Ben Felix on Simplicity, Private Equity, Factor Investing, and Living a Good Life

In this episode of the Bogleheads® on Investing Podcast, host Jon Luskin, CFP®, sits down with Ben Felix, CFA, CFP®, Chief Investment Officer at PWL Capital and co-host of the Rational Reminder podcast.

Their conversation covers what drives long-term investing success, why simplicity beats complexity, and how investors can avoid distractions from expensive and unnecessary strategies. They also discuss:

* Why low costs, diversification, and asset allocation matter most

Jon closes the episode by sharing his own takeaways, including why simplicity frees people to focus on what matters most.

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Jon Luskin, CFP®, a long-time Boglehead and financial planner, hosts this episode of the podcast. The Bogleheads® are a group of like-minded individual investors who follow the general investment and business beliefs of John C. Bogle, founder and former CEO of the Vanguard Group. It is a conflict-free community where individual investors reach out and provide education, assistance, and relevant information to other investors of all experience levels at no cost. The organization supports a free forum at Bogleheads.org, and the wiki site is Bogleheads® wiki.

Since 2000, the Bogleheads® have held national conferences in major cities across the country. In addition, local Chapters and foreign Chapters meet regularly, and new Chapters form periodically. All Bogleheads activities are coordinated by volunteers who contribute their time and talent.

This podcast is supported by the John C. Bogle Center for Financial Literacy, a non-profit organization approved by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity on February 6, 2012. Your tax-deductible donation to the Bogle Center is appreciated.

Show Notes:

Using Your Money to Be Happier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9InNdQhFwc

PWL Planning Tools: https://research-tools.pwlcapital.com/

Bill Bengen on Bogleheads on Investing: https://boglecenter.net/bill-bengen-spend-more-money-in-retirement/

Bogleheads® Live with Christine Benz: Episode 37: https://boglecenter.net/bogleheads-live-with-christine-benz-episode-37/

Rational Reminder: Episode 316 - Andrew Chen: "Is everything I was taught about cross-sectional asset pricing wrong?!": https://rationalreminder.ca/podcast/316

Our guest this episode is Robin Wigglesworth, the editor of Alphaville, the FT's financial blog. He leads a team of three other writers in London and New York that dig into anything deeply nerdy or plain delightful that they spot in markets, business, or the global economy. He joined the FT from Bloomberg News in 2008. Robin is the author of Trillions, published in 2021, a book on the past, present, and future of passive investing and how it is reshaping financial markets. His new book, A Fabulous Debt, will be published in the fall.

Rick Ferri, a long-time Boglehead and investment adviser, hosts this episode. The Bogleheads are a group of like-minded individual investors who follow the general investment and business beliefs of John C. Bogle, founder and former CEO of the Vanguard Group. It is a conflict-free community where individual investors reach out and provide education, assistance, and relevant information to other investors of all experience levels at no cost. The organization supports a free forum at Bogleheads.org, and the wiki site is Bogleheads® wiki. 

Since 2000, the Bogleheads have held national conferences in major cities across the country. In addition, local Chapters and foreign Chapters meet regularly, and new Chapters form periodically. All Bogleheads activities are coordinated by volunteers who contribute their time and talent.

This podcast is supported by the John C. Bogle Center for Financial Literacy, a non-profit organization approved by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity on February 6, 2012. Your tax-deductible donation to the Bogle Center is appreciated.

In this episode of the Bogleheads® on Investing podcast, host Jon Luskin, CFP®, sits down with Jay Jacobs, US Head of Equity ETFs at BlackRock, to answer community-submitted questions about how to invest simply and effectively for retirement. Jay oversees more than 300 iShares ETFs spanning US equity, international, outcome, and digital asset strategies, and brings deep institutional expertise to the Bogleheads community's most pressing investing questions.

Jon and Jay explore the powerful tax-efficiency advantages of ETF structures over mutual funds, particularly for investors using all-in-one and target-date products in taxable brokerage accounts. The conversation covers how ETFs use in-kind creation/redemption mechanisms to minimize capital gains distributions, a significant edge over traditional mutual funds.

