JoeBailey3

Anyone who has talked to me about investing knows that I am a big fan of Vanguard. My wife and I have all our accounts with Vanguard; all our children, including our three week old, have Vanguard accounts; and every member of our family has a Vanguard hat. Vanguard is the first, and, in most cases the only investment company I recommend. They are the pioneers of low cost index funds and they still do it as well or better than anyone else. Anyone who talks to me about investing also knows that I believe investing should be as simple as possible. Which is why I’m attracted to Vanguard Target Retirement funds and LifeStrategy Funds.  Target Retirement Funds are a common offering in many 401k plans. They offer a single fund with a diversified asset mix which automatically adjusts to become more conservative as an investor approaches retirement. An investor simply chooses the Target Retirement Fund closest to their planned retirement year and focuses on saving as much as they reas...

     Last Friday the US stock market as measured by the S&P 500 closed at $2,304.92 down 32% from its high exactly 30 days earlier. The last 30 days have been marked by extreme volatility stemming from uncertainty about COVID 19 and the government's response. As with all market crashes, it is impossible to know whether or not we have hit rock bottom. Watching the wild swings is exhilarating for some, terrifying for others. However, investors need not be powerless victims to the vicissitudes of the market. By focusing on their costs, asset allocation, and savings rate investors can proactively control those elements of investing that remain within their circle of influence, and reduce the stress caused by market volatility.      "In investing, you get what you don't pay for." That classic quote by the late John Bogle, the late founder of Vanguard and greatest advocate of low cost investing, underscores the mathematical fact that any money an investor p...