46 Best John C. Bogle Quotes (COMMON SENSE)

In the world of investing and financial wisdom, few names are as respected or influential as John C. Bogle. Known as the pioneer of index investing and the founder of the Vanguard Group, Bogle’s insights provide an unparalleled wealth of knowledge on investing, simplicity, and long-term success.

These quotes aren’t just investment advice; they are life lessons from a man who democratized investing and championed the rights of ordinary investors. They offer perspectives on patience, the essence of simplicity, and the multi-faceted philosophy that forms Bogle’s unique approach to investing success.

Whether you’re a budding investor, an experienced financial professional, or simply someone interested in understanding the financial world, these quotes will challenge your thinking, enhance your financial literacy, and inspire you to embrace simplicity.

Top 12 Most Famous John ‘Jack’ Bogle Quotes on Success

Don't look for the needle in the haystack. Just buy the haystack! — Don’t look for the needle in the haystack. Just buy the haystack!

Investing is not nearly as difficult as it looks. Successful investing involves doing a few things right and avoiding serious mistakes.

Time is your friend; impulse is your enemy. — **Time** is your friend; impulse is your enemy.

Where returns are concerned, time is your friend. But where costs are concerned, time is your enemy. — Where returns are concerned, **time** is your friend. But where costs are concerned, time is your enemy.

If you have trouble imagining a 20% loss in the stock market, you shouldn't be in stocks. — If you have trouble imagining a 20% loss in the stock market, you shouldn’t be in stocks.

“Ask yourself: Am I an investor, or am I a speculator? An investor is a person who owns business and holds it forever and enjoys the returns that U.S. businesses, and to some extent global businesses, have earned since the beginning of time. Speculation is betting on price. Speculation has no place in the portfolio or the kit of the typical investor.”
John C. Bogle

An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest. Learning is to the Studious, and Riches to the Careful. If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. — An **investment** in **knowledge** always pays the best interest. **Learning** is to the Studious, and Riches to the Careful. If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him.

Fund investors are confident that they can easily select superior fund managers. They are wrong.

The miracle of compounding returns is overwhelmed by the tyranny of compounding costs. — The **miracle** of **compounding returns** is overwhelmed by the tyranny of **compounding** costs.

The mutual fund industry has been built, in a sense, on witchcraft.

Income earned by the sweat of your brow should be taxed at the lowest rates, not the highest. Capital gains should be taxed at a higher rate.

“In Las Vegas we all know that it’s the croupiers who win. At the race track, it’s those who control the handle who win. State lotteries, does anybody think the participants in the lottery win? No. The state wins.”
John C. Bogle

34 Highly Inspirational John C. Bogle Quotes to Empower and Motivate You

I will create value for society, rather than extract it.

Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper! — **Learn** every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It’s cheaper!

Owning the stock market over the long term is a winner’s game, but attempting to beat the market is a loser’s game.

The greatest Enemies of the Equity investor are Expenses and Emotions.

The greatest enemy of a good plan is the dream of a perfect plan. Stick to the good plan. — The greatest enemy of a good plan is the **dream** of a perfect plan. Stick to the good plan.

The true investor... will do better if he forgets about the stock market and pays attention to his dividend returns and to the operating results of his companies. — The true investor… will do better if he forgets about the stock market and pays attention to his dividend returns and to the operating results of his companies.

In the long run, investing is not about markets at all. Investing is about enjoying the returns earned by businesses.

Don’t think that you know more than the market; no one does. And don’t act on insights that you think are your own but are usually shared by millions of others.

“The grim irony of investing, then, is that we investors as a group not only don’t get what we pay for, we get precisely what we don’t pay for. So if we pay for nothing, we get everything.”
John C. Bogle

Investor emotions plus fund industry promotions equals trouble.

On balance, the financial system subtracts value from society.

Rely on the ordinary virtues that intelligent, balanced human beings have relied on for centuries common sense, thrift, realistic expectations, patience, and perseverance. — Rely on the ordinary virtues that intelligent, balanced human beings have relied on for centuries: common sense, thrift, realistic expectations, patience, and perseverance.

The winning formula for success in investing is owning the entire stock market through an index fund, and then doing nothing. Just stay the course.

