Latest news with #JohnBogle
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
3 Reasons to Buy SPXL and 3 Reasons Not To
SPXL aims to triple the daily gain of the S&P 500. But it resets itself daily, magnifies its declines, and charges high fees. It's not a good choice for long-term investors. 10 stocks we like better than Direxion Shares ETF Trust - Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 3x Shares › John Bogle, the founder of The Vanguard Group, once said the "winning formula for success in investing is owning the entire stock market through an index fund" since most professional fund managers couldn't beat the market over the long term. So instead of actively trading stocks, most investors should simply invest in a low-cost index fund that tracks the S&P 500 -- which has delivered an average annual return of 10% since its inception in 1957 -- and let it run. Bogle passed away in 2019, but the Vanguard S&P 500 Index Fund (NASDAQMUTFUND: VFIAX) and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) remain popular investments for long-term investors. However, there are still plenty of ETFs that are trying to beat the S&P 500 with total return swaps, futures, options, and other derivatives. One of those ETFs is the Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 3X Shares (NYSEMKT: SPXL), a triple-leveraged ETF that aims to triple the daily performance of the S&P 500 (before its fees and expenses). Let's review the three reasons to buy this aggressive ETF -- and the three reasons to avoid it. SPXL might be an attractive investment for three reasons. First, SPXL could be a great way for short-term investors to rack up some quick daily gains. Second, it triples the S&P 500's daily performance with total return swaps and other derivatives. By bundling all that leverage, it becomes an attractive play for traders who don't want to take on margin. Third, SPXL has a daily trading volume of nearly 6.2 million shares as of this writing, which is comparable to the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF's trading volume. That liquidity should make it appealing to day and swing traders who need to quickly enter and exit their positions. Three issues could make SPXL a bad investment. First, it only tracks the S&P 500 on a daily basis instead of a cumulative basis because it resets its swaps every day. Second, it also triples the S&P 500's daily losses. So while SPXL might outperform the S&P 500 over a few days, a single market downturn could wipe out those gains. Those compounding effects can stack up faster in volatile markets. Even if the S&P 500 is flat for a day, SPXL's swaps, futures, and derivatives could erode its value. That "volatility drag" makes it a bad pick for long-term investors. That's why SPXL merely matched the S&P 500's 12% gain over the past 12 months instead of tripling its return. Last but not least, SPXL charges a high net expense ratio of 0.87%. Vanguard's S&P 500 ETF has a much lower expense ratio of 0.03%. So, unless you're trying to make a fast profit, it doesn't make much sense to touch this highly leveraged ETF. Bogle once said that "what may work for the few cannot work for the many" -- and he also warned that "speculation has no place in the portfolio or the kit of the typical investor." During a Forbes interview back in 2013, Bogle said leveraged ETFs like SPXL -- which try to double or triple the market's return with leverage -- were simply created as "gambling" tools, concluding, "What sense that makes is beyond my comprehension." So, as a long-term investor who admires people like Bogle, Warren Buffett, and Peter Lynch, I'd personally never touch leveraged ETFs like SPXL. These ETFs have been gaining a lot of attention on social media channels recently, but they're incredibly risky investments that could burn inexperienced investors. Before you buy stock in Direxion Shares ETF Trust - Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 3x Shares, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Direxion Shares ETF Trust - Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 3x Shares wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $689,813!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $906,556!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 809% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 175% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 23, 2025 Leo Sun has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 3 Reasons to Buy SPXL and 3 Reasons Not To was originally published by The Motley Fool
Forbes
24-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Vanguard Vs. Fidelity Index Funds: Which Is Best For Your Investments In 2025?
