• Warren Buffett’s Million Dollar Bet: Who’s Winning (from MarketWatch)?
  • What’s the bet?
  • What’s a hedge fund? What’s an index fund?
  • Who’s winning? Why?
  • Why should this matter to you as a regular investor? What’s the lesson?

• Fee war breaks out on commissions to trade stocks (from CNBC):
  • How much are brokerage fees going down? Is this good news for investors?
  • Why do you think the online brokerage stocks are falling with this news?
  • Do you think investors will change brokers based on these cost reductions?

• Sallie Krawcheck runs an investment firm focused on serving women called Ellevest. She offers her advice to women in this short video.
  • What is the difference between the way men and women invest?
  • Should investors wait until they know all the definitions to invest? Why or why not?
  • When she says “Keep it Simple,” what does she mean?
  • What would be a type of investment that might be considered “simple?”

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For more on the Warren Buffett bet and a great explainer about index funds, check out this Planet Money Podcast: Brilliant vs. Boring. Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.