Investment with Low-Cost ETFs and Indexed Mutual Funds

Investment with Low-Cost ETFs and Index Mutual Funds

Andrew Hallam writes about the value of index investing using low-cost indexed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds. No matter where you are with your saving and investment planning, a good place to start your research is to read his books. You can follow Andrew’s Facebook Millionaire Teacher page and his Expats & International School Educators - Financial Advice group for his ongoing sharing of insights.  

There are a great many websites dedicated to investor education that are not profit-motivated. The following are a couple that, over the years, helped me in my investment planning following Andrew’s advice. 

The Merriman Financial Education Foundation - Paul Merriman is a retired financial investor who set up his foundation that is dedicated to “providing comprehensive financial education to investors at all stages of life, with information and tools to make informed decisions in their own best interest and successfully implement their retirement savings program.” Merriman and his team are numbers people who track the historical average of low-cost ETFs and mutual funds, offering the research to tell what the historical data teach us. I recently gave my sons a copy of Merriman’s book, We’re Talking Millions! 12 Ways to Supercharge Your Retirement. :)

The Boglehead Online Forum - “Bogleheads” are followers of John Bogle, who founded The Vanguard Group, which is an investment company that started the first indexed mutual funds. Their mission is to bring low-cost investing to their clients. You can find books on the Boglehead approach to a less expensive cost structure to investing. This crowdsourced forum is a helpful learning resource. 

Disclaimer: I am not a financial advisor and am not giving any financial advice in this post.

Image Source

More Blog Posts

guest blog post

It Takes Two -- or More -- to Tango: On Being an Effective Follower

by Claire Gaul - 7/11/2025

I work in an industry where decision-making often follows a traditional hierarchy. Most operational choices outside the classroom are made from the top down—by department heads, coordinators, and the head of school. This structure often leads to the expectation that teachers will implement others’ directives. Ideally, the decision making has been well thought out and will foster an environment that supports both staff well-being and student learning. It's kind of like a dance...

article

For-profit Versus Not-for-profit International Schools

by David Carpenter - 10/15/2024

The number of international schools continues to grow, especially For-Profit schools. What are the differences between For-Profit and Not-For-Profit schools? How can we compare them? This post provides the answers to these important questions and more...

article

Profiling Schools, Cities and Countries

by David Carpenter and Audrey Forgeron - 11/7/2023

Moving to a new school, city and country often involves a bit of a leap of faith. Nonetheless, it's possible to minimize some of the anxiety and eliminate some of the "fingers crossed" feelings by methodically profiling the various locations you may be considering. We consistently advocate for doing research when recruiting to learn about schools, host cities, and countries.