index funds

Trillions: How a Band of Renegades Invented the Index Fund Part Two

Fifty years ago, the Manhattan Project of money management was quietly assembled in the financial industry's backwaters, unified by the heretical idea that even many of the world's finest investors couldn't beat the market in the long run.

The motley crew of nerds, including economist wunderkind Gene Fama, humiliated industry executive Jack Bogle, bull-headed and computer-obsessive John McQuown, and avuncular former WWII submariner Nate Most, succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. 

Passive investing now accounts for more than $20 trillion, equal to the entire gross domestic product of the US, and is today a force reshaping markets, finance and even capitalism itself in myriad subtle but pivotal ways.

Yet even some fans of index funds and ETFs are growing perturbed that their swelling heft is destabilizing markets, wrecking the investment industry and leading to an unwelcome concentration of power in fewer and fewer hands.

In Trillions, Financial Times journalist Robin Wigglesworth unveils the vivid secret history of an invention Wall Street wishes was never created, bringing to life the characters behind its birth, growth, and evolution into a world-conquering phenomenon. 

Have a money question? Email us, ask jill [at] jill on money dot com.

Please leave us a rating or review in Apple Podcasts.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Trillions: How a Band of Renegades Invented the Index Fund Part One

Fifty years ago, the Manhattan Project of money management was quietly assembled in the financial industry's backwaters, unified by the heretical idea that even many of the world's finest investors couldn't beat the market in the long run.

The motley crew of nerds, including economist wunderkind Gene Fama, humiliated industry executive Jack Bogle, bull-headed and computer-obsessive John McQuown, and avuncular former WWII submariner Nate Most, succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. 

Passive investing now accounts for more than $20 trillion, equal to the entire gross domestic product of the US, and is today a force reshaping markets, finance and even capitalism itself in myriad subtle but pivotal ways.

Yet even some fans of index funds and ETFs are growing perturbed that their swelling heft is destabilizing markets, wrecking the investment industry and leading to an unwelcome concentration of power in fewer and fewer hands.

In Trillions, Financial Times journalist Robin Wigglesworth unveils the vivid secret history of an invention Wall Street wishes was never created, bringing to life the characters behind its birth, growth, and evolution into a world-conquering phenomenon. 

Have a money question? Email us, ask jill [at] jill on money dot com.

Please leave us a rating or review in Apple Podcasts.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

How Many Funds Do We Need?

Is there a sweet spot when it comes to the number of funds you should be using in your overall portfolio? Here's a little secret, more funds does NOT necessarily mean a bigger return.

Have a money question? Email me here.

Please leave us a rating or review in Apple Podcasts.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

ETF or Index Fund?

If you've been using index funds all along, and they've treated you very well, is there any reason to consider making the switch to ETFs?

Have a money question? Email me here.

Please leave us a rating or review in Apple Podcasts.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Coronavirus: Best to Use Index Funds?

If you're lucky enough to have some extra cash and you want to open a brokerage account, what's the best way to invest? Individual stocks? Index funds? ETFs?

Have a money question? Email me here.

Please leave us a rating or review in Apple Podcasts.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

My Planner Has Me in 19 Funds

When it comes to a diversified portfolio, how many funds is the optimal number? Well, it kinda depends on each case, but I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that 19 separate funds is way too many. That's the situation facing Jennifer from Buffalo.

Have a money question? Email me here.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com. 

Are Index Funds Dangerous?

Are Index Funds Dangerous?

While focusing on the Federal Reserve’s quarter-point interest rate cut, you may have missed an interesting milestone in the investing world: For the first time ever, U.S. index (passive) mutual funds have more money invested in them than active, stock picking funds.