“If you’re very talented and keep winning, you’ll do just fine. It may take a while. But the talent is hard to identify and talent is hard to tell from luck. There’s an awful lot of luck in this business. Past performance is not helpful in judging future performance.”
John C. Bogle

It's amazing how difficult it is for a man to understand something if he's paid a small fortune not to understand it. — It’s amazing how difficult it is for a man to understand something if he’s paid a small fortune not to understand it.

My biggest prediction for the future is that people are going to start looking after individual investors. — My biggest prediction for the **future** is that people are going to start looking after individual investors.

The transfer of Wall Street from private ownership to public ownership has been a big step backward.

The stock market is a giant distraction to the business of investing.

Buying funds based purely on their past performance is one of the stupidest things an investor can do.

“The mistakes we make as investors is when the market’s going up, we think it’s going to go up forever. When the market goes down, we think it’s going to go down forever. Neither of those things actually happen. Doesn’t do anything forever. It’s by the moment.”
John C. Bogle

The historical data support one conclusion with unusual force To invest with success, you must be a long-term investor. — The historical data support one conclusion with unusual force: To invest with **success**, you must be a long-term investor.

Speculation leads you the wrong way. It allows you to put your emotions first, whereas investment gets emotions out of the picture. — Speculation leads you the wrong way. It allows you to put your emotions first, whereas **investment** gets emotions out of the picture.

I believe - deeply and profoundly - that speculation is a loser's game. — I believe – deeply and profoundly – that speculation is a loser’s game.

You know the rule of 72, divide the number into 72, any number you want, and that's how long it will take your money to double. — You know the rule of 72, divide the number into 72, any number you want, and that’s how long it will take your money to double.

Gunning for average is your best shot at finishing above average.

“The courage to press on regardless-regardless of whether we face calm seas or rough seas, and especially when the market storms howl around us-is the quintessential attribute of the successful investor.”
John C. Bogle

Index funds eliminate the risks of individual stocks, market sectors, and manager selection. Only stock market risk remains.

Your success in investing will depend in part on your character and guts, and in part on your ability to realize at the height of ebullience and the depth of despair alike that this too shall pass.

What may work for the few cannot work for the many.

Before costs, beating the market is a zero-sum game. After costs, it is a loser’s game.

Fund performance comes and goes. Costs go on forever.

When there are multiple solutions to a problem, choose the simplest one.

“I would always advise young people to follow their star – not my star. They have to live their own life. If they decide they want to go into the investment business, do it, but make it a better business than it is today.”
John C. Bogle

John Bogle Short Biography

Born on 8 May 1929 in Montclair, New Jersey, U.S., John Clifton “Jack” Bogle was an extremely wealthy and influential investor, businessman, and philanthropist.

On 1 May 1975, John C. Bogle founded The Vanguard Group in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania (Headquarters). The Vanguard Group is the world’s largest provider of mutual funds and the second-largest provider of exchange-traded funds – ETFs in short.

Today, The Vanguard Group investment advisory firm has over $6.2 trillion in assets under its management.

As chief executive of the firm and the man who created the first index fund, John C. Bogle often stressed the importance of patience over short term gains and investment over speculation.

This is to keep broker fees to the bare minimum so that the compounding effect of interests and dividends will work in your favor (rather than against you through compounding costs).

Further reading:

Where Does John C. Bogle Keep His Money? – Investopedia
Timeless Investment Lessons From Jack Bogle – Finews
John Bogle, who founded Vanguard and revolutionized retirement savings, dies at 89 – Inquirer
This was Jack Bogle’s ‘only regret about money’ – CNBC
The Worth Of A Man: A Tribute To John C. Bogle – Forbes

Here are the best John Bogle quotes so you can have the wisdom of understanding the value of time and patience and not to be fixated on the current market volatility.

(MUST READ)

**The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns**

Also read:

Top 12 Most Famous John ‘Jack’ Bogle Quotes on Success

34 Highly Inspirational John C. Bogle Quotes to Empower and Motivate You

John Bogle Short Biography

24 Best Carl Icahn Quotes on Business (SUCCESS)

34 Best Bill H. Gross Quotes on Success (MONEY)