Vanguard and Fidelity have sufficient index fund options to fulfill simple or complex investing ... More strategies. Vanguard and Fidelity offer popular index funds with competitive expense ratios. Is one fund family better for your investment portfolio than the other? This detailed comparison of Vanguard and Fidelity index funds—covering fees, performance and selection—helps you decide. Vanguard Index Funds Overview One fun fact sums up Vanguard's investment philosophy: Under the direction of company founder John Bogle, Vanguard created the world's first index fund in 1976. Bogle's innovation gave investors convenient access to a low-cost portfolio that could be held for decades. Bogle also decided to market Vanguard funds directly to investors, bypassing brokers, and to eliminate sales loads. Both moves, unconventional in the 1970s, showed Vanguard's commitment to the individual investor's success. The move to drop sales charges has spared investors from hundreds of millions in fees over the past several decades. Today, Vanguard retains its reputation as a leader in low-cost funds and a champion of retail investors. Fidelity Index Funds Overview According to Morningstar, Fidelity is the third-largest fund family after Vanguard and BlackRock in terms of U.S. market concentration. The company was formed to take over the Fidelity Fund in 1946 and launched its first index fund in 1988. Fidelity's index fund strategy emphasizes low costs and fund performance that aligns closely to the target index. Both objectives benefit index fund investors by minimizing dilution of underlying investment returns. Comparing Vanguard and Fidelity Index Funds Below are head-to-head comparisons for Vanguard and Fidelity on expense ratios, fund selection, fund performance and minimum investment requirements. Vanguard expense ratios on index funds with investment minimums of $3,000 or less range from 0.03% to 0.2%. Per author calculations, the average expense ratio is 0.07%, which equates to $7 annually for every $10,000 invested. Fidelity expense ratios across 82 index funds for retail investors range from 0% to 0.4%. The average is 0.12%, per author calculations. This translates to $12 annually per $10,000 invested. Vanguard has the lower average expense ratio, but Fidelity offers a selection of zero-expense funds. Also, Fidelity's S&P 500 fund, FXAIX, has lower expenses than Vanguard's S&P 500 portfolios. FXIAX charges 0.015%, while Vanguard's VOO ETF and VFAIX fund charge 0.03% and 0.04%, respectively. Both companies beat broader expense ratio averages. A Morningstar report concludes that the average fees for passively managed funds in 2023 was 0.55%. Vanguard has more index funds with low investment minimums than Fidelity, but both families cover these popular market segments: Cryptocurrency is one point of differentiation and Fidelity has the edge. Fidelity has funds stocked with bitcoin (FBTC) and ethereum (FETH). Vanguard does not offer crypto funds. Performance comparisons for index funds can be tricky because the underlying index is primarily responsible for defining the portfolio. So, the comparison is most telling when two funds are targeting the same index. In that case, sampling methods and trading efficiency can introduce a higher-than-necessary tracking error—causing one fund to underperform. The table below compares returns for S&P 500 funds and U.S. bond market funds from both families. Fidelity performed slightly better on the S&P 500 fund and in the one-year period for the bond fund. Lower expense ratios on the two Fidelity mutual funds contribute to the outperformance. More generalized comparisons can be made between funds that offer similar exposures but rely on different target indexes. The index gets most of the credit for outperformance, particularly when both compared funds have low tracking errors. Even so, the fund family can take responsibility for choosing the stronger index. This table compares Vanguard and Fidelity funds with similar strategies, implemented through different target indexes. You can see the performance gaps are larger vs. the prior comparison. The Vanguard index funds mostly outperformed here, despite Fidelity's funds having lower expense ratios. Both Vanguard and Fidelity have at least 80 index funds with a $0 or $1 investment minimum. These are predominantly exchange-traded funds. Vanguard additionally has about 50 mutual funds with a $3,000 minimum investment. Which Is Better For Beginner Investors? Both Vanguard and Fidelity are appropriate for beginner investors. Those who plan to own only an S&P 500 fund and a bond fund might earn slightly higher returns with Fidelity, thanks to the ultra-low expense ratios. On the other hand, Vanguard's website and fund research tools are somewhat easier to navigate than Fidelity's. Fortunately, choosing one fund family doesn't mean you give up access to the other. If you are trading in a Vanguard brokerage account, you may pay extra fees to buy Fidelity mutual funds and vice versa. You can avoid the fees by purchasing ETFs instead or by opening a new account with the other fund family. Expert Opinions And Analysis Morningstar is a leading researcher of mutual funds and fund families. The company's Fund Family Digest summarizes research and ratings on the 150 largest fund families in the U.S. According to the 2024 Fund Family Digest, Vanguard is the largest fund family with $8.5 trillion in U.S. assets under management (AUM). Fidelity is ranked third with $2.95 trillion in AUM. Vanguard also has the highest Parent Rating by Morningstar Manager Research