diehards.org - Guide to the Vanguard Diehards Forums

Investing Books - Most of this information is freely available somewhere on the web (see our sites page), although generally in a less convenient form. I recommend the reading of at least one book from both the General Investing and Investor Behavior sections, the books in the Financial History section should be interesting to all and are vital for those who wish to learn more in the field. Selections in bold are my favorites, other titles are perfectly acceptable if you find them on your library or bookstore shelf. - Alex Frakt

General Investing - Each of these titles covers all the basics - such as asset allocation, investor behavior, tax deferred accounts, sample portfolios - that you need to develop an effective portfolio.

  • The Four Pillars of Investing - by William Bernstein (aka wbern)
  • The Only Guide to a Winning Investment Strategy You'll Ever Need - by Larry Swedroe (aka larryswedroe and larry swedroe)
  • The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing - by Taylor Larimore, Mel Lindauer, Michael Leboeuf
  • All About Asset Allocation - by Richard Ferri (aka rickferri) - I prefer Protecting Your Wealth in Good Times and Bad, limited availability as it's out of print due, no doubt, to its awful title (which Rick assures me was forced on him by the publisher).
  • The Informed Investor - by Frank Armstrong (aka franka)
  • Common Sense on Mutual Funds - by John Bogle, founder of Vanguard
  • The Coffeehouse Investor - by Bill Schultheis. Much too light on content for my tastes, but highly readable and thus an excellent way to introduce the concept of passive investing to those just starting out and perhaps non-investing partners.
  • Investor Behavior - Investors often act contrary to their own best interests. These books point out common mistakes that have been uncovered by researchers in the field of behavioral economics and suggest methods for avoiding them.

  • Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes - by Gary Belsky and Thomas Gilovich
  • Rational Investing in Irrational Times - by Larry Swedroe
  • Financial History

  • Against the Gods and Capital Ideas - by Peter L. Bernstein
  • Devil Take the Hindmost: A History of Financial Speculation - by Edward Chancellor
  • A Random Walk Down Wall Street - by Burton Malkiel

  • diehards.org is not affiliated with Vanguard or Morningstar. No guarantees are made as to the accuracy of the information on this site or the appropriateness of any advice to your particular situation. The format of this site and all original materials are Copyright © 2001-2007 Alex Frakt and Larry Auton (and original authors where applicable). For questions or comments, contact webmaster@diehards.org. Jump to #: help