Even in the normally staid world of fiduciary investment advice, we have our stars – heroes who inspire us with the brave choices they make to better the lives of investors.

Vanguard founder John C. “Jack” Bogle, who passed away on January 16th at age 89, was among the brightest (and most stubborn) stars of them all. The world lost a giant that day, as evidenced by the instant outpouring of respects paid from around the world.

Bogle refuted the status quo and gave birth to the retail version of index investing in the 1970s. He was energized by the crusade until his dying day.  In the video homage below, The Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Zweig observed, “[Bogle’s career] spanned over six decades of change and growth in the industry that he helped to transform.”

To pick a sample from the deluge of sentiments expressed in the media, we especially appreciated a New York Times piece by Ron Lieber and Tara Siegel Bernard, “The Things John Bogle Taught Us: Humility, Ethics and Simplicity.” Many of our other favorite financial voices of reason are represented here, including Behavior Gap’s Carl Richards, and Manisha Thakor, herself a worthy crusader for women and wealth.

We’d say RIP, but Jack Bogle didn’t want people to rest. He roots for us to fight for what’s right, even when it isn’t popular. He was a relentless agitator for good, and his spirit inspires us to keep pushing for better solutions for investors. Every single day.

We wish you and your family a happy and healthy New Year! (Left to right: Katie, Jared, Abby, John, Rick, Matt, Buddy, Henry, Nell and PJ.)

FYI! From January through March 2019, our St. Louis office will be under “reconstruction,” with our St. Louis team in temporary office space or working remotely. If you weren’t planning to visit us in person during the first quarter, you’d be unlikely to even notice that change is afoot. All of our contact information will remain the same throughout, and meeting space will be available in the building as needed.

Why the makeover? As our team continues to grow, we want to keep our administrative costs well-managed. We also want our office to remain a warm and inviting place for ourselves and our visitors. To achieve all that, we’re revamping our existing quarters. We look forward to reopening our doors to walk-in guests come April. Until then, pardon our dust!