VXUS

nevxr

Got it, great info I switched my VOO recurring investment to AVUV instead to help me diversify a bit. My understanding is that VOO is basically just S&P500, in which case if tech growth slows down then VOO will reorganize, right? This leaves me with $75 biweekly investments in SCHG, VOO, AVUV and VXUS. Do you think that's enough diversification? My recurring investments are my primary contribution to my portfolio, but sometimes if I have extra money I'll buy dips in AMZN/GOOG.

1kpointsoflight

I’m not the richest person in the world and you probably aren’t either. Holding 35% VT and 15% VXUS and 40% in BND and 10% in cash and rebalancing that yearly has been working superbly for me in retirement. Holding 100% S&P until 5 years out worked superbly too. Paying 20k a year for that is stupid imho.

Andeo23

I used Edward Jones as well, up until April of this year. I read “The Little Book on Common Sense Investing” by John Bogle and it changed my life. I wasted so much money in fees for so many years and did not realize there was an alternative. I removed my money from EJ and am now 65 VTI and 35 VXUS using Vanguard.

That_Astronomy_Guy

Potentially. It may even grow greater than 2x. However, given the SP500 performance over the last five years, you could double your investment in a corresponding ETF like VTI if past is prologue. Personally, I have $50k invested in NVDA and $100k in VTI as well as another $50k in VXUS. I’m planning on exiting a portion of my NVDA position and moving towards more international exposure. NVDA will probably continue to grow but I’m risk adverse. I’d diversify that $200k with maybe half in NVDA and the rest in broad market funds. Obviously that’s assuming this is a significant chunk of your portfolio.

Nosemyfart

Not individual names, but I'm thinking of buying the nifty 200 or something like that. I'm a complete proponent of just sticking with VT or VTI +VXUS, but as an ex Indian, I do see the tremendous growth potential back there and am willing to risk a small portion of my net worth directly in the nifty index

Inevitable_Pin7755

You’ve already done most of the hard stuff right. Emergency fund is solid, tax-advantaged accounts are maxed, and you’re not overcomplicating things. The VOO + VXUS split is fine and pretty standard. If anything, 15 percent international is a bit on the low side compared to global market weight, but it’s not wrong, especially if you’re more comfortable being US-heavy. The 30 percent in SGOV makes sense given you’re planning to buy a house in about 5 years. That part is basically acting as dry powder and volatility control. The only thing to think about is whether that 30 percent is meant to be truly “house money” or just ballast. If it’s for a down payment, you might want to mentally separate it and gradually increase the cash like allocation as the purchase gets closer. One thing I’d also consider is whether you actually need a taxable brokerage for more equities right now, given how much you’re already putting into tax-advantaged accounts. It’s fine to do, just be aware you’re adding some tax drag compared to stuffing more into Roth or mega backdoor space if available. Overall though, nothing here screams mistake. It’s boring, diversified, liquid where it needs to be, and aggressive enough for someone in their mid 20s. That’s usually a good sign.

AffectionateEcho7759

Yes thank you for the advice I’m going to be freezing pltr for the first few months of 2026 because I feel very un easy with it being such big part of my portfolio lol. When I first started in June I was like 40% pltr and 60% spy till I started realizing if pltr drops im beyond cooked because I didn’t really get into pltr at a cheap price so everytime it moves a little down my profits diminish so yea I’m going to stop pltr for awhile. I’m thinking of maybe not having qqq I have stronger conviction in those tech giants so I might just focus heavy on them and drop qqq and replace with an international etf. For my Roth in opening in 2026 im going VTI and VXUS

dooknuckduster

I'd recommend low cost, globally diversified index funds such as VT (65% US, 35% ex-US), or VTI (total US) and VXUS (total international ex-US). You have decades and decades of runway for your portfolio to grow. Dividends don't really matter in this case, total return makes sense in accumulation. [https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Lazy\_portfolios](https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Lazy_portfolios)

Newbiewhitekicks

So you have another taxable account that’s pure gambling? It’s difficult to give advice if you don’t give us the full picture. Do not buy dividends at all, and especially do not buy them in a taxable account. Total return is all that matters. VXUS is total ex-US. You add it to diversify your portfolio and insure wealth when you’re old. Ideally you’d pick VTI to couple it with, but you seem to like the S&P only. VOO is missing small cap so you’ll need to add it. Remember, dividends, or sell anything in a taxable account will create a taxable event.

