August 8, 2025
TIP743: Should Value Investors Own Index Funds?
We Study Billionaires - The Investor’s Podcast NetworkAbout this episode
In this episode, Clay shares John Bogle’s timeless philosophy of passively investing in low-cost index funds. Bogle, the founder of Vanguard, helped spark a global movement that has made investing more accessible and cost-effective. Today, Vanguard manages over $10 trillion in assets, and Bogle’s simple approach has been adopted by millions worldwide, collectively saving investors trillions of dollars in fees over the years. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 03:34 - How John Bogle’s index fund philosophy revolutionized investing. 05:46 - Why most active mutual fund managers underperform the S&P 500 over time. 25:11 - How to estimate realistic future returns for the S&P 500. 31:50 - How fees and taxes quietly erode investment returns. 50:23 - Why index funds are easier to hold onto during market crashes. 52:11 - Why Clay chose not to invest in index funds at this point in his investment journey. Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Join Clay and a select group of passionate value investors for a retreat in Big Sky, Montana. Learn more here . Join the exclusive TIP Mastermind Community to engage in meaningful stock investing discussions with Stig, Clay, Kyle, and the other community members. John Bogle’s book, The Little Book of Common Sense Investing . Nick Magguilli’s book, Just Keep Buying . Related Episode: MI167: The Bogle Effect w/ Eric Balchunas . Related Episode: TIP709: The Art of Long-Term Investing w/ Francois Rochon . Related Episode: TIP734: My Investment Philosophy w/ Clay Finck . Follow Clay on X and LinkedIn . Check out all the books mentioned and discussed in our podcast episodes here . Enjoy ad-free episodes when you subscribe to our Premium Feed . NEW TO THE SHOW? Get smarter about valuing businesses in just a few minutes each week through our newsletter, The Intrinsic Value Newsletter . Check out our We Study Billionaires Starter Packs . Follow our official social media accounts: X (Twitter) | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok . Browse through all our episodes (complete with transcripts) here . Try our tool for picking stock winners and managing our portfolios: TIP Finance Tool . Enjoy exclusive perks from our favorite Apps and Services . Learn how to better start, manage, and grow your business with the best business podcasts . SPONSORS Support our free podcast by supporting our sponsors : SimpleMining HardBlock AnchorWatch Human Rights Foundation Cape Unchained Vanta Shopify Onramp Abundant Mines HELP US OUT! Help us reach new listeners by leaving us a rating and review on Spotify ! It takes less than 30 seconds, and really helps our show grow, which allows us to bring on even better guests for you all! Thank you – we really appreciate it! Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm