MAXIMIZE YOUR RETURNS — MINIMIZE YOUR RISK Now, more than ever before, average investors are embracing index funds to eliminate the anxiety and expense of trying to predict which individual stocks, bonds, or mutual funds will "beat the index." In Richard E. Evans and Burton G. Malkiel explore why choosing index funds — funds that buy and hold all stocks or bonds within a given group of securities — ensures that you will always do as well as the market average. not only examines why index funds are growing rapidly in popularity but, using easy-to-understand language, also explains how anyone, from longtime investors to novices, can use these thriving funds to create a successful investment strategy. Whether you are saving for a child's education, the purchase of a house, or your retirement nest egg, index funds can be the key to unlocking the potential of dependable, long-term returns.