HenriST2

I already have separate money investing pretty aggressively. I'm doing this because I want to start with this $1500 into super low risk stuff and grow it over the years. Why do you recommend VXUS?

Newbiewhitekicks

You do not want to buy SCHD, ever. First off, when investing in a taxable account your goal is to be as tax efficient as possible. Dividends are completely irrelevant; total return is all that matters. If you need cash; sell stock! This has been studied extensively and a good first read would be: Franco Modigliani and Merton Miller: dividend irrelevance theorem. A dividend is just a forced sale and hasn’t been a useful investing tool for at least a decade. Adding SCHD to VOO is a little redundant; you have no diversity. Historically, small cap and value is what succeeds and the analysts think that large cap/mega cap won’t keep outperforming in the future. A portfolio using VOO as your foundation looks like: VOO/(a small cap)/VXUS

KawaiiGeorgiaPeach

VTI VOO VXUS etc r/bogleheads

PossibleIsopod131

I don’t know what the apy is for ally high yield savings but personally I put cash in BOXX or USFR the yield is around 5%. If you’re looking for more return and a bit more risk VOO, VXUS, QQQM, SPYM are all popular. These are a low cost index funds that track the overall market. (S&P500, International, and the Nasdaq100)

Newbiewhitekicks

VTI/VXUS at 70/30 and don’t look at it for 30 years. When investing in a taxable account, your goal is to be as tax efficient as possible.

SprinklesMany2038

Deduct 3k for the next 12 years. Invest in a globally diverse fund like VT or 60% us VTI & 40% international. VXUS And keep invested for the long haul. People have lost more just browsing wallstreetbets will help knowing more has been lost. Read some investing books to reassure you you are doing the prudent thing and disable options trading as well. You are young and you still have close to 40k to invest. Most don't.

OrdinaryReasonable63

The Bobbleheads would tell you to do something like VTI/VXUS (70/30 or so) and some allocation to bonds (advocated by Bogle but increasingly being abandoned for all equity portfolios). I say you bet the house on Gold, baby!

iloveu3thousand

This has been answered 1000 times. Look into VTI/VXUS or other low cost ETFs. Ultimately if you have to ask you probably need an advisor to manage money for you. Also, I'm not sure I understand your original statement, is most of your current investments in NVDA? If so, that's an entirely separate concern.

Ok-Piano8789

10 years short VTI long VXUS free money

house9

Might just want to invest in good ETF instead of picking individual stocks? VOO / VTI / VXUS / VT / VGT

OrdinaryReasonable63

VXUS (🔥 💵🔥)

neonam11

Forgive yourself. We have all been there and lost some significant amount of money. The important thing is to learn from your experiences. Stay away from options and daytrading start investing in VTI and VXUS until you are comfortable. Only then, invest a small portion of your total investment, about 10% or less in single stocks

Machine8851

The sp500 outperformed VXUS in the last 6 months and most years since 2010. It will more than likely lessen your returns long term.

Machine8851

Im not big on international as it will more than likely lessen your returns long term and there's no guarantee it will reduce volatility. The sp500 has outperformed VXUS in the last 6 months and most years since 2010.

AdmirableLead6134

Just buy 80% VOO 20% VXUS.

AdmirableLead6134

Just buy VOO or 80%VOO/20%VXUS or VTI

Poundcake2RedVelvet

Do this 1. Majority ETFs, only 20% maximum should ever be devoted to any tilt or individual stocks. 2. Your ETFs should be passive, low cost index funds with exposure to the entire world. VT is generally the standard all world ETF, VTI + VXUS if you want to control % each is in your portfolio. I'm unsure what the Canadian equivalent is but there is always an equivalent in any developed market. 3. Learn your tax advantaged accounts and take advantage of those accounts. One of the biggest pitfalls in investing is not planning for future tax events, especially if you are withdrawing for a house down payment you will pay a big tax bill without any planning for this event. 4. ***IMPORTANT*** While places online, like reddit, can offer very good advice, the best information comes from you directly researching and learning from verified, professionally organized and edited information, like an online encyclopedia like Investopedia or from your brokerage company. 5. Learn what FOMO is and how to recognize it in others and yourself. 6. Learn what DCA is and understand timing the market only ever works if you are extremely lucky.

