The Power of Passive Investing - by Richard A Ferri (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Time and time again, individual investors discover--all too late--that picking stocks is a loser's game. The alternative lies with index funds, [which allow] investors to invest more cheaply while prospering all the more because the money saved on investment expenses stays in one's own pocket. Because index funds are diversified, investors who use them [may] suffer less than investors who concentrate their portfolios in single asset classes, or in only a few stocks"--

Book Synopsis

A practical guide to passive investing

Time and again, individual investors discover, all too late, that actively picking stocks is a loser's game. The alternative lies with index funds. This passive form of investing allows you to participate in the markets relatively cheaply while prospering all the more because the money saved on investment expenses stays in your pocket.

In his latest book, investment expert Richard Ferri shows you how easy and accessible index investing is. Along the way, he highlights how successful you can be by using this passive approach to allocate funds to stocks, bonds, and other prudent asset classes.

• Addresses the advantages of index funds over portfolios that are actively managed
• Offers insights on index-based funds that provide exposure to designated broad markets and don't make bets on individual securities
• Ferri is also author of the Wiley title: The ETF Book and co-author of The Bogleheads' Guide to Retirement Planning

If you're looking for a productive investment approach that won't take all of your time to implement, then The Power of Passive Investing is the book you need to read.

From the Back Cover

Investing is serious business and mistakes cost money. Whether you're acting for yourself or as a fiduciary for others, your aim should always be to reduce mistakes and increase the probability that the portfolio you're responsible for succeeds in achieving its objective.

Nobody understands this better than author Richard Ferri, an investment expert and founder of the advisory firm Portfolio Solutions^(R). Now, in The Power of Passive Investing, he reveals how this proven strategy can effectively put your portfolio in a better position to gain its fair share of market returns. This approach is done with a strong understanding and commitment to low-cost, passively managed index funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs)--which, today, span almost every asset class and style, including U.S. and foreign equity funds, bond funds, commodities funds, and even currencies.

Filled with in-depth insights and expert advice, this reliable resource offers practical guidance on creating a sound, long-term investment plan--within a framework of controlled risk--and helps clarify and quantify the purpose of investing along the way. Containing dozens of historical studies covering several decades and financial markets, it will clearly show you how passive investors who buy the market will capture better results than most active investors who try to beat the market.

Divided into three comprehensive parts, The Power of Passive Investing:

• Tracks the passive versus active debate from its beginnings early in the twentieth century to today and explores the advantages of investing in individual index funds and ETFs over individual actively managed funds
• Focuses on portfolio decisions and investor behavior and looks at some of the reasons more people haven't put the power of passive investing to use yet
• Discusses the purpose of investment policy and makes the case for passive investing in terms of four different groups: individual investors and their families; trustees of charities and private accounts; pension trustees and those who select investment options for employer-sponsored pension plans; and professional investment advisors

Attempting to earn above-market returns with a portfolio of actively managed funds is both a waste of time and money. A well-designed, passive investment approach that utilizes index funds and ETFs has the highest probability of meeting your financial goals and is the most prudent choice for your money. The Power of Passive Investing will show you why this is true as well as how this approach can work for you.

About the Author

RICHARD A. FERRI is the founder of the investment firm Portfolio Solutions^(R) and a Forbes writer. Portfolio Solutions manages nearly $1 billion in separate accounts for high-net-worth individuals, families, non-profit organizations, and corporate pension plans. Ferri has written or cowritten six investment books, including the Wiley titles The ETF Book and The Bogleheads' Guide to Retirement Planning. He earned a bachelor of science in business administration from the University of Rhode Island and a master of science in finance from Walsh College. Ferri is also a CFA Charterholder as designated by the CFA Institute, a global association of investment professionals. For more information, visit www.RickFerri.com and www.PortfolioSolutions.com.