Even if you are a stock market newbie, there is a better than good chance you know that VOO sits at the center of nearly every personal finance conversation online, not because it is flashy, but because it works.
QQQ charges a higher expense ratio and offers a lower dividend yield than VOO. QQQ has outperformed VOO on one- and five-year growth, but with deeper drawdowns and greater volatility.
For a retiree's portfolio, consistent income and steady growth are key. That's why many are arming their nest eggs with dividend stocks.
The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) was launched on September 9, 2010, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.
The S&P 500 Index and its ETFs, like the SPY and VOO, will have a highly volatile week as investors react to several potential catalysts, including macro data, geopolitical events, and earnings. The index, which tracks the biggest companies in the United States, was trading at a record high of $6,965.
I maintain that long-term investors should hold some S&P 500 as a forward-compatible position amid rapid AI advancements and the difficulty of identifying winners and losers. VOO's high P/E and heavy AI concentration present valuation risks, with the dividend yield at a low historical rate of 1.12%. AI will likely drive future earnings, but picking individual winners is challenging; index exposure captures sector shifts.
What are your New Year's resolutions for 2026? One of your commitments should be to take control of your financial future.
VOOG has delivered higher one-year and five-year total returns, but with deeper drawdowns and more volatility than VOO. VOO is broader, more diversified, and offers a higher dividend yield at a lower expense ratio.
If you haven't thought about diversifying your equity portfolio internationally, perhaps the performance of non-U.S.
While most investors obsess over SPY and VOO, Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund ETF Shares (NYSEARCA:VXUS) has quietly delivered 29% returns through mid-December 2025, crushing the S&P 500's 15% gain.
While Vanguard 500 Index Fund ETF Shares (NASDAQ:VOO) dominates the most popular ETF rankings with $1.5 trillion in assets and an industry leading 0.03% expense ratio, income investors should consider ProShares S&P 500Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NYSEARCA:NOBL) for superior cash flow.
The international ETFs have had quite the impressive year, outperforming the likes of the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:VOO) as well as the Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:QQQ) so far this year while rolling over far fewer bumps in the road.