz — no card required.