Investing can grow your savings. However, many people in Europe don’t invest because it sounds complicated, time-consuming, and speculative. Worse, it is hard to learn to invest when the existing materials use words you don’t understand or focus on people that live in the United States.
With How to Invest in Index Funds, you’ll learn how to grow your savings using an approach trusted by millions of people: index fund investing. In January 2020, the total invested in index funds was worth over $10 trillion!
This practical book written in plain language teaches:
- Actionable steps on how anyone in Europe can start investing in index funds
- How to choose an index fund or ETF for any investment strategy
- How to make investment decisions with confidence
- The attributes and behaviors you need to be a successful investor in the long run
- And much more!
“Almost every question you may have about investing in ETFs in Europe finds an answer in this book.
Several data and examples are given to make the most complicated arguments crystal clear.
Every topic is explained in plain English, understandable even by people with zero experience in finance.
This book is strongly recommended to both experienced and beginners: it’s for everyone.
You can learn the basics as well as new tips and interesting insights.
And as a plus, if you still have some questions after reading this book, Mario is very supportive and will answer them.” – Max (France)
“I want to grow my savings. But, I don’t know how to invest.”
It is awful to see your hard-earned savings go nowhere while stuck in a bank account.
You hear you can grow your savings if you invest them. But investing?! Investing sounds complicated, time consuming and speculative.
“Worse, investing is risky! Will I make a big mistake and lose my money?”
Your friends also know little about investing. You didn’t study Finance in school. You don’t know who and what to ask. You don’t even know where to begin.
You read a few things about investing but you get confused with all the complicated terms.
What if you knew how to invest your savings the right way?
The Internet has a ton of suspicious “get rich quick investing” schemes. And you don’t want to get involved with them. However, there is a time-tested investment strategy – index fund investing – that is simple and has produced great returns for investors like you and me.
You may have stumbled into a couple of amazing resources on the topic but they were all written by people that live in the United States. Which makes you wonder: Can I invest like them? What is a 401(k) anyway? How can European residents buy VTI/VTASX?
What if you knew how European residents can invest in index funds?
Taxes, regulations, brokers and available funds make investing while living in Europe different than investing while living in the United States. The principles of index fund investing are the same regardless of location. But the practical details differ.
My book “How to Invest in Index Funds” covers what you need to know and do so you can start investing. It covers both the theory and practice of investing in index funds for anyone in Europe.
A list of “best index funds for Europeans” can only take you so far. It tells you “what” but it does not explain you “why”. Investing with so little knowledge feels like you are flying blind. You are doing something but you don’t know if it will take you where you need to go. This book is different.
With this book you’ll become confident on your ability to make sound investment decisions.
You need not spend months researching how to invest in index funds. You can learn index fund investing in just a few hours with this book.
What is inside?
The book explains how to grow your savings by investing in index funds. First, it explains the fundamental concepts of investing like diversification. Then, it shows why index funds is trusted by so many people. Finally, it teaches how to make specific decisions like choosing an index fund.
Besides the book there are videos that cover supplemental topics relevant for investors: taxes, brokers and online tools.
The book
This is an ebook with around 192 pages. It has 8 chapters:
- Chapter 1 – Stocks, bonds and cash are the basics of investing: Covers the fundamentals of investing. What is investing and why people bother doing it? What are the different investments (e.g. equities, bonds) that exist and how do they work? What is the risk/return trade-off? What is the importance of diversification?
- Chapter 2 – Index funds are the best way to invest for most people : Covers the fundamentals of index/passive investing. How is passive investing different from other types of investing? Why is passive investment great for investors like you and me? What is an investment fund? How is the passive investing landscape in Europe?
- Chapter 3 – The Simple Portfolio all – two investments is all you need: Covers the details of my preferred portfolio. How does that portfolio look like? Why is it a popular portfolio among European investors? A deep understanding of this portfolio makes it easier to find the most suitable investment funds.
- Chapter 4 – Understand the attributes of an index fund before you choose one for your portfolio: Explains the important characteristics of stock and bond index funds. Before you can choose funds for your portfolio, you need to evaluate them and assess if they fit your investment plan.
- Chapter 5 – Choosing an index fund is easy when you use a process: Covers my preferred ETFs for implementing the Simple Portfolio. I explain the process I follow to find suitable ETFs. I’ll help you understand why I prefer these specific ETFs instead of others.
- Chapter 6 – How much you allocate to stocks and bonds (or cash) determines your returns and risk: Explains the importance of investing in both stocks and bonds or cash. I’ll explain how you can find an asset allocation that works for you and how to rebalance your portfolio.
