172 How the Index Fund changed investing forever, with Robin Wigglesworth

The Retirement Café Podcast

Robin Wigglesworth is editor of FT Alphaville, the Financial Times’ financial blog, where he focuses on the biggest trends reshaping markets, investing and finance across the world.

Robin is also the author of a book called ‘Trillions – How a Band of Wall Street Renegades Invented The Index Fund and changed Finance Forever’. It’s been described as the definitive book on the past, present and future of passive investing.

Trillions is a riveting read for anyone interested in the story of index funds, which is a topic I’ve discussed with several guests on the podcast over the years.

Robin describes the index funds as one of the most disruptive inventions in the history of investing and he joined me on the podcast to explain why, with humorous anecdotes and stories, including Warren Buffet’s famous bet against any active manager to beat the index over a 10 year period.

We also chat about a concept known as index hugging or closet indexing, different types of index funds available, where Robin shares the story of value stocks, and how building a judicious portfolio can help make for a successful investment experience. Oh, and Robin shares the secret of FT Alphaville’s success (it’s free!).