Even those who aren't exactly experts but at least "kind of, sort of" follow financial media outlets know that index funds such as the one pioneered by John Bogle/Vanguard are becoming increasingly popular. Why? Simply because by choosing an index fund, you're tracking the manner in a hassle-free and reasonably priced manner. As explained in this video, most investors are pretty bad at picking stocks themselves on the one hand and on the other hand, many asset managers who are talented enough to beat the market oftentimes charge so much that after drawing the line, you are better off choosing an index fund. In other words, from definition and types to examples (John Bogle) and performance compared to alternatives, this video explains everything you need to know about index funds. Are they the perfect option? Of course not, there is no such thing as a perfect solution. But even with the cons involved such as lack of control, let's just say it is difficult to find a superior option for the average investor. To put it differently: an index fund doesn't have to be perfect, it only needs to be better than the alternatives :)