Why not only invest in S&P 500?
Investors that only invest in the S&P 500 leave themselves exposed to numerous pitfalls: Investing only in the S&P 500 does not provide the broad diversification that minimizes risk. Economic downturns and bear markets can still deliver large losses.
The S&P 500 is all US-domiciled companies that over the last ~40 years have accounted for ~50% of all global stocks. By just owning the S&P 500 you miss out on almost half of the global opportunity set which is another ~10,000 public companies.
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.
Just going 100% in to S&P500 would be a bit risky, but at your age, not unreasonable. However, you're not going 100% in to SP500, because you have other assets. (properties, crypto, emergency fund). If you only invest the cash, you're not even at 50% of your LIQUID net worth in the S&P500!!
The main drawback to the S&P 500 is that the index gives higher weights to companies with more market capitalization. The stock prices for Apple and Microsoft have a much greater influence on the index than a company with a lower market cap.
According to our calculations, a $1000 investment made in February 2014 would be worth $5,971.20, or a gain of 497.12%, as of February 5, 2024, and this return excludes dividends but includes price increases. Compare this to the S&P 500's rally of 178.17% and gold's return of 55.50% over the same time frame.
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.
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.
Since 1926, the S&P 500 (the collection of the 500 largest profitable companies in the U.S. markets) has returned 10.2% a year, with dividends reinvested. That's a much better return than a savings account and can turn $500 per month into more than $1 million in 29 years.
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.
How much is $100 a month for 40 years?
According to Ramsey's tweet, investing $100 per month for 40 years gives you an account value of $1,176,000. Ramsey's assumptions include a 12% annual rate of return, which some critics have labeled as optimistic given that the long-term average annual return of the S&P 500 index is closer to 10%.
So if you're happy with a portfolio that performs comparably to the stock market as a whole, then sticking to S&P 500 ETFs alone isn't a bad idea. However, if you assemble a portfolio of individual stocks that perform better, you might enjoy a 12% or 15% return over time -- or more.
It's extremely unlikely you'll earn 10% returns every single year, but the annual highs and lows have historically averaged out to roughly 10% per year over several decades. Over a lifetime, it's possible to earn over half a million dollars with just $100 per month.
Investing in index funds can be a good choice for many investors, but it's not ideal for everyone. Index funds lack flexibility and active management, so if you want more control, diversification across various asset classes, or prefer ethical investing, you might consider other options.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Presents a strong and varied mix of large-cap stocks to pick from. | Gives higher weight to companies with greater capitalization. |
Stocks come from every major sector of the American economy. | You can't exclude specific stocks of companies you don't prefer to own from investments. |
The key to keeping your money safe
The index itself has a long history of earning positive returns over time and recovering from downturns. While there are never any guarantees when it comes to investing, opting for an S&P 500 index fund or ETF is about as close to guaranteed long-term returns as you can get.
Ten years ago, at market close on March 28, 2014, Tesla's stock was trading at $14.16 per share. This means that $10,000 invested in Tesla in March 2014 would be worth about $124,145 today. This means that if you had invested $120,954.87 in Tesla stock in 2014, you may have been able to sell it today and retire.
The table below shows the present value (PV) of $1,000 in 10 years for interest rates from 2% to 30%. As you will see, the future value of $1,000 over 10 years can range from $1,218.99 to $13,785.85.
If you invest $10,000 today at 10% interest, how much will you have in 10 years? Summary: The future value of the investment of $10000 after 10 years at 10% will be $ 25940.
As mentioned above, stocks generally perform better than real estate, with the S&P 500 providing an 8% return over the last 30 years compared with a 5.4% return in the housing market. Still, real estate investors could see additional rental income and tax benefits, which push their earnings higher.
Is it better to invest in Dow Jones or S&P 500?
Because the S&P 500 contains hundreds of large companies and represents the lion's share of total stock market value, it is considered a much better gauge of how the market is performing, even though it excludes thousands of smaller and midsize companies.
A simple strategy for investing in the S&P 500 is to buy a set dollar amount each week or month and hold it for the long term. This is known as dollar-cost averaging. Dollar-cost averaging is a strategy where you divide the total amount you want to invest across periodic purchases of the target asset.
For example, if an investment scheme promises an 8% annual compounded rate of return, it will take approximately nine years (72 / 8 = 9) to double the invested money.
Metrics as of Mar 31, 2024 | ||
---|---|---|
1M | 10Y | |
Investment Return (%) | 3.27 | 12.85 |
Infl. Adjusted Return (%) details | 3.27 | 9.78 |
US Inflation (%) | 0.00 | 2.80 |
The historical average yearly return of the S&P 500 is 12.68% over the last 10 years, as of the end of February 2024. This assumes dividends are reinvested. Adjusted for inflation, the 10-year average stock market return (including dividends) is 9.56%.
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