John C. Bogle, founder of the Vanguard Group of Investment Companies, has built a $100 billion mutual fund company on principles of candor, fairness, and low cost. The most outspoken critic of the mutual fund industry, Bogle speaks to the serious mutual fund investor, both novice and seasoned, in this straightforward assessment of an industry Bogle himself helped revolutionize. Here he offers the essential principles of canny mutual fund investing, as well as caveats to protect the investor. Readers will learn how to: Ask three critical questions before investing. Evaluate risk tolerance and design a portfolio to meet current financial objectives. Develop a diversified portfolio of equity funds, bonds, and money market funds that will weather the market's short term variations. Apply Bogle's eight model portfolios to achieve their own financial goals. Always find themselves in a winning money market fund. Protect themselves from inflation Use index funds to effectively balance risk/ret