How many index funds should I buy?
Experts agree that for most personal investors, a portfolio comprising 5 to 10 ETFs is perfect in terms of diversification.
Some index funds provide exposure to thousands of securities in a single fund, which helps lower your overall risk through broad diversification. By investing in several index funds tracking different indexes you can built a portfolio that matches your desired asset allocation.
Owning too many funds or the wrong sorts of funds, however, could result in yet another problem: Overlapping holdings. While you might have 10 index funds or ETFs in your portfolio, all 10 funds themselves could end up owning substantially similar assets if you're not careful.
You only need one S&P 500 ETF
You could be tempted to buy all three ETFs, but just one will do the trick. You won't get any additional diversification benefits (meaning the mix of various assets) because all three funds track the same 500 companies.
According to Standard and Poor's, the average annualized return of the S&P index, which later became the S&P 500, from 1926 to 2020 was 10%. 1 At 10%, you could double your initial investment every seven years (72 divided by 10).
In fact, a number of billionaire investors count S&P 500 index funds among their top holdings. Among those are Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, Dalio's Bridgewater, and Griffin's Citadel.
The addition of too many funds simply creates an expensive index fund. This notion is based on the fact that having too many funds negates the impact that any single fund can have on performance, while the expense ratios of multiple funds generally add up to a number that is greater than average.
Yes, it can make sense to invest in multiple index funds as part of a diversified investment portfolio. Diversification is an important investment strategy that can help reduce overall risk and increase potential returns.
Are index funds safer than stocks? Broadly diversified index funds tend to be safer than individual stocks because of the benefits of diversification. Investing in a fund that owns 500 different stocks across all economic sectors and industries is less risky than holding just a handful of stocks.
Disadvantages include the lack of downside protection, no choice in index composition, and it cannot beat the market (by definition).
How much was $10,000 invested in the S&P 500 in 2000?
$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.
Fidelity® 500 Index Fund is a diversified domestic large-cap equity strategy that seeks to closely track the returns and characteristics of the S&P 500® index. The S&P 500® is a market-capitalization-weighted index designed to measure the performance of 500 large-cap U.S. companies.
A stock gives you one share of ownership in a single company. An index fund is a portfolio of assets which generally includes shares in many companies, as well as bonds and other assets. This portfolio is designed to track entire sections of the market, rising and falling as those segments do.
Ideally, you should stay invested in equity index funds for the long run, i.e., at least 7 years. That is because investing in any equity instrument for the short-term is fraught with risks. And as we saw, the chances of getting positive returns improve when you give time to your investments.
It's an easy way to calculate just how long it's going to take for your money to double. Just take the number 72 and divide it by the interest rate you hope to earn. That number gives you the approximate number of years it will take for your investment to double.
By using the Rule of 72 formula, your calculation will look like this: 72/6 = 12. This tells you that, at a 6% annual rate of return, you can expect your investment to double in value — to be worth $100,000 — in roughly 12 years.
Buffett's favorite ETF
portfolio: the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEMKT: SPY) and the Vanguard 500 Index Fund ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO). Both are index ETFs that track the S&P 500.
Ramsey says index mutual funds can be a better buy than ETFs. Ramsey suggested that if you do want to engage in passive investing, you're better off doing it with an index mutual fund than with an ETF that tracks a market or financial index.
The short answer is a resounding yes. Let's take a look at why this is. While past investment performance doesn't guarantee future results, the return of S&P 500 index funds has been about 9% to 10% annualized per year over long periods, depending on the exact timeframe you're looking at.
But along with that comes slower gains than you may experience investing in individual stocks, options, crypto or other higher-risk investments. Remember, index funds are passively managed, so there's little chance to make quick adjustments and realize significant short-term gains.
Has the S&P 500 ever lost money?
In 2002, the fallout from frenzied investments in internet technology companies and the subsequent implosion of the dot-com bubble caused the S&P 500 to drop 23.4%. And in 2008, the collapse of the U.S. housing market and the subsequent global financial crisis caused the S&P 500 to fall 38.5%.
Building your portfolio over time: When you use index funds, you are a passive investor. You can invest month after month and ignore short-term ups and downs, confident that you'll share in the market's long-term growth and build your nest egg.
While it's true that index funds have historically provided solid returns, it's important to remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Blindly putting all of your savings into index funds without considering other investment options or your personal financial goals could be a mistake.
Our recommendation for the best overall S&P 500 index fund is the Fidelity 500 Index Fund (FXAIX). With a 0.015% expense ratio, this fund is the cheapest one on our list.
While there is no precise answer for the number of funds one should hold in a portfolio, 8 funds (+/-2) across asset classes may be considered optimal depending on the financial objectives and goals of the investor. Further, higher allocation of portfolio to the right fund is of crucial importance.
