If You Can: How Millennials Can Get Rich Slowly

Description

William J. Bernstein promises to lay out an investment strategy that any seven year old could understand and will take just 15 minutes of work per year. He also promises it will beat 90% of finance professionals in the long run, but still make you a millionaire over time. Bernstein is addressing young Americans just embarking on their working careers. Bernstein advocates saving 15% of one's salary starting no later than age 25 into tax-sheltered savings plans (IRA or 401(k) in the U.S., RRSPs or Registered Pension Plans in Canada), and divvying up the money into just three mutual funds: a U.S. total stock market index fund, an international stock market index fund and a U.S. total bond market index fund. For millennials, saving 15% of salary is the financial equivalent of dying, which is why Bernstein titles his document 'IF you can.';Hurdle number one: Even if you can invest like Warren Buffett, if you can't save, you'll die poor -- Hurdle number two: Finance isn't rocket science, but you'd better understand it clearly -- Hurdle number three (with apologies to George Santayana): Those who ignore financial history are condemned to repeat it -- Hurdle number four (with apologies to Walt Kelly, creator of the Pogo cartoon): We have met the enemy and he is us -- Hurdle number five: The financial services industry wants to make you poor and stupid -- What about the nuts and bolts? Hurdle number one: Even if you can invest like Warren Buffett, if you can't save, you'll die poor -- Hurdle number two: Finance isn't rocket science, but you'd better understand it clearly -- Hurdle number three (with apologies to George Santayana): Those who ignore financial history are condemned to repeat it -- Hurdle number four (with apologies to Walt Kelly, creator of the Pogo cartoon): We have met the enemy and he is us -- Hurdle number five: The financial services industry wants to make you poor and stupid -- What about the nuts and bolts?