How to Invest in a Vanguard Index Fund

I first heard from Andy when he was 29. He emailed with several questions and observations, and the bit that stuck with me most was that he was pretty keen to buy himself a car parking space as an investment. Indeed, he said, “I love the idea of owning a car park in the city”. He thought it was a pretty legitimate investment, plus he thought he might even use it himself one day - if he got a car, that is. I on the other hand thought, “what has the world come to that people can’t afford a house (which is what Andy wanted), and they have to convince themselves that owning a piece of dirt the size of a car is the next best thing”. So, Andy had my attention and for the last 18 months, we swapped a few emails back and forth. He writes for a living, so he writes a good email and through those, I got to see his thoughts evolve and the evolution of a workable financial plan. And to cut through the suspense, I’ll cut to the chase; it does not involve a car park.