The episode dives into the research and methodology behind glide path design, including how demographic shifts (people working and living longer), inflation expectations, and capital markets assumptions all influence how the stock/bond mix evolves over an investor's lifetime. Jay explains the rationale behind the LifePath funds' 40% stock/60% bond terminal allocation, why a market-weight approach to international exposure makes sense for long-term investors, and more.

• • •

Jon Luskin, CFP®, a long-time Boglehead and financial planner, hosts this episode of the podcast. The Bogleheads® are a group of like-minded individual investors who follow the general investment and business beliefs of John C. Bogle, founder and former CEO of the Vanguard Group. It is a conflict-free community where individual investors reach out and provide education, assistance, and relevant information to other investors of all experience levels at no cost. The organization supports a free forum at Bogleheads.org, and the wiki site is Bogleheads® wiki.

Since 2000, the Bogleheads® have held national conferences in major cities across the country. In addition, local Chapters and foreign Chapters meet regularly, and new Chapters form periodically. All Bogleheads activities are coordinated by volunteers who contribute their time and talent.

This podcast is supported by the John C. Bogle Center for Financial Literacy, a non-profit organization approved by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity on February 6, 2012. Your tax-deductible donation to the Bogle Center is appreciated.

Resources mentioned:

2026 Bogleheads conference registration

https://boglecenter.net/2026conference/

Jon Luskin's talk on all-in-one funds at the Bogleheads Conference

https://youtu.be/TYLWfC4fijo

Previous Bogleheads episode with Bill Bengen on safe withdrawal rates

https://youtu.be/_qDoiBkH45E

2025 Bogleheads Conference videos

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBxq9XvQsXjgUg5jRD9Jtdzwa6B3SLuHZ

Bogleheads® is a registered trademark of the John C. Bogle Center for Financial Literacy.

In this episode of the Bogleheads® on Investing podcast, guest Bill Bengen — creator of the famous 4% Rule — joins us to discuss what's changed in retirement spending research and how his new book, "A Richer Retirement," shows retirees how they can spend even more money.

Jon Luskin, CFP®, and Bill cover safe withdrawal rates in today's market, how inflation and the CAPE ratio impact spending, and why adding asset classes like small-cap and micro-cap stocks increased the safe withdrawal rate from 4% to 4.7%.

The episode dives into practical strategies, including front-loaded withdrawals, rising equity glide paths, the role of cash buckets, rebalancing, the spending smile, and why a simple all-in-one fund may be the best approach for do-it-yourself investors.

Whether you're planning for early retirement, looking to maximize spending from your portfolio, or simply trying to understand how much you can safely withdraw, this podcast provides essential insights from the researcher who started it all.

o o o

Jon Luskin, CFP®, a long-time Boglehead and financial planner, hosts this episode of the podcast. The Bogleheads® are a group of like-minded individual investors who follow the general investment and business beliefs of John C. Bogle, founder and former CEO of the Vanguard Group. It is a conflict-free community where individual investors reach out and provide education, assistance, and relevant information to other investors of all experience levels at no cost. The organization supports a free forum at Bogleheads.org, and the wiki site is Bogleheads® wiki.

Since 2000, the Bogleheads® have held national conferences in major cities across the country. In addition, local Chapters and foreign Chapters meet regularly, and new Chapters form periodically. All Bogleheads activities are coordinated by volunteers who contribute their time and talent.

This podcast is supported by the John C. Bogle Center for Financial Literacy, a non-profit organization approved by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity on February 6, 2012. Your tax-deductible donation to the Bogle Center is appreciated.

Show Notes:

Bogleheads® Live with Wes Crill: Episode 45

Bogleheads® Live with Ted Randall: Episode 16

Bogleheads® Live with Paul Merriman: Episode 10

Bogleheads on Investing with Eduardo Repetto, Ph.D. – Episode 43

The Salience of Financial Planning Fees – It’s Not Just About How Much You Charge, But How You Charge

Bogleheads® Live with David Blanchett: Episode 14

Should Equity Exposure Decrease In Retirement, Or Is A Rising Equity Glidepath Actually Better?

Morningstar: Mind the Gap US 2025

Heather and Douglas Boneparth dive into practical strategies for couples managing money together, covering crucial topics for both engaged partners and non-financial spouses. They discuss engaging the non-financial spouse, password management and legacy planning, knowing your numbers, emergency funds, long-term care considerations, and the importance of communication in financial partnerships.