- Chapter 7 – How to be a successful investor: Explains the mindset and habits you need to be a successful passive investor. The hardest part of investing isn’t “how to start” but rather “how to keep investing.” Patience and discipline are as important as having the right portfolio.
- Chapter 8 – Practicalities of investing: Covers the specific steps you need to undertake to start investing. I’ll cover the most frequent questions people ask when they are trying to put investing in practice.
Video: How to select ETFs in practice
The book explains my process for selecting ETFs, which I call “Exclude + Prioritize”. This process chooses a few suitable ETFs from a universe of over a thousand ETFs. The book explains the process in a written format.
This video is a live walkthrough where I run the same “Exclude + Prioritize” process. In it you will learn how to use multiple online tools to select the best ETFs for you in practice. The video shows this process for equity and bond ETFs.
This video has 39 minutes of instruction.
Video: Useful online tools for index fund investors
The Internet is the best friend of any index investor. There are many online resources that can help you make better investment decisions. Many don’t know how to make the most of these resources.
This video covers the most useful online resources for European index investors. You will learn about tools that help you find information about ETFs, that help you find information about financial markets and that help you learn more about investing. Some of the tools covered include justETF, trackingdifferences.com, Backtest, Portfolio Visualizer and stock exchanges.
This video has 1 hour and 1 minute of instruction.
Video: Guide to brokers for index fund investors
You need a broker to invest in ETFs.
In this video you will learn how brokers work. You will also learn how to use a broker and how to choose one. You will learn how much you should be spending on brokerage fees. You will learn about the common aspects among brokers.
This video has 51 minutes of instruction.
Video: Guide to taxes for index fund investors
At first sight taxes look complicated but they don’t have to. They are simple when you understand the core principles.
In this video you will learn about the fundamentals of taxes that are present in many countries in Europe. You will learn which type whether accumulating have tax advantages in your country of residence. You will also learn how to implement my research process about taxes for a specific country. This video explains aspects of taxes that investors should be aware of.
This video has 1 hour and 4 minutes of instruction.
Extras
Along with the other materials you will get summaries, checklists and templates which will help you quickly get started with investing. This includes:
- A summary of the key information of popular brokers available across Europe
- A calculator to help you understand the impact of broker fees on your investment returns
- A checklist to help you understand your tax liabilities
- A calculator to help you understand the tax advantages of accumulating/distributing funds for your country of residence
Choose your package
Complete Edition
This Edition of the book includes 4 videos and 2 templates along with the book:
- The 192-page long book (format: epub)
- Video and Slides: How to select ETFs in practice. 39 minutes of instruction.
- Video and Slides: Useful online tools for index fund investors. 1 hour and 1 minute of instruction.
- Video and Slides: Guide to brokers for index fund investors. 51 minutes of instruction
- Video and Slides: Guide to taxes for index fund investors. 1 hour and 4 minutes of instruction.
- Guide to Taxes Kit: Calculator of tax advantages of accumulating/distributing funds throughout Europe; Taxes checklist to compile all tax related information (format: xls).
- Guide to Brokers Kit: Calculator of impact of brokerage fees on investment returns; Broker summary to compile all broker information (format: xls).
- Lifetime access to future updates
*VAT is added at checkout. Payment is processed in USD. Check FAQ for more details.
Plus Edition
This Edition of the book includes 2 videos along with the book:
- The 192-page long book (format: epub)
- Video and Slides: How to select ETFs in practice. 39 minutes of instruction.
- Video and Slides: Useful online tools for index fund investors. 1 hour and 1 minute of instruction.
- Lifetime access to future updates
*VAT is added at checkout. Payment is processed in USD. Check FAQ for more details.
Basic Edition
This Edition of the book includes just the book:
- The 192-page long book (format: epub)
- Lifetime access to future updates
*VAT is added at checkout. Payment is processed in USD. Check FAQ for more details.
Just the print book
You can also buy the print book on any Amazon marketplace.
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What are people saying?
“The book is amazing. It gets to the point, it is educational, and somehow you pulled off the miracle that it is actually fun to read.
I was already investing and following a very similar strategy to what you described but this gave me more clarity on the why of the strategy.” – Pedro (Germany)
“Almost every question you may have about investing in ETFs in Europe finds an answer in this book.
Several data and examples are given to make the most complicated arguments crystal clear.
Every topic is explained in plain English, understandable even by people with zero experience in finance.
This book is strongly recommended to both experienced and beginners: it’s for everyone.
You can learn the basics as well as new tips and interesting insights.