NaughtyOnCrutches

Both VTI and VOO have their merits. VTI offers broader exposure to the entire U.S. stock market, while VOO focuses on the S&P 500. Diversification can help manage risk, so adding VXUS and bonds could be a smart move. It's important to consider your investment goals and risk tolerance.

ETP_Queen

VOO vs VTI is mostly a rounding error because they overlap a lot, VOO is the S and P 500 and VTI is the whole US market so you just add some mid and small caps on top, either one can be a solid core if you keep contributing and stay the course, the bigger decision is whether you also want international like VXUS for diversification outside the US and whether bonds fit your risk tolerance and time horizon, if you want the simplest diversified setup many people just do VTI plus VXUS and adjust a bond slice only if it helps you sleep at night

KuroFafnar

QCOM, 222 @ $158 WY, 350 @ $31 MDT, 180 @ $90 MKSI, 165 @ $109 UPS, 135 @ $112 Gotta harvest at some point, didn't feel those would outperform even VXUS this year. I was wrong about MKSI but correct on the others.

Nosemyfart

At this point I feel I have added enough to my individual positions through this year's volatility specifically Reddit. Very recently I loaded up on more Meta for the long haul and also bought some Netflix. I'm hoping to just pile all extra money into my VTI + VXUS positions for 2026.

bowle01

Most people can make money by doing the boring ETFs like VOO and VXUS. I started off with stock picking and did extremely well until.. eventually losing big and a large chunk of it 2-3 years in. Now I prefer slow and steady growth and gamble 20% of my portfolio. This year I’m up 34% and last year 32%. I’m exceeding my yearly financial goals year over year by a small margin and if I keep it up- in 10-15 years- should have $5M+ invested if things keep going the way they are.

thetreece

VTI vs VOO hardly matters. VTI is theoretically the better choice, as it offers a bit more diversification. But they will have nearly identical returns and have 99% correlation. VOO vs VTI+VXUS+Bonds is a different story. Nearly every respected academic in the finance space will at least recommend international in your portfolio. It improves your risk adjusted returns, and helps protect against single country risk. Whether or not you want bonds right now is a personal choice based on your time horizon and risk tolerance. VOO is good. VTI+VXUS is better.

Prudent-Corgi3793

You probably got paid a dividend. VXUS was up +0.61% and IXUS +0.62% today. Both beat the four major US indices, so they weren’t your laggards.

Marcel_Janbey

Okay great so overall, I should simplify my etf picks. What do you think about just VOOG VXUS and VBR. Next I should trim down my picks, maybe just Netflix AMZN and NVDA. Take out oklo and just do URA and NXE? Is this better?

Emotional-Power-7242

The benefit to using a target date fund is your can't mess it up. If you instead buy a global index fund like VT and a bond index fund like BND you could decide on the wrong ratio of stocks to bonds. If you split VT into a US index fund like VTI and an international index fund like VXUS you could decide on the wrong ratio of US to international. Every choice you add is another opportunity to make the wrong choice, and many investors will make the wrong choice. Nobody in this sub knows what they're talking about so don't worry if they say bonds are bad. Bonds are necessary. Young investors don't all need bonds, which is why a target date fund has you in a low percentage while youre young. Market cap weighted just means you buy more of the companies worth the most and less of the companies worth the least. You weight the index based on how much the companies are worth. Diversification means you invest across a wide spectrum of industries, countries, values, so that if say the US market ranks your entire portfolio doesn't tank with it because it isn't 100% in US stocks. Your target date fund (or global index fund like VT) also has stocks from the UK, Japan, China, Africa, etc.

