Overview
- A $1,000 monthly investment for 30 years in a Vanguard S&P 500 fund is illustrated at about $5.2 million using the past decade’s 14.6% average return, or over $2 million at a 10% annualized rate.
- Investing roughly $440 per month into the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF is shown reaching about $1 million over 30 years under long-run market return assumptions.
- The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF carries a 0.03% expense ratio, has more than 40% of assets in its top 10 holdings, and posted 14.6% average annual returns over the past decade.
- The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF also charges 0.03%, holds thousands of stocks, counts Nvidia as its largest position at about 7%, and delivered roughly 260% total returns over 10 years versus 279% for the S&P 500.
- Both pieces emphasize dollar-cost averaging into low-cost index ETFs as a simple long-term strategy, with projections presented as illustrative rather than guarantees.