analysts. Only 10 fund families earn this rating, based on manager tenure, risk management, performance, fees and other factors. Additionally, 99% of Vanguard's assets are in share classes with Gold, Silver or Bronze Medalist Ratings. Morningstar analysts assign these ratings to funds that are expected to outperform their category index after fees. Fidelity's parent rating is Above Average and 95% of its assets are in funds with Gold, Silver or Bronze Medalist Ratings. Is Vanguard Or Fidelity Better For Your Investments? Vanguard and Fidelity have sufficient index fund options to fulfill simple or complex investing strategies. Fidelity does have cryptocurrency funds, which may be an advantage if bitcoin or ethereum exposure is part of your allocation plan. Vanguard has more assets under management and slightly higher Morningstar ratings, implying a more stable fund management team and better performance potential. Bottom Line You can implement many passive investment portfolios with Vanguard or Fidelity. To choose the right family, review and See if one brand speaks to you over the other. If not, identify which exposures you'll invest in first, such as the S&P 500 or all U.S. stocks. Compare your options across the two families and select the one with lower tracking errors. That hopefully keeps much of the underlying investment returns flowing into your net worth.
Los Angeles Times
17-06-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Opinion: Gambling is the ultimate money drain
The thrill of winning money captures us, but there's a smarter, safer, and more sustainable place to put your money – just not on a roulette wheel or fantasy sports app. I remember a friend, Jayson, who was a homeschooled senior who couldn't wait to turn 18, not to vote, but to hit the casino in Nevada. He worked long hours at a grocery outlet to save every paycheck for what he hoped would be a lucky streak. Many teenagers, like Jayson, get into gambling with the hopes of making a fortune without effort. At the same time, I see how games and products around us, like mystery Pokémon card packs and slot machine apps, glorify chance-based rewards. Flashy gambling advertisements target users with the promise of excitement and easy money. The line between gaming and gambling becomes blurred. However, we need to consider the full situation before deciding to invest so much money in it. What to fear Gambling isn't always just a game. Online betting apps like PrizePicks, DraftKings, and bet365 allow people to participate in sports betting anytime, anywhere. What begins as casual entertainment can quickly spiral. According to DSM-5 , gambling disorder is a recognized behavioral addiction, and it disproportionately affects people with lower incomes. The World Health Organization estimates that around 9% of people globally have experienced harm due to gambling . For people with severe gambling addiction, frequent usage can lead to irreparable harm to their lives. Money is a leading cause of divorce , and gambling addictions only exacerbate the issue. Consistent losses lead to an inability to pay bills, feed the family, or provide for children. An additional cause for concern is that these apps have little to no security measures to prevent youth from accessing them. Anyone with a bank account attached to their app store account can purchase tokens with few barriers. Many of my friends at school have gravitated toward the app PrizePicks, some using their parents' money without permission. In real life, casinos attract customers with flashy lights and promotions promising the idea of making it big. Casinos are designed to feel like mazes of opportunity, keeping you comfortable at any hour of the day. But make no mistake: the house always wins. Yes, there are exceptions, but the rule prevails most of the time. According to a paper in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, gambling games on computers have a positive effect on happiness. But fun shouldn't cost a future – nor a fortune. A better alternative There is a more thoughtful way to make money work for you. In The Little Book of Common Sense Investing , John Bogle talks about the power of long-term investments in index funds like the S&P 500, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and Fidelity 500. Index funds are excellent for investing extra money we might have from part-time jobs, allowances, or even gifts. These index funds track the weighted average value of the stock market, so we get the gains of innovation without the risk of any individual company collapsing. In the book, he describes the failure of stock picking and how even investment experts have failed to reliably beat the market. He advises that, instead of stock picking, put all your money in the S&P 500 and hold it until retirement or a large down payment. The S&P 500 has generated an average inflation-adjusted return of 7.8% in the past two decades. So, if you put $100 into the S&P every month starting at age 15, you'll have contributed $62,400 by age 67, yet will have $750,000 in the investment account (adjusted for inflation). Meanwhile, 96% of gamblers don't break even, and especially don't realize any gains. So, while it may be fun to throw money at a slot machine or bet on your favorite soccer team, think about where that money could be better spent. Gambling thrives on impulsivity. Investing rewards patience. One drains your future. The other builds it. Choose wisely. Related
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Is the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF Index Fund a Buy Now?
