Investment Mistakes Even Smart Investors Make and How to Avoid Them

EVERYONE MAKES MISTAKES. THIS BOOK SHOWS YOU HOW TO MAKE MONEY.

“Swedroe and Balaban show you how to avoid being your own worst enemy and how to win the investment game by not losing.”
—Burton G. Malkiel, author of A Random Walk Down Wall Street

“Sure, we’ve all made mistakes, and they can be pretty expensive, even the first time. This wonderful volume will pay for itself a thousand times over.”
—William Bernstein, author of A Splendid Exchange and The Investor’s Manifesto

“In his new book, Larry Swedroe—America’s preeminent writer on passive investing—shows you how to recognize your mistakes and, more importantly, how to avoid future mistakes to secure a worry-free financial future. This book will prove to be a classic blueprint on sidestepping the blunders made by even the smartest of investors.”
—Bill Schultheis, author of The New Coffeehouse Investor

“This is a book that does not belong on your bookshelf; it belongs in your hands. Buy it, read it (and it’s fun reading), and prosper.”
—Harold Evensky, President, Evensky & Katz Wealth Management

“Swedroe’s tour through the world of money and psychology is a trip every investor should take.”
—Gary Belsky, coauthor, Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes...And How to Correct Them

With a Foreword by Meir Statman, author of award-winning What Investors Really Want

Even the most experienced investors in the world can screw up—and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Whether you’re an old pro with a well-designed portfolio or a newbie investor just starting out, bestselling author Larry Swedroe with RC Balaban can show you how to “live and learn” from others’ mistakes—and invest in good times and bad.

By answering the key questions every investor should ask, you’ll learn how to avoid:

Mistake #1: Feeling too confident in your investing skills
Mistake #6: Allowing yourself to be swayed by popular opinion
Mistake #11: Holding on to assets because of the price you paid
Mistake #15: Letting friendships influence your choice of advisors
Mistake #31: Expecting miracles from hedge fund managers
Mistake #48: Confusing speculation with investing
Mistake #60: Underestimating the number of stocks you need to diversify
Mistake #71: Forgetting that you can be too conservative
Mistake #77: Repeating the same mistake

Be warned: This groundbreaking guide will shatter the myths about money you’ve come to accept and challenge the conventional wisdom you’ve received from friends, advisors, and other “experts.”

By exposing these all-too-common mistakes, one by one, you’ll be able to rethink your strategy and reinvest in your future with confidence. You’ll discover the truth about misleading demographics, “high-return” investments, active managers, and other resources you should—or shouldn’t—trust.

You’ll learn the actual devastating effect taxes can have on your returns if you use the wrong strategy. You’ll learn the wrong way and the right way to build your portfolio, diversify your accounts, and plan for your family’s future. Most important, this book will show you how to avoid making the investment mistakes you used to make and how to give yourself the best chance of achieving your financial goals.

Filled with insider insight, need-to-know advice, and revealing case studies, this is the one book smart investors can learn from—and even smarter investors can invest in.

Larry E. Swedroe is the bestselling author of the The Only Guide series and other successful investment guides. He writes the blog “Wise Investing” for CBS MoneyWatch.com and speaks frequently at financial conferences. He is also a principal and Director of Research for The Buckingham Family of Financial Services, which includes Buckingham Asset Management and BAM Advisor Services. In addition, he has held executive-level positions at Prudential Home Mortgage, Citicorp, and CBS.
RC Balaban is a former journalist and currently the media specialist for The Buckingham Family of Financial Services, which includes Buckingham Asset