The Little Book of Robo Investing (eBook)

Elizabeth MacBride is a journalist and an internationally known finance writer who crafted the language that launched the robo investment movement. She has written or edited for Newsweek, MIT Tech Review, Forbes magazine, Atlantic.com, Stanford GSB, CNBC and many others. She is the co-author, previously, of The New Builders: Face to Face With The True Future of Business. Qian Liu is the Chief Data Officer at Guideline, an online investment platform that manages small business 401(k) plans. Prior to this position, Qian was the Head of Data at GoFundMe. Qian was also previously the Director of Research at Wealthfront where she led the research and development of automated investment products.

Foreword xi

Acknowledgments xix

Introduction xxi

Section One The Science, Business, and Art of Robo Investing 1

Chapter One Make Investing Work for You 3

Chapter Two A Brief History of Indexing and Robo Investing 25

Chapter Three The Philosophy of Robo Investment Advice: Avoid the Gimmicks, Embrace the Science 45

Section Two What the Platforms Do 63

Chapter Four Diversify and De-risk Investments 65

Chapter Five Increase Your Return over Time with Lower Fees 81

Chapter Six Lower Tax Bills 97

Chapter Seven Technology Brings It Home 117

Section Three How to Use a Robo Platform 129

Chapter Eight Be Self- Aware about Money 131

Chapter Nine Investing Is Dating for the Long Term 143

Chapter Ten Budgeting and Wealth Building 155

Chapter Eleven Understand Risk and Pick the Right Risk Tolerance 169

Chapter Twelve Live for the Present, Invest for the Future 185

Section Four Where You Begin 199

Chapter Thirteen Is a Robo Investment Platform Right for You? 201

Chapter Fourteen Find the Right Platform 215

Chapter Fifteen Now I've Finished the Book and So What? 235

References 249

About the Authors 257

"Here's the key to success in investing and in life: don't overthink! This message is front and center in Elizabeth and Qian's delightful book on robo investing. It's a must read for anyone who is not a professional investor (meaning pretty much anyone). Stop wasting your time on complicated investment strategies that are unlikely to work. There's an easier way, as this wonderful and easy to read book clearly demonstrates."
--Seth Levine, managing partner, Foundry Group

"This book debunks many myths about investing and offers practical advice on how to use robo-investing to build wealth and beat inflation. The authors do a great job explaining how these online investment platforms work, the diversification strategies they use when modeling portfolios, and how they help investors mitigate risk. It's a must read for individual investors who want to take control of their financial destiny."
--Lori Ioannou, contributor, The Wall Street Journal, former senior editor of CNBC.com and former executive editor at Time Inc.

"The Little Book of Robo Investing is a call to action for a new era of informed and empowered investors. It expertly and entertainingly demystifies robo investing, through use of real-world examples and relatable problem solving. Liu and MacBride equip readers with the knowledge and tools to embrace the future of finance with confidence."
--Zara Stone, award-winning tech and business journalist, and author of Killer Looks: The Forgotten History of Plastic Surgery in Prisons, and The Future of Science is Female: The Brilliant Minds Shaping the 21st Century

"Robo advisors drastically simplified today's complex investing world. They brought about a number of advantages to individual investors via websites and mobile apps, including low account minimums and fees, broad diversification, tax efficiency, personalization and convenience. Expertly explained by the authors in this lucid book, robo advisors make successful investing easy for just about everyone."
--Jeff Rosenberger, COO of Guideline, and former executive at Wealthfront

"I've worked with countless young soldiers tasked with managing military careers, travel, and supporting their families who could benefit from the straightforward, easy-to-understand approach in this book. The online nature of the service means it will grow with you."
--Jason Cano, Lt Col, U.S. Space Force

"I encourage everyone to look at the wisdom and enduring lessons of this remarkably well-sourced historical and rational work. The Little Book is the perfect bedside guidebook for those who want to hear the secrets of investing from those with access to the best advice on offer. A wonderful read. Thank you Elizabeth and Qian for all you do to elevate investing as an important life skill and for making it accessible to everyone regardless of financial means, status or background."
--Pia Sawhney, Partner, Armory Square Ventures

"Before the advent of robo advisors, only the wealthy could afford sophisticated financial advice provided by traditional human financial advisors. Similar to many other traditional industries disrupted by technology, robo advisors automated sophisticated financial advice, made it accessible to regular investors at a low cost and leveled the playing field. The authors skillfully explained the movement of robo advisors and how American individuals and families without a ton of knowledge in finance and investing can easily use robo advisors to build financial security over time."
--Nick Shalek, General Partner of Rabbit Capital