John C. Bogle, founder of the Vanguard Group of  Investment Companies, has built a $100 billion  mutual fund company on principles of candor, fairness,  and low cost. The most outspoken critic of the  mutual fund industry, Bogle speaks to the serious  mutual fund investor, both novice and seasoned, in  this straightforward assessment of an industry Bogle  himself helped revolutionize. Here he offers the  essential principles of canny mutual fund  investing, as well as caveats to protect the investor.  Readers will learn how to: Ask three critical  questions before investing. Evaluate risk tolerance and  design a portfolio to meet current financial  objectives. Develop a diversified portfolio of equity  funds, bonds, and money market funds that will  weather the market's short term variations. Apply  Bogle's eight model portfolios to achieve their own  financial goals. Always find themselves in a winning  money market fund. Protect themselves from  inflation Use index funds to effectively balance  risk/return. Anyone who is serious about mutual funds can  apply the dynamic investment principles of to establish a  winning, long-term investment portfolio.