ForeverInTheSun82647

I’d have just done VOO, VXF, and VXUS. Soothing like 40/10/10. I have the same but VTI instead of the VOO. I’m already heavy into the VTI so I left it since it’s heavy weighted into the s&p already. If you want some growth tilt/satellite cap it at 2-5 percent. Something like VUG is solid. If you really wanted to get crazy you can go with VB and VO instead of VXF but IMO it’s not that crazy. It’s only if you’re trying to dial in certain market caps. As for individual stocks, we all have our own game-plan. I personally believe in tech. I’m heavy into tech and robotics. I believe in having some tilt into specific sectors. So I have some VFH and VHT. I do have a couple growth based pharma companies and a couple growth based financial companies. Just more into tech and robotics.

haze_from_deadlock

For 2026? Go heavy VXUS

Emotional-Power-7242

VOO or VTI doesn't matter. You definitely want VXUS. Bonds really depends on your personal risk tolerance.

AnselmoHatesFascists

I used to swing trade and far prefer holding VTI, the only thing I’d consider adding is some VXUS for international exposure and maybe a tiny bit of bond fund like BND, especially if you’re older.

ConcentrateOk523

This is good advice. Owned and got rid of Intel like 20 years ago. Now own VTI, VXUS and other index funds.

Glad-Lie8324

I'm not sure what your referring to, maybe when I said one of the pro's of VOO only (the husbands point of view) is better than investing in three funds? I was trying to say (unclearly) that it's simpler to invest in one fund (VOO or VT or VTI, doesn't matter), than to do a mix of VT, Bonds, and VXUS that needs rebalancing every so often. So, nothing to do with VOO specifically, more just talking about 1 fund vs 3 fund approach and trying to make the point that VOO (and VT) are already plenty diversified so as to make a 3 fund approach probably overkill.

ConcentrateOk523

That is the problem with bonds. They return next to nothing and then the Fed lowers rates. Thinking of just unloading my bond funds and putting more into VTI and VXUS.

EstimateWest4370

For clarity - buy VTI or VOO and some VXUS. If you don't want all that hassle, go straight to VT. But make sure you do the most important part: chilling and not mucking around with your strategy.

AviPaz

I do not think this is really a question of right or wrong. VOO versus VTI versus adding VXUS and bonds is less about which fund is better and more about what kind of uncertainty you are comfortable living with together. Concentration can feel simpler and more confident. Diversification can feel slower but more forgiving over time. For new investors especially, the most important part is choosing an approach you can both stick with through good markets and bad ones, not optimizing the last few percentage points on paper

MasterAndrey2

You don't. Unless you have decades of experience, a math degree, multiple data centers of compute, and billions of dollars or luck, you cannot reliably outperform the market adjusted for risk. Just DCA VOO, VXUS, and maybe VT and GLD and save yourself the stress and waste of time.

Gimme_All_The_Foods

Both are very similar. See for yourself. https://testfol.io/?s=7wiOS8z9B2U I would recommend not shunning international, however. You can select a fund like VXUS and invest 20-50% of your equities in it, or you can invest everything in a fund that will track the global market cap of equities with a fund like VT.

kc0r8y

I went VOO/SCHD/VXUS - 60/20/20

Early_Apple_4142

How old are you? Bonds may be a waste if you’re relatively young and hamper your long term gains. VTI and VOO are so similar in their actual allocations that it doesn’t matter which you choose. It wouldn’t be bad to allocate some to VXUS as “past returns aren’t indicative of future performance” but the US almost always outpaces global and there are whole global markets that have been stagnant for 30 years (Japan) so I wouldn’t go too heavy into it.

Aevaris_

Sort of. But not in a diversified way. VOO is only +15% YTD whereas VXUS is +28% YTD. VXUS gets you exposure to parts of the world market that VOO does not.