The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF remains one of the best ways to match American stock market returns with minimal fees. June 2025 may or may not be a great time to invest in the stock market, but you might as well get started. The biggest investment mistake is staying out of the market forever while waiting for ideal conditions that may never arrive. 10 stocks we like better than Vanguard S&P 500 ETF › The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) is arguably the best way to match the returns of the American stock market. It's one of the three largest exchange-traded funds (ETFs) based on the popular S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) market index, which reflects the performance of 500 top-quality domestic companies. The fund's annual fees are minimal. The Vanguard group behind the scenes was built around the investor-friendly policies of founder John Bogle. If you want to follow the broader market, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF is always a great place to start. But there's a more general question in play here. Is this the time to get into the stock market, in the first place? Let me show you why the answer is "yes," no matter what you think the stock market might do in 2025 or over the next couple of years. You may not want to go all-in with a large purchase today, but this moment is as good as any other to start a new Vanguard S&P 500 ETF position -- slowly. First and foremost, I can't tell you exactly what the stock will do over the summer of 2025. There are tons of conflicting opinions on this matter -- probably more than usual. Hedge funds are reportedly buying lots of promising tech stocks right now, suggesting a bullish market outlook in this group. At the same time, bearish short-selling activity is on the rise and many market watchers expect a full-fledged recession amid the Trump administration's unpredictable tariffs. So the stock market might be falling off a cliff, or preparing for a majestic surge. The real outcome probably lies between these extremes. Trying to time the market in this erratic economy sounds like a terrible idea. In all fairness, the starting price for any investment can make a significant difference to your long-term results. If you invested $3,000 in an S&P 500 index fund at the start of 2008, you'd have a total return of $16,970 by June 2, 2025. But if you saw stocks trading at unreasonable valuations at back then, and held off on making that $3,000 investment until early 2009 instead, your account would show a total return of $26,940 instead. The S&P 500 dipped as much as 48% lower in the subprime mortgage crisis. It's still a game-changing over 17 or 18 years, but of course I'd rather have a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.3% than 10.5%. Most people didn't see that crash coming, though. Trading volumes soared when the Lehman Bros. firm went out of business, but cooled down as the financial meltdown continued. In a perfect world, more investors would be eager to buy great stocks at temporary discounts, thereby boosting the daily trading volumes. The opposite scenario unfolded instead. And most people will mistime the next economywide market crash, too. It's one thing if you really do see clear signs of some unavoidable market trend, like the soaring home prices of the early 2000s or the skyrocketing average price-to-earnings ratios just before the dot-com bubble popped. It's fine to keep your cash on Wall Street's sidelines when you expect a downturn fairly soon. Otherwise, you should consider putting your money to work over time. Buying in thirds is one simple approach to unpredictable markets. Divide your investable cash in three equal buckets (metaphorically speaking, of course). Then you buy your favorite asset in three equal portions, stoically looking away from the price charts to place those pre-planned trades no matter what. The three portions may be a month apart, or a year, or any other schedule that makes sense in your situation. The important part is that you make a plan that works with your budget, and you stick to it whether stock prices go up or down in the meantime. Let's say you used this method around the subprime mortgage panic of 2008, starting at the beginning of that year with a six-month pause between your Vanguard S&P 500 ETF purchases. This is how the three buys would have worked out in the long run: Date of ETF Purchase Original Investment Total Return By 6/2/2025 1/1/2008 $1,000 $5,658 7/1/2008 $1,000 $6,398 1/1/2009 $1,000 $8,981 Total Results $3,000 $21,037 Calculated from YCharts data on 6/2/2025. As expected, these hypothetical returns would fall short of a single perfectly timed buy-the-dip purchase, but they're also much better than the worst-case scenario of making a big buy just before a terrible market drop. The CAGR for this thought experiment would be roughly 12.1%. Maybe you already have a solid investing strategy in mind. Congratulations -- you're ahead of the game and should continue with your chosen plan. Don't be distracted by blaring headlines along the way, but feel free to take advantage of unexpected opportunities. Perfection is the enemy of progress, especially on Wall Street. The worst thing you can do is stay out of the market forever, waiting for an ideal buy-in price that might never come. If you're just getting started, don't worry about placing your first trade on the perfect day. Almost nobody does that, and it's honestly just the luck of the draw. Just set your budget, pick a three-part timing schedule that works for you, and invest the reserved cash in Vanguard S&P 500 ETF shares on those dates. Before you buy stock in Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $656,825!