And as a plus, if you still have some questions after reading this book, Mario is very supportive and will answer them.” – Max (France)
“Clear, concise language, concrete arguments and recommendations is what makes this the best on-boarding handbook I have ever read. It takes literally a week to get up to speed with the world of ETFs. Combined with the blog content it is one of the most comprehensive sources on the topic on the Internet. I only wish I have read this sooner!” – Piotr (Poland)
“This book is fantastic at explaining how equity markets work and provides a simple, easy to understand method on how to invest for Europeans. Mario writes in a manner that makes the information easy to digest. It’s the perfect book for anybody considering investing in stocks/equities and I really enjoyed reading it. It’s left me with a clear step by step guide on getting started, thank you for writing it Mario!” – Antony (Portugal)
“I recently bought my first batch of shares and would like to say thank you because it’s your book and your course that filled all the blanks and really encouraged me to start. Your resources motivated me to be more conscious about my finance in general.” – Roman (Germany)
Who am I?
I’m Mário Nzualo and I’m the author of indexfundinvestor.eu. I’m based in Berlin, Germany.
In 2015 I read the book “A Random Walk Down Wall Street” and started investing in index funds. Over the years I’ve read countless books, blogs and papers on passive investing and personal finance.
In 2018, I created my blog, indexfundinvestor.eu. On my blog, I write about topics related to index/passive investing in a familiar language. I am particularly interested in explaining in simple terms how European residents can implement index investing.
I write to make it easier for other investors to embark on this journey.
I’ve published dozens of posts on my blog and a free email course for beginners.
As my with my other writing you can expect the following from this book:
- Simple and clear language you can understand
- Concrete examples which help you see how investing works in practice
- Succinct so you can quickly understand the essence of index fund investing
FAQ
What if I’m not happy with the book?
You can get your money back within 30 days of purchase. If this book does not help you learn and understand about index funds, let me know and I’ll give you a complete refund. No argument. No risk. No questions asked. 100% guaranteed.
You can reach out to me at mario@indexfundinvestor.eu.
What format does the book come in?
The Complete, Plus and Basic Editions of the book are in the digital/epub format. The print edition is a paperback available on Amazon.
There are also spreadsheets and videos that come with the book depending on the Edition you choose.
Is this book right for me?
This book is perfect for:
- People looking to start investing in index funds and ETFs;
- People that have some experience with investing but want to understand why. Why particular funds are used? Why bother with bonds? Why are index funds preferred?;
- Residents in Europe that are looking to passive invest;
- People that want to invest for the long-term (> 10+ years);
- People that want to manage their own investments.
This book isn’t appropriate for:
- People looking for a “get rich quick” scheme;
- People looking for tips for the next big company. This isn’t a book about picking stocks;
- People looking to invest for the short term. Investing is too risky to do in the short-term;
- US Persons;
- People looking for a financial advisor. I am not a financial advisor.
Why is payment in USD and not EUR?
My e-commerce provider does not support EUR payments. Therefore, it converts from EUR to the equivalent USD amount during payment.
I understand that these quirks make the buying process less smooth than desired. But this is the best e-commerce provider I have available at the moment.
Why do I see a higher price at checkout?
The prices listed on this page don’t include VAT. The final amount paid must include VAT therefore, it is higher. VAT rates vary by country. My e-commerce provider can only calculate the appropriate VAT rate at checkout.
I understand that these quirks make the buying process less smooth than desired. But this is the best e-commerce provider I have available at the moment.
How long is the book?
The book is around 192 pages long.
What if I don’t live in Europe?
The book is primarily aimed at European residents. That said, the investment strategy suitable for European residents is useful for any non-US person.
How can I buy the book?
You can buy the ebook and videos through my e-commerce provider (Gumroad).
You can buy the print book through Amazon.
Can I upgrade my Edition of the book later?
Yes. You can reach out to me at mario@indexfundinvestor.eu to do that. In practice I will issue a discount code in the amount that you have already paid, so you can purchase your desired package.
Have other questions? Contact me at mario@indexfundinvestor.eu, I’ll be happy to answer.
Choose your package
Complete Edition
This Edition of the book includes 4 videos and 2 templates along with the book.
*VAT is added at checkout. Payment is processed in USD. Check FAQ for more details.
Plus Edition
This Edition of the book includes 2 videos along with the book.
*VAT is added at checkout. Payment is processed in USD. Check FAQ for more details.
Basic Edition
This Edition of the book includes just the book.
*VAT is added at checkout. Payment is processed in USD. Check FAQ for more details.
Just the print book
You can also buy the print book on any Amazon marketplace.