ForeverInTheSun82647

VOO is a solid fund. No issue with that. But when the market has almost 4k stocks and VOO is just the top 500. You’re missing a large segment of the market. Especially since over time mid and small caps can make massive gains. I have VTI as my core fund and then have VXF and VXUS as anchors. If I could go back I’d have prob done VOO instead of the VTI. Still run the VXF and VXUS. I’m at a point where the VTI is 40 percent of my portfolio and to sell it for VOO and trigger massive capital gains taxes doesn’t make sense. But, if I was starting fresh today I would run VOO, VXF, an VXUS. With VOO being 40 percent of the portfolio and the other two 10 percent each. Leave the remaining 40 percent of capital for any tilt or satellite positions. I have a handful of satellite ETFS personally and when I buy them, I just throw in 2 percent of the portfolio. I love the vanguard ETFs so I have VFH, VHT. VFH cause everyone should have a small bit of just financials. And VHT because it’s a defensive ETF. Won’t make you rich over time but still does well in market pull backs. Healthcare will always grow as people do so it’s a wise add on.

EnragedMoose

By using VXUS you can decide how much is enough. You don't get that choice with VOO.

Aevaris_

General advice is yes, you should include some international exposure, i.e. something like VXUS. E.g. the US was one of the worst performing markets in the G20 this year, so exposure in VXUS did well for investors. A 70/30 split isn't uncommon. If you want a single stock, VT is the way.

MattieShoes

VTI is mainly comprised of VOO, and anything affecting VOO tends to trickle down to all the other stuff in VTI as well. It just doesn't matter much between those two. VXUS and bonds are more meaningful diversification. I'd expect lower returns but a bit lower volatility. There's no "right" here -- just different options which may be better for certain ages, financial situations, and risk appetites.

kalarama

VTI vs VOO - doesn't make much of a difference. Whatever makes your marriage happier. VXUS - yes, I think international diversification is a good idea, especially now. Bonds - meh.... I prefer gold over bonds right now, or at least splitting allocation between them.

eat_natural

Longterm historical data demonstrates that diversification outperforms S&P500 only (Fama French). Meanwhile, we are living in one of the most successful runs of the S&P500. Until the start of 2025, discussion on Reddit was all about “VOO and chill”. Over the last year, however, international equities has meaningful outperformed the S&P500 and this may very well represent a transition in equity dominance from U.S. to international. Time will tell. S&P500 up 17.2% YTD, Total International Equity up 34.2% YYD (AVDE), and International Small Cap Equity up 44% YTD (AVDV). This past year was a strong lesson to me regarding the importance of diversification. VOO is a fine fund and a very reasonable portfolio investment. I think there is strong argument to broaden to include VTI and/or VXUS. Good luck!

Glad-Lie8324

You can’t really go wrong with either of these, but here’s some things to consider: Pros of VOO: -marginally simpler to manage since you won’t have to rebalance  -the S&P 500 (which VOO tracks) has profitability and other inclusion criteria that make it have (arguably) higher quality companies than a total market index.  Arguments against VOO: the current market is heavily weighted towards US large cap tech, which have considerably outperformed in the last 20 years compared to large caps historically. Will this outperformance continue? That’s anyone’s guess.  Pros of VTI:  -diverse holdings that are likely to appreciate even if large cap tech fails to deliver over the next 10-20 years.  Arguments against: -there’s an argument that total market funds are over diversified. In other words, you waste a portion of your portfolio on the bottom of the barrel companies. It’s not a huge portion since this is market cap weighted, but still. You’d probably be better off with VOO and a small cap index like IJR (S&P small cap index with profitability requirements and exclusion criteria). You get the benefits of diversification and probably a smaller drop in expected returns.  Pros of Bonds:  -If you are planning on retiring in the next 10-15 years, maybe even 20, then bonds can be a great tool in your portfolio. They will lower your returns when compared to 100% stocks, but they will raise your risk adjusted returns when mixed in. So you will make a more consistent, but modest return on your money whereas stocks alone will give a bit of a roller coaster that climbs higher in the end.  Cons of bonds: -they lower your expected returns. If you are comfortable taking on more risk, 100% stocks is a better allocation if you’re young and plan to work for 30 more years (and assuming you have the risk tolerance to not panic sell during a downturn. Easier said than done, but very doable).  A couple financial principles: -Diversification typically lowers your expected returns, but typically RAISES your risk adjusted returns. Meaning, you’re likely to have lower returns but you’re you have a tighter spread of possible returns. I.e. if you invest in Google, you might expect an annualized return over 10 years of say 15%. But it’s entirely conceivable that a disruptor like ChatGPT takes a lot of their business and Google returns -30% over that time. A portfolio of 10 companies has significantly lower downside risk, but also less upside potential. Meaning your expected returns may only be 10%, but you’re much more likely to hit that 10% then Google is to hit their 20%. Hopefully that makes sense.  -the positive effects of diversification are realized with a relatively small basket of companies. Surprisingly, just 30 companies is usually sufficient to eliminate most idiosyncratic (company specific) risk. In my opinion, there’s not a huge benefit of diversifying beyond the S&P 500 unless you’re taking about international markets. VTI just has lower returns than VOO over many years and a pretty similar risk profile.  My recommendation: Set an auto buy for VOO with the max you can afford every paycheck. If diversification keep you up at night, do a 70/30 split between VOO/VXUS. Can even go up to 50/50 if you’re not bullish on US business for the next 30 years, but I’m bullish on the US. Ignore VTI, it’s basically the same as VOO but with more bloat you don’t need. 