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $865,550!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 994% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 172% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 2, 2025 Anders Bylund has positions in Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Is the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF Index Fund a Buy Now? was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
3 proven strategies to help build generational wealth in the stock market
The stock market has long been a powerful tool for building wealth over time. Indeed, by starting early and following smart investment principles, an individual could create a lasting financial legacy for future generations. Here are three market strategies that could help secure financial freedom. Passive investing is where someone invests in index funds that track the overall market rather than picking individual stocks. This is a simple, hands-off way to steadily grow wealth. John Bogle was the pioneer of index fund investing. He argued that 'the winning formula for success in investing is owning the entire stock market through an index fund, and then doing nothing. Just stay the course'. While this approach might sound boring, it's proven its worth. Someone who invested £25,000 in the S&P 500 index 30 years ago would now have over £300,000, adjusted for exchange rate changes. Admittedly, we don't know what returns this index will produce in future. But if it returns just 7.5% with dividends (rather than 9-10%), then £300,000 would become £1m inside another 17 years. If this person invested £400 a month on top of the initial £25k across these 47 years, they'd end up with almost £3.2m! This calculation assumes an average 8% return. Investors could also diversify beyond US stocks and consider ETFs that track the UK's FTSE 100 and Europe's STOXX 600. Next, there's dividend investing. This involves actively picking stocks that pay out dividends. Now, this approach is more risky because things can go wrong at individual companies and dividends are never guranteed. However, it also has the possibility of turbocharging the compounding process when high-yield dividends are reinvested. Let's use British American Tobacco (LSE: BATS) as an example. This dividend stock offers a 7.5% yield, which is well above the FTSE 100 average (currently around 3.4%). Operating in over 180 countries, the firm owns cigarette brands such as Dunhill and Lucky Strike. While smoking is in overall decline, the firm's also seeing growth in next-generation products, with brands like Vuse (vaping), Glo (heated tobacco), and Velo (oral nicotine). Of course, falling cigarette sales presents risk. Projections suggest the number of smokers worldwide could fall to 1bn by 2040, down from 1.3bn in 2021. However, that's still a massive market, and the firm continues to make enough profit to pay high-yield dividends. Putting £5k into the stock should make £375 in dividends after one year. After 20 years, assuming the same yield, share price and reinvested dividends, the investment would grow to £21,240. At that point, the yearly passive income would be around £1,600. This approach requires the building of a diverse portfolio of income stocks. But it has serious wealth-building potential. Finally, there's growth investing, which has the potential for blockbuster returns. Just consider the 15-year returns of the five well-known stocks below. Admittedly I've cherry-picked them, but owning just one across this time would have lit up an investor's portfolio. 15-year share price return* Nvidia 26,800% Tesla 18,700% Netflix 8,750% Amazon 2,840% Apple 2,490% This approach is high-risk, high-reward though because growth companies that suddenly stop growing can quickly unravel. However, investing £800 a month in growth stocks that collectively average 12% would build a £1m portfolio in just under 23 years starting from scratch. It would take a lot longer with lower percentage returns, but it does show what could be achieved. The post 3 proven strategies to help build generational wealth in the stock market appeared first on The Motley Fool UK. More reading 5 Stocks For Trying To Build Wealth After 50 One Top Growth Stock from the Motley Fool John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Ben McPoland has positions in British American Tobacco P.l.c. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Amazon, Apple, British American Tobacco P.l.c., Nvidia, and Tesla. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Motley Fool UK 2025
