How a Second Grader Beats Wall Street by Allan S. Roth Summary
Overview of How a Second Grader Beats Wall Street
In "How a Second Grader Beats Wall Street," Allan Roth reveals how an eight-year-old's simple investment strategy outperforms financial experts. Endorsed by the Bogleheads community, this 2009 gem demolishes Wall Street myths while teaching anyone to build wealth through low-cost index funds. Complexity's greatest enemy? Childlike simplicity.
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Key takeaways
When a Child Sees Through Wall Street's Emperor's New Clothes
What if your eight-year-old could manage money better than most financial professionals? That sounds absurd-until you realize that a child's fresh perspective cuts through decades of industry mythology. When Kevin, a second-grader, learned that investment "helpers" take 2% of returns each year, his response was immediate: "That's like the claw game at the arcade-it's rigged so you can't win." This simple observation reveals what millions of adults miss: the financial industry profits magnificently from complexity, while simplicity consistently wins. The math is embarrassingly straightforward-10% minus 2% in fees equals 8%, while 10% minus 0.2% in index fund costs equals 9.8%. Over forty years, that difference nearly doubles your wealth. Yet we resist this arithmetic, preferring to believe our chosen expert is exceptional, that we've somehow discovered the rare manager who beats the odds.
The Arithmetic That Wall Street Hopes You'll Never Learn
Owning Everything Means Worrying About Nothing
The Blissful Ignorance That Protects Wealth
Why Smart Adults Make Dumb Money Decisions
The Probability That Should Terrify Every Active Investor
The Freedom That Comes From Doing Nothing
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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