Boglehead? Here's Why You Should Use Double

John Bogle, the founder of Vanguard and pioneer of low cost index investing, valued simplicity, low costs, and a long-term investment strategy. His followers are known as Bogleheads, and they emphasize starting early, living below one's means, regular saving, broad diversification, simplicity, and sticking to one's investment plan regardless of market conditions. But what if there was a way to enhance your Boglehead approach without sacrificing these core principles? Enter Double.

At first glance, you might think complex strategies like direct indexing are at odds with the Boglehead philosophy. Direct indexing, with its multitude of individual stock positions, fractional shares, and ongoing management, can seem like the antithesis of simplicity. In later years, the tax benefits of direct indexing can also decline as your portfolio is harvested out and only gains remain.

But Double isn't just about direct indexing. We offer a lot of features and customizability that can help Bogleheads save time and effort while still adhering to their principles.

Double: Boglehead Simplicity and Customizability with Double

Double can help take the emotion and guesswork out of investing, offering powerful tools designed to enhance the core Boglehead principles. With Double, you can effortlessly create custom ETF allocations tailored to your risk tolerance, automate tax-loss harvesting to minimize your tax burden, and automatically rebalance your portfolio without the need to constantly monitor the market. Importantly, we make these features optional, not required to use the platform. If you don’t want tax-loss harvesting or only want to lump sum invest, that’s alright too, and possible with Double.

Here's a closer look at the features that make Double the ideal platform for Boglehead investors:

• Choose from 10+ prebuilt Boglehead portfolios: With Double, you can create a personalized portfolio using popular, low-cost ETF portfolios. See our pre-built portfolios here: https://double.finance/p/strategies/boglehead-indexing. Choose your desired asset allocation, much like you would with a target-date fund, and let Double handle the ongoing management. No more manual rebalancing. We're working directly in the realm of simplicity!

• Build Your Own Custom ETF mix: Prefer to hand-pick your ETFs and thus your asset allocation? Double lets you build a custom portfolio using your favorite ETFs. You control the weighting, and Double takes care of the execution and maintenance. This gives you the flexibility to fine-tune your portfolio while maintaining the core Boglehead principle of low-cost, diversified investing.

• Tax-Loss Harvesting, Simplified: Bogleheads love saving on taxes, and Double's automated tax-loss harvesting (TLH) feature is designed to do just that. Double monitors your portfolio for opportunities to harvest losses daily. Even if an ETF drops only for a short period of time, Double is on the case and watching for optimization opportunities. These small opportunities are caught at a tax lot level, potentially lowering your tax bill. You get to pick your replacement pairs as well - we put you in control!

• Stay on Track with Recurring Deposits: Consistent investing is a cornerstone of the Boglehead philosophy. Double makes it easy to set up recurring deposits, ensuring that you regularly contribute to your portfolio. These deposits are then automatically allocated according to your chosen asset mix, keeping you on track towards your financial goals. We help you set it, and truly forget it.

• Evolve Your Strategy Over Time: As your financial needs and goals change, Double allows you to migrate between positions using a dollar-cost averaging (DCA) approach. This can be particularly useful as you transition from a more aggressive to a more conservative allocation as you near retirement, a common Boglehead strategy. Our DCA feature allows for this change to be made at whatever pace makes you comfortable.

• Automated Rebalancing: Maintaining your desired asset allocation is crucial for managing risk and maximizing returns. Double offers automated rebalancing, either quarterly or "as warranted," based on market conditions. This takes timing out of your market decisions and lets our optimization algorithm handle the busywork of rebalancing.

When Double Might Not Be Right for You

While Double offers many advantages for Bogleheads, it might not be the perfect fit for everyone and we get that. Here are a couple of reasons why you might choose to stick with a more traditional approach:

• You don’t want any automation: If you want total control over your portfolio, and never want an optimizer to determine what trades to make on your behalf, Double won’t be for you.

• You care a lot about entry and exit prices: Double utilizes basket trading once per day per account, meaning if you trying to submit individual orders or craft entry and exit strategies, we won’t be for you.

• You want to trade with margin or options: Double currently does not offer lines of credit or margin accounts. If this is a priority for you, you would be best served by a platform that allows for these kind of features.

Safe and Trusted tools for Bogleheads

We understand that Bogleheads are cautious investors who prioritize safety and security. That's why Double uses Apex Clearing, a leading clearing firm, to custody your assets. You can rest assured that your investments are held securely. For more on our commitment to safety and security, check out our other blog post here: https://double.finance/blog/trust

Double is designed to enhance, not complicate, your Boglehead journey. It's about simplifying your investment process, optimizing your returns, and providing you with the tools you need to stay the course and achieve your long-term financial goals. So, if you're a Boglehead looking for a way to streamline your portfolio management without sacrificing your core principles, give Double a try.

PS: This was one of a series of posts from our Founders about investing archetypes and why they should choose Double. Checkout our related posts on why Passive Investors or Active Investors should try out Double.