More Straight Talk on Investing: Lessons for a Lifetime

A practical and pithy guide to investing to help everyday investors achieve their long-term goals

The 21st century has been beset with three financial market shocks in its first 20 years, the bursting of the Tech Bubble in 2000-2002; the Global Financial Crisis of 2008-09; and 2020 COVID-19 crash. Given this backdrop, it is no wonder that investing can appear to be so daunting to individual investors.

As Chairman and CEO of Vanguard, one of the largest and most respected investment management companies in the world, Jack Brennan has spent his career helping people invest their money. In the newly updated More Straight Talk on Investing, he shares with you the lessons he has learned over his over four decades at Vanguard from a variety of market participants—from Main Street investors and 401(k) plan holders to veteran portfolio managers at the helm of Vanguard funds and sophisticated investment professionals overseeing top endowments and foundations.

This a comprehensive, but approachable book will help you develop the knowledge, confidence, and discipline to navigate the financial markets and attain investment success over the long term. While the financial planning and investing principles covered are timeless, a considerable amount has changed in the nearly 20 years since the first edition, including new products and services, lower costs, and ever-evolving regulation and legislation. An entire generation of investors has come of age over the past two decades and could benefit from understanding that sound and sensible investing is an effective way to achieve financial security.

This book will assist your manage your “serious” money—the dollars that you set aside for long-term goals, such as retirement or the education of your children. The book also emphasizes the concept of thinking of yourself as a “financial entrepreneur”—managing your financial life like owner manages a business.

In a straightforward, plain talk manner, the book demonstrates how to:

• Build a balanced, diversified portfolio that meets your needs and goals
• Evaluate mutual funds and ETFs with a discerning eye
• Adhere to a long-term, disciplined approach to investing
• Control your emotions and tune out the incessant “noise” in the media
• Understand the risks and rewards of financial markets
• Develop a prudent plan and investment policy statement to guide your path forward
• Avoid the pitfalls and mistakes that can derail your investment program

With wit and wisdom, Brennan relays anecdotes and observations that demonstrate the enduring investment precepts that will serve as a guide to novice investors and as a practical refresher for seasoned investors. He has also added three new chapters focusing on evaluating advice options, garnering lessons from endowments, and dealing with the challenges of a low interest rate environment.

JACK BRENNAN is Chairman Emeritus and Senior Advisor of Vanguard, one of the world’s largest investment companies. He served as Chief Executive Officer from 1996 to 2008 and Chairman of the Board from 1998 to 2009. He is a sought-after speaker on investing and finance and received his education at Dartmouth College and Harvard Business School.

JOHN WOERTH is a Senior Communications Advisor to Vanguard. He spent more than three decades in corporate communications at the company and served as its chief spokesperson for 15 years. He holds degrees in journalism from Temple University.