Book · 2006
All About Asset Allocation
by Richard A. Ferri
Rick Ferri hands Bogleheads a fixed international-equity percentage, and one reader is still running it fifteen years later, underperformance and all.
What does Reddit think of All About Asset Allocation?
29 mentions over six years, nearly all of them r/Bogleheads talking shop. This is not a book people discuss so much as a book people quietly still follow. One reader has run its international-equity allocation for fifteen years and reports, flatly, that the international slice "has not been a good run," while still keeping the position (↑24). Another only remembered the same one-third international rule well enough to hedge it with "I think... but I'm not sure" (↑19). The funniest complaint isn't really a complaint: "Rick Ferri's All About Asset Allocation never asked me a single question," gripes a Boglehead who wanted personalized numbers and got a static framework instead (↑31). r/investing's own top comment pushes the same forget-it-after-you-set-it philosophy: pick an allocation for your risk tolerance and call it a day (↑31 investing). Somebody who spent a decade indexing decided, almost embarrassed, that they should probably finally read it (↑38).
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · Fixed international-equity allocation rules of thumb
- · Buy-and-hold discipline over active management
- · The limits of generic, non-personalized advice
- · Long-term real-world tracking of a stated allocation
Common praise
- + One Boglehead has followed its international-equity split for fifteen years and still credits the book for it, underperformance and all (↑24).
- + A longtime Vanguard indexer recommends it to a beginner from memory, then actually sits down to read it himself for the first time (↑38).
- + r/investing's most upvoted mention in the thread argues for picking an allocation and calling it a day, the same set-and-forget philosophy the book is known for (↑31).
Common criticism
- − "Never asked me a single question," jokes one Boglehead, annoyed that the book hands out a framework instead of personalized numbers (↑31).
- − The one specific rule people cite, a one-third international allocation, gets repeated with hedges like "I think... but I'm not sure" rather than confidence (↑19).
Who it's for
Read this if you want one allocation rule and the discipline to never touch it again. r/Bogleheads treats it less as a book to discuss and more as a source of settled defaults, the kind of one-third-international split people still use after forgetting where they got it. You should already believe a documented, static plan beats an actively managed one; the book won't argue you into that position, it assumes it. Want your allocation tailored to your actual numbers, income, timeline, risk tolerance? Look elsewhere first. This is the reference you open once, set, and mostly forget, occasionally to reassure yourself that international's rough decade wasn't your mistake to fix.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for All About Asset Allocation?
The most relevant excerpts across the subreddits where this book is mentioned — opinionated, argued takes first, then top-upvoted mentions. Click through to read the full thread.
“It helps pay for your broker’s Mercedes and keeps you feeling helpless and trapped by the prospect of unwinding all of those positions if you ever leave them. That’s about it. This isn’t a portfolio for you; it’s a portfolio for your broker. Once you acknowledge that, you’ll be on your way to fixing…
“While giving advice to a young person over DM (they were somewhat awed by a comment I made that I had been a Vanguard indexing investor for some 27 years now), I remembered this book being suggested and said would a be a good one for them. And then it dawned on me that I had not read it, so on a fl…
“Probably shouldn’t ask for advice if you won’t provide numbers required to help you. You can always read a book. Rick Ferri’s All About Asset Allocation never asked me a single question
“My opinion, pick an asset allocation to your willingness/ need/ ability to take risk. Then call it a day and go enjoy your life. Doing this will cause less stress and surprising to most (many) will produce better returns then most professional and amateur alike. If you don't know how to do the ab…
“I read Random Walk and Four Pillars in college before starting my first job. I was a Boglehead from my first paycheck into my 401k. I “sliced and diced” my own 60/40 AA with 20% of equities to international. I wrote my IPS (investing philosophy or personal statement), which was a big deal and heavi…
“I followed Rick Ferri’s “All About Asset Allocation” for my portfolio like 15 years ago. Has not been a good run for international, but I’m glad I still have it.
“I'm sorry for your loss. With regard to your financials, you are in a very healthy spot - your dad did you right. Despite what you might feel about having this land on you suddenly, there isn't an obvious need to do anything to your investments. Steady as she goes. The cash in the brokerage ac…
“I keep my international at about 1/3 of equities. I think I got that from Rick Ferri's *All About Asset Allocation*, but I'm not sure. Just 10% seems low to me, but there is no "correct" answer (except in hindsight). It's all a somewhat-educated guess anyway. Honestly, I could've landed on anywhe…
“**What about the nuts and bolts?** So, how do you actually implement the investment plan outlined above? As mentioned in the first section, your biggest priority is to get yourself out of debt; until that point, the only investing you should be doing is with the minimum 401(k) or other defined cont…
“30% of my US stock allocation is tilted small value (15% of my total allocation is US small value tilt), 20% of my international stock allocation is tilted to small (5% of my total allocation is international small tilt). Also, not asked, but my only other tilt is 10% of my total allocation to US RE…
““Rebalancing is an essential component of all the asset allocation examples provided in this book. Assume that the portfolios in these chapters are rebalanced annually at the beginning of each year. This may not be the ideal rebalancing strategy, but then, there is no ideal rebalancing strategy. The…
“ELI5 please, bonds. I understand the value of diversifying and investing in non-correlated (or inversely) areas, and my plan is to get to 75/25 stock/bond. But, all the books I'm reading talk about bonds and the reasonable returns they provide. - most recently: All about asset allocation (Rich…
“There's a portfolio called Golden Butterfly that is 20% each LCB, SCV, LTB, STB, and Gold. Note that I'm not saying it's "good" just that "it is." Also Rick Ferri's book All About Asset Allocation includes sections on real estate, precious metals, and even commodities IIRC. GB reportedly increase…
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All About Asset Allocation — frequently asked
Is All About Asset Allocation still relevant for a Boglehead portfolio in 2026?+
Seems so. r/Bogleheads mentions run through December 2025, and one reader still cites it after fifteen years despite international equities lagging the whole time (↑24). The book's core appeal, a fixed rule you don't have to revisit, doesn't really expire. Nobody in the dataset argues it's been superseded by something newer.
Does All About Asset Allocation replace talking to a financial advisor?+
No, and one Boglehead makes the joke explicitly: the book "never asked me a single question" before handing out advice, unlike an advisor who'd want your actual numbers first (↑31). It's a framework, not a personalized plan. Treat it as a starting template, not a substitute for knowing your own numbers.
What international equity allocation does All About Asset Allocation recommend, per Reddit?+
Roughly one-third of the equity sleeve, according to one Boglehead, though he immediately hedges with "I think I got that from Rick Ferri's... but I'm not sure" (↑19). Another reader who's followed a similar split for fifteen years admits the international portion "has not been a good run" (↑24).