Description
Book SynopsisA timeless approach to investing wisely over an investment lifetime With the current market maelstrom as a background, this timely guide describes just how to plan a lifetime of investing, in good times and bad, discussing stocks and bonds as well as the relationship between risk and return.
Table of ContentsForeword ix
Preface xiii
Chapter 1 A Brief History of Financial Time 1
In the Beginning 2
Near-Death in Venice 8
The Incredible Shrinking Risk Premium 11
Summary 12
Chapter 2 The Nature of the Beast 13
Of Ravens and Returns 13
History versus Math 18
Mr. Gordon’s Curious Equation 25
Math Detail: The Discounted Dividend Model 29
Home Sweet Home? 35
Adventures in Equity 38
Math Detail: Risk 43
Throwing Dice with God 47
Gene Fama Looks for Angles and Finds None 49
Sandbagged by a Superstar 52
Jack Bogle Outfoxes the Suits 56
It Is Better to Be Lucky Than Smart 63
Bond Funds: A Flatter Playing Field 64
Summary 65
Chapter 3 The Nature of the Portfolio 69
Four Essential Preliminaries 71
The Asset Allocation Two-Step 74
Math Detail: Mean-Variance Analysis 83
With Luck, Zigs, and Zags 84
Chasing Rainbows 88
Summary 93
Chapter 4 The Enemy in the Mirror 95
Inner Demons 97
Behaving Badly 100
Bargain-Basement Psychotherapy 116
Summary 125
Chapter 5 Muggers and Worse 127
The World's Largest Bad Neighborhood 128
The Fund Funhouse 135
Summary 142
Chapter 6 Building Your Portfolio 143
Financial Planning for a Lifetime: The Basics 143
Saving for Retirement: Nuts and Bolts 145
How to Save: Dollar Cost Averaging and Value Averaging 152
Four Investors, Four Plans 154
The Rebalancing Question 166
Math Detail: Rebalancing, Momentum, and Mean Reversion 169
Teach Your Children Well 172
Summary 174
Chapter 7 The Name of the Game 179
Investment Theory and History: The Short Course 180
The Portfolio Theory of Everything 181
We Have Met the Enemy, and He Is Us 181
Heads I Win, Tails You Lose 182
Fire When Ready 182
The Books You Need . . . Aged Like Fine Wine 185
Notes 188
Acknowledgments 193
About the Author 195
Index 196