made_in_bklyn_

I prefer VTI over VOO because you own more for the same exact expense ratio. I also have VXUS to hold international. People say it's the same but holding VTI + VXUS, and eventually adding bonds, is a full, complete and sensible portfolio. VOO is not bad, but it's 100% US and only s&p 500 so your pool (and exposure) is much, much smaller. I'm short, you are right.

Nocturnal_Smurf_2424

Pick one: 1. VOO/VXUS 2. VTI/VXUS 3. VT You don’t need bonds imo. You can use them to smooth out volatility if you’re worried about the ups and downs but they’ll hinder your long term performance if you’re 10+ years from retirement.

jeezumbub

Why not compromise then and do VOO and VXUS? Like others have said, VOO and VTI are *basically* the same and you get international exposure. It’s what I basically do in one of my retirement accounts. And I agree with your dad, you don’t need bonds.

GaylrdFocker

The difference between VTI and VOO is minimal, but doing only VOO is recency bias. I would not skip VXUS as there are periods where US has underperformed Intl, but your husband seems to be only looking at the last 10-15 years

PossibleIsopod131

Bonds bad gold better look at a 60/40 stock bond portfolio. It’s not a good look. My view is diversification is good if the instruments are not very correlated and both perform well. Just quick glancing at charts VXUS looks good and gives diversification into international stocks. VOO VXUS Gold I think would a be pretty solid long term portfolio. Cash in USFR or BOXX. NFA

jeezumbub

Well what’s your definition of “better”? VOO has performed better because it’s more heavily weighted by the big tech companies who buoy the market. VTI is more diversified, if you think that’s better. But it’s still heavily weighted towards the large cap companies, so the difference from VOO is negligible, at least in the eyes of a baby investor. I think it’s definitely worth it to have some VXUS given the uncertainty and possibility of a volatility is US markets. But again, is it “better” than VOO? Performance wise, no. And bonds, depends on your age, risk tolerance and goals.

amokacii

There is no right or wrong as one cannot know the future. VTI gives you exposure to the total US market. VOO only gives to top 500 US companies. VXUS gives exposure to the rest of the world. Those who look at the past decade will say invest in VOO. Those who invested in the “lost decade”, will suggest diversifying across the world. Bonds are different and have a dampening effect on your portfolio. Whatever you decide, important thing is to stick with your asset allocation target. On good and bad times. Rebalance every year. Do not chase performance. Simplicity will be your best friend. Check out r/Bogleheads.

