WELCOME TO INDEXFUNDS.COM

Index Funds.com is a comprehensive resource on index funds investing, promoting a commonsense approach that seeks to maximize expected returns at each level of risk, utilizing index portfolios.

What are Index Funds?

An index fund can be defined as a mutual fund or exchange traded fund (ETF) with clearly defined rules of ownership, that are held constant regardless of market conditions. The fund does not have to follow a well known index. There are well over 1,000 index funds in the Morningstar database, leaving investors with a new questions about their portfolios. What allocation of passive investments (index funds) best matches my risk capacity?

An extensive database of index funds articles and data can be found on this site. Including information on Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA), Vanguard, Barclays Global, and most other index funds.

WHAT'S NEW

Apr. 26, 2013: The 12-Step Recovery Program for Retirement Gamblers

Apr. 26, 2013: Smart Sustainable Investing

Apr. 23, 2013: College Savings Analyzer

Apr. 17, 2013: Taking Stock of the STOCK Act

Apr. 16, 2013: Vanguard Makes the Case for Indexing

Apr. 15, 2013: The Misuse of ETFs and Index Funds

Apr. 12, 2013: Another Arithmetic Lesson from William Sharpe

Apr. 11, 2013:Saving for College: Addressing a Significant Financial Challenge (Third of a Three Part Series)

Apr. 4, 2013: 1Q/2013: The Quarter in Review

KEY ARTICLES

Eugene Fama doesn't read Barron's and readers of Barron's don't read Fama! But the average investor would do better to read Fama than Barron's. Fama's Market Efficiency, Long-Term Returns, and Behavioral Finance is usually in the top 3 downloaded academic paper at ssrn.com, where thousands of academics publish their research on the web. Read about Fama's Gospel, from Bloomberg.com.

From Fama's analysis of the "behavioral finance" challenge to his market efficiency hypothesis, "... the expected value of abnormal returns is zero, but chance generates apparent anomalies that split randomly between under-reaction and over-reaction [to market news]."

Characteristics, Covariances, and Average Returns: 1929-1997 - Eugene Fama and Kenneth French
The Short Book on Investing - by Mark Hebner
Like Hedge Funds? Analyze this. - Forbes Magazine
The New Indexing: Eugene Fama, Jr.
The Probability of Success: William Bernstein
Engineering and Portfolio Construction: Eugene Fama, Jr.
Capitalism and Index Funds: Rex Sinquefield
The Small Cap Alpha Myth: Melissa Johnson
The Myth of Fund Ratings: By Anonymous

The 12-Steps

The 12-Step Recovery Program for Active Investors will walk you through the land mines and pitfalls of active investing and show you a better way to invest. When you complete this 12-Step Program, you will understand the differences between active and passive investing and be fully aware of the emotional triggers that impact investment decisions. You will also obtain an enlightening education on science-based investing that may forever change the way you perceive how the stock market works. You will learn the hazards of speculation and the rewards of discipline. The best part is that you can learn to change your own investment behavior, which can lead to a more profitable and enjoyable life.

As you embark upon the 12 Steps, an important concept to understand is that most people tend to make investment decisions based on emotions. The challenge for all investors is to ignore emotional triggers that impede rational decisions. Emotions often override reason when it comes to investment decisions, leading to irrational and destructive behavior. The financial news media and Wall Street feed the fear, anxiety and other stressful emotions experienced by investors, resulting in less than favorable investment outcomes. This book will teach you how to hang on in the midst of turmoil and show you the destructive nature of active investing. Read More of the 12-Step Overview at ifa.com ►