"It's crazy to allow people to be able to borrow from their retirement plans, to take loans from them and cash them out when moving from job to job," says Vanguard founder and index investing pioneer John Bogle, when arguing for an overhaul in public and private retirement systems. "I understand we are Americans and we like our individuality, but that simply doesn't work when planning for a successful retirement."
Still as direct as ever at 83, Bogle sat down with AdvisorOne for an exclusive interview about his upcoming keynote at the fifth annual Retirement Income Symposium in Boston on Oct. 4 and 5. He's out with a new book, "The Clash of Cultures," his tenth in total and seventh in 10 years. He said it would probably be his last. Don't bet on it.
The index investing pioneer is just as passionate as ever about the need to put clients first, sounding off about the "hot, new products" that help the financial services industry to reap high fees, while doing little for, and often harming, the investors they're supposed to protect. For that reason he is looked upon as the conscience of the industry, often criticizing the firm he founded when he feels it has gone astray. You might disagree with his stance on the benefits of active versus passive investing, but it's tough to disagree with much else.
Bogle will be joined on the conference's keynote stage by Christine Fahlund, Ph.D., CFP, senior financial planner and vice president with T. Rowe Price Group for a session titled "Retirement Income—Behind the Numbers." Timothy Noonan, managing director of capital markets insights with Russell Investments and the most highly rated speaker from last year's conference, will be back to deliver "Disengagement: Creating the Future You Fear."
