There aren’t many stocks I’d feel comfortable holding forever, or simply buying and forgetting. Economic and market conditions can change quickly, and what was once a safe stock may not look as rock-solid anymore. When you’re talking about a period of 20- or 30-plus years, it can be next to impossible to project what the future will be for the markets as a whole, let alone for individual stocks.
That’s why if you’re investing for the long term, an exchange-trade fund (ETF) can be an ideal option. With an ETF, you don’t have to worry about picking stocks or updating your portfolio to reflect the latest trends. Many Vanguard ETFs also charge low fees in exchange for some excellent diversification. One ETF that can be a solid investment for buy-and-hold investors is the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO).
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For years, billionaire investor Warren Buffett has advocated for investors to just buy the S&P 500. Since it’s a collection of the top stocks in the world, it is an easy way for even novice investors to grow their portfolios in the long run. Buffett told CNBC in 2017: “The trick is not to pick the right company. The trick is to essentially buy all the big companies through the S&P 500 and to do it consistently and to do it in a very, very low-cost way.”
And if you’re looking for low-cost funds, that’s where Vanguard can come into play. The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF has a low expense ratio of 0.03%. And for that modest fee, it gives you access to the S&P 500 index. It’s an investment that people can buy and forget about and can be an excellent way to bet on the economy in the long run. And over the years, it’s done an excellent job of tracking the broad index.
While the S&P 500 can be a great way to invest for the long term, investors should remember that there can and will be volatility; it won’t be a straight line up in value. For a reminder, you only need to look back to 2022, when the index lost close to 20% of its value. And depending on which analyst you ask today, some are projecting even larger losses next year, given how highly valued the markets have become.
But if you’re investing for not only years but decades and potentially the rest of your life, then the good news is you don’t have to worry about a bad year because in the long run, the S&P 500 is likely to recover, as it always has. The overwhelming long-term trend is that the index will rise in value, and it’s just a question of what kind of return it will end up averaging. Historically, its annual return has been around 10% per year but that could be lower in the years ahead as it has been hitting new highs in 2024.
