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Better Buy: Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF vs. SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 ETF
When most investors think about buying "the market," they probably have the S&P 500 index (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) in mind. But that's not the market -- it's just 500 or so hand-selected large and economically representative companies. If you want to own the market, you'll have to consider an exchange-traded fund (ETF) like the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (NYSEMKT: VTI) or the SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 ETF (NYSEMKT: SPTM). They are not interchangeable, and in the end, one may be even better than the S&P 500 index.It would be virtually impossible for most investors to go out and buy 500 stocks, let alone 1,500 or 3,598 (more on this strangely precise number in a second). So the only real option for buying the market is to buy a pooled investment vehicle like a mutual fund or an ETF. Given the many benefits of exchange-traded funds, including ultra-low costs and all-day trading, ETFs are likely to be the go-to option.Image source: Getty Images.Continue reading
When most investors think about buying "the market," they probably have the S&P 500 index (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) in mind. But that's not the market -- it's just 500 or so hand-selected large and economically representative companies. If you want to own the market, you'll have to consider an exchange-traded fund (ETF) like the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (NYSEMKT: VTI) or the SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 ETF (NYSEMKT: SPTM). They are not interchangeable, and in the end, one may be even better than the S&P 500 index.
It would be virtually impossible for most investors to go out and buy 500 stocks, let alone 1,500 or 3,598 (more on this strangely precise number in a second). So the only real option for buying the market is to buy a pooled investment vehicle like a mutual fund or an ETF. Given the many benefits of exchange-traded funds, including ultra-low costs and all-day trading, ETFs are likely to be the go-to option.
Image source: Getty Images.
