Index Funds: The 12-Step Recovery Program for Active Investors [Hardcover]

Mark T. Hebner (Author), Harry M. Markowitz (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 2012

This book reveals the potential land mines and pitfalls of active investing and educates readers on the benefits of passive investing with index funds. Hebner's book details the possible perils associated with stock picking, mutual fund manager picking, market timing, and other wealth depleting behaviors. This 12-Step Program teaches the differences between active and passive investing, explains the emotional triggers that impact investment decisions, and offers an enlightening education on science-based investing that may forever change the way an investor perceives the stock market. Hebner sets forth a sound strategy that involves risk-appropriate investing that may empower investors to lead a more profitable and relaxed life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Hebner gives us good advice presented in a very appealing manner. Index Funds remains one of the most valuable investment guides available." --Burton G. Malkiel, Ph.D., Professor of Economics, Princeton University and author of A Random Walk Down Wall Street

"It is really beautiful and really well done. I plan to use it as a reference guide." --David G. Booth, Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer, Dimensional Fund Advisors, Inc., Benefactor of Chicago Booth School of Business

"... as this book documents so well, a foolish attempt to beat the market and get rich quickly will make one's broker rich and oneself much less so." --Harry Markowitz, Ph.D., Nobel Laureate in Economics

"This Book is Wonderful!" --Theodore R. Aronson, Founder of Aronson Johnson Ortiz, Institutional Money Manager

About the Author

Mark T. Hebner is the founder and president of Index Funds Advisors, Inc., author of ifa.com, and the book Index Funds: The 12-Step Program for Active Investors. That original book received praise from the financial industry and academic legends, including John Bogle, David Booth, Harry Markowitz, Burton Malkiel, and Paul Samuelson. This is a condensed and updated version of that book. Mark is considered a leading author, speaker, and Internet provider of investing education. He is especially knowledgeable about the superiority of index mutual funds, as well as the research indexes designed by financial economists. He earned an MBA at the University of California, Irvine.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 318 pages
• Publisher: IFA Publishing, Inc.; Upd Rev edition (March 15, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780976802310
• ISBN-13: 978-0976802310
• ASIN: 0976802317
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 1 x 5.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #79,693 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mark T. Hebner is the founder and president of Index Funds Advisors, Inc., (IFA), author of Index Funds: The 12-Step Recovery Program for Active Investors, and creator of ifa.com, ifa401k.com, and ifasustainable.com. His current and previous Index Funds books received praise from financial industry and academic luminaries, including John Bogle, David Booth, Burton Malkiel, and Nobel Laureates Harry Markowitz and Paul Samuelson.

This book details the possible perils associated with stock picking, mutual fund manager picking, market timing, and other wealth depleting behaviors. Hebner's 12-Step Program teaches the differences between active and passive investing, explains the emotional triggers that impact investment decisions, and offers an enlightening education on science-based investing that may forever change the way an investor perceives the stock market.

Hebner is considered a leading authority and provider of investment education. His mission is to "change the way the world invests by replacing speculation with education." He accomplishes this through regular webcasts on IFA.tv, articles, and blogs. Hebner is especially knowledgeable about the research indexes designed by renowned financial economists that provide the building blocks to the passive indexing investment strategy that Hebner recommends.

IFA is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as a fee-only independent financial advisor. Located in Irvine, California, IFA has approximately $1.73 billion of assets under management, about 1,800 clients, and 40 employees located throughout the country as of December 31, 2012.

Contact Info:
Index Funds Advisors, Inc.
19200 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 150
Irvine, California 92612-8502
Toll Free: 888-643-3133
www.ifa.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Gamblers Annonymous April 29, 2012

By R. Mend

Format:Hardcover

The basic facts to be culled from this book are....
1. To successfully out perform the market you must pick investments at a positive rate of 74% or better.
2. The best so called financial analyst "guru's" forecast accuracy (between 1997 and 2011) range from a 26% to 67% success rate.....these people don't dabble they forecast for a living.
3. ALL legitimate financial geniuses with decades of experience agree that trying to time the market will make brokers rich and you poor.
4.Investing in a passively managed index fund will allow you to to reap returns at market levels while providing you with the ability to achieve peace of mind.
5. If you must gamble, budget for a trip to Vegas and only lose what you can afford to while actually having fun!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What a Modern Finance Book Should be.... June 16, 2012

By Tombear

Format:Hardcover

This book makes a prolific, historical documented case for index fund investing. Mark Hebner persistently and convincingly takes apart Wall St. and exposes the long-time falsehoods of the mutual fund, active management, and brokerage industry.
This is all uniquely packaged in an incredible visual journey - with rich illustrations that brings everything to life. This book raises the bar simply for what a modern-day finance book should be.

The amount of documentation and proof is incredible alone. You will see many graphs and data sets that are not published elsewhere.

Nobody beats the markets for very long and the road to speculation which non-indexers do, leads often to ruin. Wall St. simply runs an endless beauty pageant - that delivers short.

Buy this book, index invest, and receive the fair market return you deserve.

His research is documented by nobel laureate academics and topical industry evidence he meticulously obtained for our benefit. For example, he highlights info such as how little return the big brokerage clients have received as opposed to the robust returns of index fund investors/clients of index-based advisory firms.

As a final note, Mark has keen foresight (he wrote the first edition in 2007 and the namesake of his firm hinges on indexing = IFA = Index Fund Advisors) is proof of the pudding. Index fund investing is now finally mainstream as the lessons of this book has foretold. Vanguard is now the largest mutual fund firm (an index fund company) and DFA (Dimensional Funds - an index fund company) is one of the fastest growing fund firms. It's a great time to be an index fund investor. Indexes have everything to gain vs. active managers = much to lose.

Thank you to these hard working, passionate & ethical figures of finance today.

You'll find a treasure of info here and an author that delivers on his work.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Mark Hebner's beautiful new book June 19, 2012

By Patricia S. Larimore

Format:Hardcover

I own the original and much larger, "Index Funds" book by author, Mark Hebner. I was pleased to see he has updated the original with a shorter edition. I wasted no time reading it.

I have read hundred's of financial books and this book is the most beautiful with dozens of artistic pictures and graphs to give the reader an enjoyable reading experience. Mr. Hebner uses his vast knowledge of stock market history to inform and persuade, even the most skeptical, that indexing is now the smart way for individuals to invest. Jack Bogle will be pleased.

Taylor Larimore
Miami, Florida