Index Investing
The Beginner's Guide to Index Funds (and Why They Beat Most Pros)
Low cost, boring, and statistically likely to outperform 85% of actively managed funds over 15 years. Here is everything you need to get started.
The Cover Story · Issue No. 17
Build wealth on autopilot.
No jargon. No hot takes. Just plainly written guides to robo-advisors, index investing, and the compound math that actually makes you rich – starting from wherever you are right now.
"The quiet, unshowy work of getting rich slowly."
Best Robo-Advisors · 2026
See full rankings →1
Betterment
Tax-loss harvesting on autopilot, a clean UX, and a 0.25% fee that disappears if you set up auto-deposit. Genuinely hard to beat.
Full Review →2
Wealthfront
Direct indexing kicks in at $100k and their Path financial planning tool is surprisingly thorough for a robo.
Full Review →3
SoFi Invest
Zero management fee and access to a human CFP at no extra cost. The portfolio selection is narrower but the price is unbeatable.
Full Review →Editor's Scorecard
Betterment — Detailed Breakdown
Scored across five criteria weighted by importance to long-term, set-it-and-forget-it investors.
9.2
Overall
Portfolio Quality
9.6
Fees & Value
9.2
Tax Efficiency
8.8
UX & Usability
9.4
Customer Support
8.2
✓ What Works
- Automatic tax-loss harvesting on every taxable account, even at the lowest tier
- Clean, anxiety-free dashboard that does not obsess over daily fluctuations
- Socially responsible portfolio options with no fee premium
- Flexible goal-based buckets make it easy to earmark money mentally
✗ Watch Out For
- Premium tier (0.40%) required for CFP access — SoFi gives this away free
- No direct indexing below $100k unlike Wealthfront
- Crypto portfolio add-on feels tacked on and carries higher fees
- Mobile app does not support all desktop features yet
Start Here: The Guides
All guides →
Retirement
Roth vs. Traditional IRA: The Decision Framework That Actually Makes Sense
It depends on one thing: whether you think your tax rate will be higher now or in retirement. We show you how to make a confident call.
Compound Growth
The Compound Math That Turns $200/Month Into $1 Million
Time in the market, not timing the market. We run the actual numbers across five scenarios so you can see what consistent, boring investing does over decades.
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