Should I invest in Total market or S&P 500?
For investors with small-cap exposure elsewhere in their portfolios, the large- and mid-cap S&P 500 fund may suffice. But for a broader, one-stop-shopping fund, the total market index offers maximum diversification within the U.S. equity universe.
For investors with small-cap exposure elsewhere in their portfolios, the large- and mid-cap S&P 500 fund may suffice. But for a broader, one-stop-shopping fund, the total market index offers maximum diversification within the U.S. equity universe.
Meanwhile, if you only invest in S&P 500 ETFs, you won't beat the broad market. Rather, you can expect your portfolio's performance to be in line with that of the broad market. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. See, over the past 50 years, the S&P 500 has delivered an average annual 10% return.
Both funds are excellent, low-fee options for your portfolio. The fund compositions and returns are similar. The main difference between funds is the number of holdings. VTSAX includes small, mid, and large-cap stocks.
Though this index includes just 500 of the more than 6,000 publicly traded U.S. stocks, the S&P 500 tells a more complete story of what the market is doing than the Dow or Nasdaq 100. It represents about 80 percent of the value of all publicly traded companies in the U.S., according to S&P Global.
A total stock market index fund is an excellent core holding in a diversified portfolio. In exchange for a low fee, investors gain exposure to thousands of stocks of every style, sector and market cap.
Assuming an average annual return rate of about 10% (a typical historical average), a $10,000 investment in the S&P 500 could potentially grow to approximately $25,937 over 10 years.
Investing $100 a month into an S&P 500 ETF can be a sound long-term investment strategy, especially for those with a lower risk tolerance. The S&P 500 has historically provided average annual returns of around 10%, which means that $100 invested each month could grow to a significant amount over time.
In 1980, had you invested a mere $1,000 in what went on to become the top-performing stock of S&P 500, then you would be sitting on a cool $1.2 million today.
If the S&P 500 outperforms its historical average and generates, say, a 12% annual return, you would reach $1 million in 26 years by investing $500 a month.
What is the best total market index fund?
- Fidelity Total Market Index Fund (FSKAX) ...
- Schwab Total Stock Market Index Fund (SWTSX) ...
- Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund (VTSAX) ...
- Vanguard FTSE Social Index Fund (VFTAX) ...
- Fidelity ZERO Total Market Index Fund (FZROX) ...
- Fidelity U.S. Sustainability Index Fund (FITLX)
S&P 500 Index Versus Nasdaq 100 Performance
Nasdaq 100 has outperformed S&P by a wide margin. The average 10-year return of Nasdaq 100 over these 15 years was around 9%, while that of S&P 500 was about 5%.
The S&P 500 is considered a better reflection of the market's performance across all sectors compared to the Nasdaq Composite and the Dow. The downside to having more sectors included in the index is that the S&P 500 tends to be more volatile than the Dow.
Less than 10% of active large-cap fund managers have outperformed the S&P 500 over the last 15 years. The biggest drag on investment returns is unavoidable, but you can minimize it if you're smart. Here's what to look for when choosing a simple investment that can beat the Wall Street pros.
When you buy individual stocks, there are a lot of different factors you need to look at. These include cash flow, debt, management, threats, and opportunities. S&P 500 index funds don't require that kind of legwork because you're not putting a substantial amount of money into one specific company.
The highest closing price for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) all-time was $39,781.37, on Thursday. The latest price is $39,475.64.
- HDFC Index S&P BSE Sensex Fund. ...
- Tata S&P BSE Sensex Index Fund. ...
- Axis Nifty 100 Index Fund. ...
- HSBC Nifty 50 Index Fund. ...
- Mirae Asset NYSE FANG+ ETF FoF. ...
- Mirae Asset Equity Allocator FoF. ...
- Motilal Oswal Nifty Midcap 150 Index Fund. ...
- Motilal Oswal Nifty Next 50 Index Fund.
For beginners, the vast array of index funds options can be overwhelming. We recommend Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) (minimum investment: $1; expense Ratio: 0.03%); Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ) (minimum investment: NA; expense Ratio: 0.2%); and SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA).
Disadvantages include the lack of downside protection, no choice in index composition, and it cannot beat the market (by definition).
Think About This: $10,000 invested in the S&P 500 at the beginning of 2000 would have grown to $32,527 over 20 years — an average return of 6.07% per year.
What if I invested $10,000 in S&P 20 years ago?
If you had made monthly contributions over that time, you'd have made much more money. Over the past 20 years, the index has gained a total average annual return of around 10%. If you initially invested $10,000 and added $100 per month, you'd have $136,000 today. Image source: Investor.gov.
By investing now and staying invested for as long as possible, you can rest easier knowing you're likely to see positive long-term returns -- no matter what happens in the coming weeks or months. Katie Brockman has positions in Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Vanguard S&P 500 ETF.
Reinvest Your Payments
The truth is that most investors won't have the money to generate $1,000 per month in dividends; not at first, anyway. Even if you find a market-beating series of investments that average 3% annual yield, you would still need $400,000 in up-front capital to hit your targets. And that's okay.
Similarly, the index is made up of only stocks. When the stock market is experiencing a general downturn, there are no other asset classes (like bonds and REITs) to counterbalance that loss. This is why investing only in the S&P 500 does not help the investor minimize risk.
Imagine you wish to amass $3000 monthly from your investments, amounting to $36,000 annually. If you park your funds in a savings account offering a 2% annual interest rate, you'd need to inject roughly $1.8 million into the account.
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