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Zacks Advantage Blog

Why Warren Buffet Favors Investing With Index Funds

June 13th, 2017 | Posted in Uncategorized

Warren Buffett is one of the financial industry’s most successful and respected investors. So when he speaks, investors listen. Except when they don’t.

In his Berkshire Hathaway annual letter to shareholders earlier this year, Buffet talked about the power of index fund investing, and why wealthier investors tend to ignore it.*

“Over the years, I’ve often been asked for investment advice, and in the process of answering I’ve learned a good deal about human behavior,” Buffett said in the letter.

“My regular recommendation has been a low-cost S&P 500 index fund,” he said. “To their credit, my friends who possess only modest means have usually followed my suggestion.”

“I believe, however, that none of the mega-rich individuals, institutions, or pension funds has followed that same advice when I’ve given it to them.”

“Wealthy individuals, pension funds, endowments and the like will continue to feel they deserve something ‘extra’ in investment advice. Those advisors who cleverly play to this expectation will get very rich. This year the magic potion may be hedge funds, next year something else.”

“My calculation, admittedly very rough, is that the search by the elite for superior investment advice has caused it, in aggregate, to waste more than $100 billion over the past decade. Figure it out: Even a 1% fee on a few trillion dollars adds up.”

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Zacks Advantage is a service offered by Zacks Investment Management, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zacks Investment Research. Zacks Investment Management is an independent Registered Investment Advisory firm and acts as an investment manager for individuals and institutions. All material in presented on this page is for informational purposes only and no recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment or strategy is suitable for a particular investor. Nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice. The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable but we do not guarantee accuracy or completeness. Zacks Investment Management, Inc. is not engaged in rendering legal, tax, accounting or other professional services. Publication and distribution of this article is not intended to create, and the information contained herein does not constitute, an attorney- client relationship. Do not act or rely upon the information and advice given in this publication without seeking the services of competent and professional legal, tax, or accounting counsel.