• • •

Jon Luskin, CFP®, a long-time Boglehead and financial planner, hosts this episode of the podcast. The Bogleheads® are a group of like-minded individual investors who follow the general investment and business beliefs of John C. Bogle, founder and former CEO of the Vanguard Group. It is a conflict-free community where individual investors reach out and provide education, assistance, and relevant information to other investors of all experience levels at no cost. The organization supports a free forum at Bogleheads.org, and the wiki site is Bogleheads® wiki. 

Since 2000, the Bogleheads® have held national conferences in major cities across the country. In addition, local Chapters and foreign Chapters meet regularly, and new Chapters form periodically. All Bogleheads activities are coordinated by volunteers who contribute their time and talent.

This podcast is supported by the John C. Bogle Center for Financial Literacy, a non-profit organization approved by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity on February 6, 2012. Your tax-deductible donation to the Bogle Center is appreciated.

Show Notes:

Bogleheads® Live with Steve Ryder: Episode 43

Bogleheads® Live with Cameron Huddleston: Episode 34

Bogleheads on Investing with Steven Chen: Episode 62

Bogleheads on Investing with Rob Berger – Episode 48

Perryne Desai, CFA, is the Head of Index Fixed Income Product at Vanguard, responsible for overseeing the strategy and expansion of Vanguard's fixed-income exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and related products. Our conversation covers fixed-income basics, different indices that funds follow, how to use bond funds and ETFs in portfolios, and the new products Vanguard has launched or is developing. For information on understanding bond math and various types of bond yields, see Bond yields 101: A guide for smarter investing.

Rick Ferri, a long-time Boglehead and investment adviser, hosts this episode. The Bogleheads are a group of like-minded individual investors who follow the general investment and business beliefs of John C. Bogle, founder and former CEO of the Vanguard Group. It is a conflict-free community where individual investors reach out and provide education, assistance, and relevant information to other investors of all experience levels at no cost. The organization supports a free forum at Bogleheads.org, and the wiki site is Bogleheads® wiki. 

Since 2000, the Bogleheads have held national conferences in major cities across the country. In addition, local Chapters and foreign Chapters meet regularly, and new Chapters form periodically. All Bogleheads activities are coordinated by volunteers who contribute their time and talent.

This podcast is supported by the John C. Bogle Center for Financial Literacy, a non-profit organization approved by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity on February 6, 2012. Your tax-deductible donation to the Bogle Center is appreciated.

Cody Garrett, CFP®, and Sean Mullaney, CPA, discuss year-end tax planning, tax moves in 2026, fear-based marketing, Roth conversions, asset tax location, and more in the 89th episode of the Bogleheads® on Investing podcast.

• • •

Jon Luskin, CFP®, a long-time Boglehead and financial planner, hosts this episode of the podcast. The Bogleheads® are a group of like-minded individual investors who follow the general investment and business beliefs of John C. Bogle, founder and former CEO of the Vanguard Group. It is a conflict-free community where individual investors reach out and provide education, assistance, and relevant information to other investors of all experience levels at no cost. The organization supports a free forum at Bogleheads.org, and the wiki site is Bogleheads® wiki. 

Since 2000, the Bogleheads® have held national conferences in major cities across the country. In addition, local Chapters and foreign Chapters meet regularly, and new Chapters form periodically. All Bogleheads activities are coordinated by volunteers who contribute their time and talent.

This podcast is supported by the John C. Bogle Center for Financial Literacy, a non-profit organization approved by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity on February 6, 2012. Your tax-deductible donation to the Bogle Center is appreciated.

Show Notes:

Bogleheads® on Investing #87: Ed Slott, CPA

2026 Premium Tax Credit Update

Bogleheads® YouTube

Bogleheads® Live with Sean Mullaney: Episode 40

Bogleheads on Investing with Cody Garrett: Episode 61

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The discussion is intended to be for general educational purposes and is not tax, legal, or investment advice for any individual. Jon and the Bogleheads® on Investing podcast do not endorse Sean Mullaney, Mullaney Financial & Tax, Inc. and their services. 

