Index Funds & ETFs: What they are and how to make them work for you Paperback – 25 April 2017

For beginners and seasoned pro's. Every trader should have a copy

I've given this book 4 stars because I haven't read many investment books so I don't feel I'm in a position to give 5. Regardless, I found this book really helpful, in that something felt 'off' to me in how everyone is raving about ETF's etc. I think it's termed the 'herd mentality'. Anyway Schneider's book is a bit like an expo of what it's all about & the reality of the negative side of ETF's etc. Personally I prefer to hear about the good, the bad & the ugly so that I can make an informed decision & that's what this book shows you. The result of reading this book is that before I start investing in anything I'm going to do *a lot* more reading about investing.

I have been working in the financial industry for 10+ years, so maybe I am simply not a target audience. Nevertheless, I do believe that the book could be more concise and substantial.The reading is about 140 pages.Part 1, c. 50 pages - overview of what ETFs and index funds are, in rather simplified language.Part 2, c. 65 pages - criticism of the ETFs and index funds. I could not get rid of a feeling that the author simply had a goal to write X amount of pages in this part while the only real issue I took away is that your investments still can go down as well as up. Oh, and they still charge you some fees even for investing in ETFs.Part 3, c. 25 pages - a piece of advice to a retail investor how to use ETFs when investing. Refreshingly, common sense is the main theme of this part, and in a good way.The book could benefit from a bit of editing (as just one example, on the page 112 the same sentence is repeated twice).I feel that I could learn the same amount of useful information by just searching Internet for 1-2 hours max. Still, maybe for somebody the book can be a good first read on the topic. Just don't expect any depth in it.

the book told me nothing. it's not a practical book that will help you chose ETF or index funds or build a portfolio. I read the book to cover to cover but it was a complete waste of my time. If you are serious about investing then the 'FT Guide to Exchange Traded Funds and Index Funds' is a far better book and it is aimed at the UK audience.