FinancialWize

Who invented the index fund? A brief (true) history of index funds

Pop quiz! If I asked you, “Who invented the index fund?” what would your answer be? I’ll bet most of you don’t know and don’t care. But those who do care would probably answer, “John Bogle, founder of The Vanguard Group.” And that’s what I would have answered too until a few weeks ago.

But, it turns out, this answer is false.

Yes, Bogle founded the first publicly-available index fund. And yes, Bogle is responsible for popularizing and promoting index funds as the “common sense” investment answer for the average person. For this, he deserves much praise.

But Bogle did not invent index funds. In fact, for a long time he was opposed to the very idea of them!

Recently, while writing the investing lesson for my upcoming Audible course about the basics of financial independence, I found myself deep down a rabbit hole. What started as a simple Google search to verify that Bogle was indeed the creator of index funds led me to a “secret history” of which I’d been completely unaware.

In this article, I’ve done my best to assemble the bits and pieces I discovered while tracking down the origins of index funds. I’m sure I’ve made some mistakes here. (If you spot an error or know of additional info that should be included, drop me a line.)

Here then, is a brief history of index funds.

What to Do With a Childhood Savings Bond

A savings bond used to be a common gift, though not always a welcome one. Well-meaning relatives gifted savings bonds for your birthday or the holidays. The goal was often to help you pay for college in the future. But for us kids, all we knew was it wasn’t the Pound Puppy or Care Bear… Read More

The post What to Do With a Childhood Savings Bond appeared first on Credit.com.

Pros and Cons of Moving During the Winter

Should you stay or should you go? Don’t let freezing temperatures give you cold feet when deciding whether or not to move apartments this winter! There are many positive reasons why moving in the winter months could benefit you — and your wallet. Check out this list of pros and cons to learn if moving […]

The post Pros and Cons of Moving During the Winter appeared first on Apartment Life.

Get To Work! How To Make Your Home Office Space a Huge Selling Point

Sellers, if you have a home office, now’s the time to promote it. Here’s how to set up a space that will attract buyers and seal the deal.

The post Get To Work! How To Make Your Home Office Space a Huge Selling Point appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

How the Homes.com App Makes Homebuying Simply Smarter

As mobile apps have continued to become more advanced, many buyers and renters are taking the start of their home searching journey from desktop to mobile. The Homes.com app will help make that transition easier and safer, just for you.

The post How the Homes.com App Makes Homebuying Simply Smarter appeared first on Homes.com.

Placer County, California VA Loan Information

Table of Contents What is the VA Loan Limit? How to Apply for a VA Home Loan? What is the Median Home Price? What are the VA Appraisal Fees? Do I need Flood Insurance? How do I learn about Property Taxes? What is the Population? What are the major cities? About Placer County Veteran Information […]

The post Placer County, California VA Loan Information appeared first on VA Home Loan Centers.

What Is Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A)?

Financial planning and analysis (FP&A) is the process businesses use to prepare budgets, generate forecasts, analyze profitability and otherwise inform senior management decisions of how to implement the company’s strategy most effectively and efficiently. The FP&A functions can be accomplished … Continue reading →

The post What Is Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A)? appeared first on SmartAsset Blog.

My spending goal for 2020: Spend less on food

I’m pleased to report that 2020 is off to a fine start. As I mentioned in my year-end review, 2019 sucked for me. I have high hopes that this year will be a vast improvement. So far, it has been.

The biggest change is that I’m not drinking alcohol. While this is meant as a January-only test, it’s possible that I’ll extend the experiment. It’s saving me money and making me more productive. Plus, it may be helping with my anxiety and depression. I like that. (Thanks to the GRS readers who sent me private notes about their own struggles with alcohol. I appreciate it.)

I’ve made other small changes this year too. While I didn’t make any resolutions — I rarely do — I’m using the new year as a prompt to alter some of my habits, to do things differently.