The Investors Manifesto, The Ages of the Investor, and The Four Pillars of Investing - William J. Bernstein

Written by William J. Bernstein
Read by Scott Peterson, Brian Holsopple
Format: MP3
Bitrate: Mixed

The Four Pillars of Investing: Lessons for Building a Winning Portfolio

Sound, sensible advice from a hero to frustrated investors everywhere

William Bernstein’s The Four Pillars of Investing gives investors the tools they need to construct top-returning portfolios­­–without the help of a financial adviser. In a relaxed, nonthreatening style, Dr. Bernstein provides a distinctive blend of market history, investing theory, and behavioral finance, one designed to help every investor become more self-sufficient and make better-informed investment decisions. The 4 Pillars of Investing explains how any investor can build a solid foundation for investing by focusing on four essential lessons, each building upon the other. Containing all of the tools needed to achieve investing success, without the help of a financial advisor, it presents:

Practical investing advice based on fascinating history lessons from the market
Exercises to determine risk tolerance as an investor
An easy-to-understand explanation of risk and reward in the capital markets

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The Investors Manifesto: Preparing for Prosperity, Armageddon, and Everything in Between

As recently as a generation or two ago, the lack of financial ability wasn’t a handicap for the average person. But in today’s world - where most of us have been forced to manage our own investment and retirement portfolios - it has become essential to understand the finer points of our financial life.

While the meltdown of 2008 - 2009 has compounded the complexity of the investment landscape, timeless investment principles can help you navigate even the toughest investment terrain.

That’s why best-selling author William Bernstein - a grassroots hero to independent investors - has written The Investor’s Manifesto. Approaching the problems of investing and saving from the perspective of someone who has had to figure it out for himself, Bernstein knows firsthand how difficult these endeavors can be - especially for those with little professional experience in this arena. Now, with the current market maelstrom as a backdrop, he skillfully describes what it takes to plan for a lifetime of investing, discussing stocks and bonds as well as the relationship between risk and return.

Potentially generous returns are available to the brave, the disciplined, and the liquid. If you follow the advice found here and keep your head while others lose theirs, then you will have a fighting chance of avoiding the financial pitfalls in front of you and profiting over the long-term.

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The Ages of the Investor: A Critical Look at Lifecycle Investing

Just as grownups do not believe in the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, or Santa Claus, “Investing adults” know that there is no such creature as the Stock-picking Fairy or the Market-timing Fairy. Further, there is no Risk Fairy who will write you cheap options that will protect your stock holdings against loss. Investing adults are familiar with Gene Fama, Zvi Bodie, Jack Bogle, and Burton Malkiel, and understand that a mean variance optimizer does not blend vegetables.

In other words, this series is not for beginners.

Future topics will, with luck, include the limits of market efficiency and diversification in increasingly nonsegmented global markets.