How do I choose an S&P 500 ETF?
Before purchasing an ETF there are five factors to take into account 1) performance of the ETF 2) the underlying index of the ETF 3) the ETF's structure 4) when and how to trade the ETF and 5) the total cost of the ETF.
Fund | Ticker | Expense Ratio % |
---|---|---|
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF | VOO | 0.03 |
iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | IVV | 0.03 |
SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF | SPLG | 0.02 |
Vanguard 500 Admiral | VFIAX | 0.04 |
Before purchasing an ETF there are five factors to take into account 1) performance of the ETF 2) the underlying index of the ETF 3) the ETF's structure 4) when and how to trade the ETF and 5) the total cost of the ETF.
If you don't want to put a lot of effort into managing your investments, then S&P 500 ETFs are a good solution. But if you're willing to do the work, then you might do even better in the long run with a portfolio of hand-picked stocks (although, the odds are against you).
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.
- Expense ratio. As with S&P 500 index funds, S&P 500 ETFs all have virtually the same performance. ...
- Liquidity. ...
- Inception date. ...
- Dividend yield.
Symbol | Name | 5-Year Return |
---|---|---|
GBTC | Grayscale Bitcoin Trust | 63.72% |
USD | ProShares Ultra Semiconductors | 55.74% |
FNGU | MicroSectors FANG+™ Index 3X Leveraged ETN | 50.75% |
FNGO | MicroSectors FANG+ Index 2X Leveraged ETNs | 47.83% |
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, VOO is a great option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend segment of the market.
The single biggest risk in ETFs is market risk. Like a mutual fund or a closed-end fund, ETFs are only an investment vehicle—a wrapper for their underlying investment. So if you buy an S&P 500 ETF and the S&P 500 goes down 50%, nothing about how cheap, tax efficient, or transparent an ETF is will help you.
Experts agree that for most personal investors, a portfolio comprising 5 to 10 ETFs is perfect in terms of diversification.
How to invest in ETFs beginner guide?
- Open a brokerage account. You'll need a brokerage account to buy and sell securities like ETFs. ...
- Find and compare ETFs with screening tools. Now that you have your brokerage account, it's time to decide what ETFs to buy. ...
- Place the trade. ...
- Sit back and relax.
ETFs make a great pick for many investors who are starting out as well as for those who simply don't want to do all the legwork required to own individual stocks. Though it's possible to find the big winners among individual stocks, you have strong odds of doing well consistently with ETFs.
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.
Lower Expected Returns
Significant research has found that small and value companies outperform large growth stocks over the long term. Therefore, you are overweighting one area of the market which has had lower returns over the long term.
In 1980, had you invested a mere $1,000 in what went on to become the top-performing stock of S&P 500 (^GSPC 0.63%), then you would be sitting on a cool $1.2 million today. That equates to a total return of 120,936%. The stock? None other than Gap (GPS 4.66%).
Diversification: A well-diversified portfolio should include ETFs that cover different asset classes (stocks, bonds, commodities, etc.), sectors, industries, and geographical regions. This spreads risk and reduces the impact of any single investment on the overall performance.
"A newer investor with a modest portfolio may like the ease at which to acquire ETFs (trades like an equity) and the low-cost aspect of the investment. ETFs can provide an easy way to be diversified and as such, the investor may want to have 75% or more of the portfolio in ETFs."
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, VOO is a great option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend segment of the market.
For new investors, the best way is through an ETF or mutual fund. While there are some differences between the two that we'll explain below, funds are a low-cost way to gain exposure to the S&P 500 and provide instant diversification to your portfolio.
The rule of 72 is a shortcut investors can use to determine how long it will take their investment to double based on a fixed annual rate of return. All you do is divide 72 by the fixed rate of return to get the number of years it will take for your initial investment to double.
What is the S&P 500 for dummies?
What does the S&P 500 measure? The S&P 500 tracks the market capitalization of the roughly 500 companies included in the index, measuring the value of the stock of those companies. Market cap is calculated by multiplying the number of stock shares a company has outstanding by its current stock price.
You expose your portfolio to much higher risk with sector ETFs, so you should use them sparingly, but investing 5% to 10% of your total portfolio assets may be appropriate. If you want to be highly conservative, don't use these at all.
The single biggest risk in ETFs is market risk.
There are many ways an ETF can stray from its intended index. That tracking error can be a cost to investors. Indexes do not hold cash but ETFs do, so a certain amount of tracking error in an ETF is expected. Fund managers generally hold some cash in a fund to pay administrative expenses and management fees.
1 | SPDR S&P 500 UCITS ETF | 0.03% p.a. |
---|---|---|
2 | SPDR S&P 500 UCITS ETF USD Unhedged (Acc) | 0.03% p.a. |
3 | Invesco S&P 500 UCITS ETF | 0.05% p.a. |