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Vanguard has a new article 50 years. 50 facts. Indexing since 1976. with some interesting bits for investing enthusiasts.

I feel like younger folks simply know index investing as the default for essentially every single 401k plan out there. Most own index funds without even thinking about it. However, 50 years ago, it was called “Bogle’s Folly” when a young Jack Bogle went against Wall Street and introduced his index fund to everyday people.

Even 25 years ago when I started out, you really had to make a conscious choice to buy a Vanguard index fund. If you didn’t open an account directly at Vanguard, you were looking at high commissions on every trade because Vanguard refused to pay kickbacks to brokers to keep them on “No Transaction Fee” lists. Vanguard may send me glossy brochures now, but back in the day, they were super-thrifty with zero ads.

I always find it amazing that Jack Bogle started thinking this up as an undergraduate in college! It took him another 25 years to create the retail index fund, which is also an impressive level of stubbornness. Fact #6:

6. In his 1951 undergraduate thesis for Princeton University, Mr. Bogle highlighted the crucial role of costs in the long-term returns earned by investors. He identified costs as a drag on the performance of the industry, which was then entirely actively managed.

I think it’s important to remember that index funds won despite being hated by Wall Street because well, they made people a lot of money. Their performance is excellent, and every year that record is cemented even further. Fact 32:

32. What if, at the fund’s inception in 1976, you’d put $10,000 into what are now called Investor Shares of Vanguard 500 Index Fund? The investment could have grown to nearly $2.2 million by February 28, 2026—illustrating the powers of discipline, low-cost investing, and compounding.

Index funds aren’t magic. They mostly win for the simple reason of low costs. This is important because Wall Street will keep continuing to spin out new products that offer you the possibility of higher returns while giving them the certainty of higher fees in their pocket.

YieldMAX ETFs. High costs. Buffer ETFs. High costs. Private equity. High costs. 2X Leverage ETFs. High costs.

Don’t let the allure of a successful gamble distract you from how badly high costs tilt the odds against you. Over time, the house is going to win.

I remain grateful for Jack Bogle and his unwavering message. Save your money and buy all the winning businesses (own the entire haystack). Enjoy maximizing your returns by keeping costs low. Buy low-cost index funds and ignore the rest of the advertising noise. It worked. It works.

(Update: Offer is back. Again available to both new and existing customers depositing new funds. For existing customers, the deposits must be in addition to your balance as of 4/19/26.)

Live Oak Bank is an FDIC-insured internet bank that is focused on lending to small businesses. Their personal savings account has a limited-time offer of a $200 bonus if you deposit $20,000+ in new funds into their online savings account by 11:59 p.m. ET on 5/31/2026 via this special offer page and keep it there for 60 days. The current interest rate is 3.80% APY. Direct deposit is not required. Valid for both new and existing customers, as long as you are adding new money (lookback date is 4/19/26).

Unlike some other deposit bonuses, the 60-day window starts when the new money hits:

Beginning on the date in April or May 2026 when the new account attains a balance of at least $20,000, if the balance remains equal to or exceeding $20,000 for 60 consecutive days, then the account will be eligible for the bonus if all other conditions are met. If all eligibility criteria are met, the $200 cash bonus will be deposited to your open, eligible account within 45-days following the expiration of the 60-day period.

Bonus math. This is a 1% bonus on $20,000 if you keep it there for 60 days, which makes it the equivalent of 6% APY annualized. Bonus will be paid around Day 105 and the account must be open at that time, but you only need to maintain full balance through Day 60. The bonus is on top of the standard interest rate, currently a competitive 3.80% APY as of 4/22/26.

This equivalent of roughly 9.80% total APY over 60 days makes it a solid offer for those with compatible balances looking for short-term place to hold their cash for a few months. Live Oak Bank seems to come and go with the competitiveness of their rates, but it’s nice that this is available to existing customers.