The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing, 2nd Edition

Chapter Twenty-Three You Can Do It: The Bogleheads Will Help

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.

—Carl Bard

Are you a relatively new investor who’s just getting started? If you are, there’s no need to be embarrassed, because that’s actually good news. It means you haven’t yet had a chance to make all the stupid and costly investing mistakes that we, the authors, have made in the past. You’ve got a clean slate to work with, and we’re hoping that, with the knowledge you’ve gained from this book, you’ll be able to avoid most, if not all, of the pitfalls that we have experienced. You’re probably much further ahead in the knowledge department than we were at this stage. As a result, you don’t have to learn about investing as we did, via the school of hard knocks. You’re now equipped to start your investing career off on the right foot by simply applying the information we’ve provided in this book.

Maybe you’ve had some limited investing experience, but have always felt a bit uneasy or unsure when it comes to making those investment decisions. In this book, we’ve tried to give you solid information that you can both understand and use when you’re planning your financial future and structuring your portfolio so that it’s headed down the path to success. It’s our hope that with what you’ve learned in this book, you’ll feel much more confident when making your future investing decisions.

Perhaps you’re a veteran ...