Antti Ilmanen, Ph.D., is a Principal and Global Co-head of the Portfolio Solutions Group at AQR Capital. He has published extensively in finance journals and has received numerous awards. Antti is the author of Expected Returns (Wiley, 2011) and Investing Amid Low Expected Returns (Wiley, 2022), which I discussed with him on Episode 49. Antti recently completed a series of 10 papers on "How Do Investors Form Long-Run Return Expectations?" The papers are free on the AQR website, and they are the subject of this podcast.

Rick Ferri, a long-time Boglehead and investment adviser, hosts this episode. The Bogleheads are a group of like-minded individual investors who follow the general investment and business beliefs of John C. Bogle, founder and former CEO of the Vanguard Group. It is a conflict-free community where individual investors reach out and provide education, assistance, and relevant information to other investors of all experience levels at no cost. The organization supports a free forum at Bogleheads.org, and the wiki site is Bogleheads® wiki. 

Since 2000, the Bogleheads have held national conferences in major cities across the country. In addition, local Chapters and foreign Chapters meet regularly, and new Chapters form periodically. All Bogleheads activities are coordinated by volunteers who contribute their time and talent.

This podcast is supported by the John C. Bogle Center for Financial Literacy, a non-profit organization approved by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity on February 6, 2012. Your tax-deductible donation to the Bogle Center is appreciated.

Jennifer (Jenny) Rozelle is one of the Owners of Indiana Estate & Elder Law. She serves in a leadership role focusing on firm management, strategic growth, team development, and speaking locally and nationally on various estate and elder law topics. 

Jenny obtained her bachelor's degree in both political science and history from Butler University and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.

• • •

This episode of the podcast is hosted by Jon Luskin, CFP®, a long-time Boglehead and financial planner. The Bogleheads® are a group of like-minded individual investors who follow the general investment and business beliefs of John C. Bogle, founder and former CEO of the Vanguard Group. It is a conflict-free community where individual investors reach out and provide education, assistance, and relevant information to other investors of all experience levels at no cost. The organization supports a free forum at Bogleheads.org, and the wiki site is Bogleheads® wiki. 

Since 2000, the Bogleheads® have held national conferences in major cities across the country. The 2025 conference will take place in San Antonio, Texas, from October 17 to 19. In addition, local Chapters and foreign Chapters meet regularly, and new Chapters form periodically. All Bogleheads activities are coordinated by volunteers who contribute their time and talent.

This podcast is supported by the John C. Bogle Center for Financial Literacy, a non-profit organization approved by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity on February 6, 2012. Your tax-deductible donation to the Bogle Center is appreciated.

Show Notes:

Legal Tea podcast

Bogleheads on Investing with Ryan Barrett and Mike Piper: Episode 52

Bogleheads® Live with Cameron Huddleston: Episode 34

Legal Tea podcast - Ep. No. 203. Current Trends - When Good Deeds Go Bad: Transfer on Death Deed Version

The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA)

Joe Davis, Ph.D., is Vanguard’s global chief economist and global head of the Investment Strategy Group. He leads teams responsible for Vanguard’s research and thought leadership agendas as well as the development and oversight of the firm’s investment methodologies and models. In this episode, we discuss his new book, Coming Into View: How AI and Other Megatrends Will Shape Your Investments. 

Rick Ferri, CFA, a long-time Boglehead and investment adviser, hosts the Bogleheads on Investing podcast. The Bogleheads are a group of like-minded individual investors who follow the general investment and business beliefs of John C. Bogle, founder and former CEO of the Vanguard Group. It is a conflict-free community where individual investors reach out and provide education, assistance, and relevant information to other investors of all experience levels at no cost. The organization supports a free forum at Bogleheads.org, and the wiki site is Bogleheads® wiki. 

Since 2000, the Bogleheads have held national conferences in major cities across the country. The 2025 conference will take place in San Antonio, Texas, from October 17 to 19. In addition, local Chapters and foreign Chapters meet regularly, and new Chapters form periodically. All Bogleheads activities are coordinated by volunteers who contribute their time and talent.

This podcast is supported by the John C. Bogle Center for Financial Literacy, a non-profit organization approved by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity on February 6, 2012. Your tax-deductible donation to the Bogle Center is appreciated.