KawaiiGeorgiaPeach

25yo student with no job. I have had a portfolio since 2023. I was given most of this by my father and don’t know where to start looking for advice. I bought VTI, VXUS, and BND after reading about 3 fund portfolios. What do I move around? Need to maximize growth so I can afford food while in school. Can’t afford much risk now. KO 2 shares SLV 1 share PFE 50 shares bought by grandfather in the 1960s SPYM 3 shares since I can’t buy fractional VOO VOO 38 shares BND 2 shares have not made money VXUS 2 shares VTI 3 shares

Wah_Day

I'm 32 and just started a new job, that offers a pension, and a 457b account, and looking for some advice on how to best approach all of this, and also kind of a sanity check. I currently don't plan to retire early, so planning on whatever the new age goal is. I have an old "Retirement Account" and an ESOP from my previous employer, which equals about $250k combined. I also have a Roth IRA with $25k in it. The "Retirement Account" has both pre-tax and after-tax funds, not effected by Roth contributions limits. My current plan is as follows: * Currently putting 5.5% pre-tax into Pension, company is also contributing 5.5% * Currently putting 5% after tax into 457b account, 100% into a 2065 TDF. Auto increase 1% every year. * Build up 1-year emergency fund, currently 3-months. * Max out Roth IRA, and diversify a bit more. Currently 70% VTI/30% VXUS, thinking of moving into 40% VTI, 32% VXUS, 20% BND, and 8% VNQ * Roll over ESOP account into a tax deferred account, IRA * Withdraw the full after-tax portion from the "Retirement Account" and roll that portion into the Roth IRA, the gains would roll over into the tax deferred account mentioned above. * Leave pre-tax alone, and let it grow. Diversified into Large, Mid, Small cap * Build a small vacation fund, $2,500 * Start building an investment account, no idea on what to invest in just yet. With all that said, does all this make sense and look like a good path to retirement? Are things I should reevaluate? Never though about having a pension so it is kind of making me rethink how to handle/approach retirement.

ConcentrateOk523

I check it everyday hoping for a big decline in stocks so I can get out of BND and BNDX and buy more VTI and VXUS.

PurposeOfLifee

This is my portfolio: VTI 45% VXUS 30% QQQM 25%

Ray_Getard_Phd

If it is anytime prior to April tax day in 2026, you can choose to contribute funds towards your Roth 2025 limit, or 2026 limit. For example, if you have $14,500 sitting around in March 2026, you can max out both your 2025 and 2026 Roth contribution then. You can just leave it as cash if you want and not invest into anything thing, but you might as well invest and not sit on the sidelines. Keep in mind you can't deduct losses from a Roth IRA so if the speculative bets don't work out in your favor you lose the working capital in the account and get no tax benefit for it. I'd suggest more VOO or VXUS in your case.

ATUGA

VXUS is green in pre market though, so they couldn’t even turn international red overall. Green Day!

CanYouPleaseChill

There are plenty of options beyond the S&P 500 with far less AI bubble risk and lower valuations. Don’t have to buy bonds. \- RSP: equal-weight S&P 500 \- AVUV and AVDV: small-cap value \- VXUS: international ex-US \- XMHQ: mid cap quality

Emotional-Power-7242

VTI and VOO are more or less the same thing, there's no reason to have both. If you want to do a 3 fund portfolio without bonds it's just VTI and VXUS.

VisibleBread2118

Yeah you're spot on about the overlap - OP has like 80% of the same companies across those three funds lol VTI/VXUS is solid, or just throw everything into VT if you want to set it and forget it. At 29 with high risk tolerance I'd skip bonds too, maybe add them later when you're not trying to accumulate as aggressively

Sagelllini

Look up value averaging and I recommend choosing 80% VTI and 20% VXUS. [Wrote ](https://www.reddit.com/r/Bogleheads/comments/1pdlssz/the_latest_morningstar_report_shows_how_to_invest/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) about why here. There is little value in subdividing your portfolio. There is little value in owning bonds. Just owning VTI and VXUS in some mix is likely to do better than 80% to 90% of all investors, and it takes zero skill at picking funds.

Aggressive-Donkey-10

If you find yourself in a hole, step one is stop digging. You don't have to keep digging/putting your paycheck into the sp500 at CAPE Shiller of 40.5, you could 1) put it into VXUS with a PE of about 15 and easily own 6000 foreign companies 2) into 100% safe cash - SGOV at 3.85% with no risk of any capital loss (Buffett has been doing this for 4 years now, with 382 Billion in T Bills just waiting for a crash - he is an ok investor) 3) a collection of BDCs/mREITs/CEFs earning around 10-11% 4) gold/silver ETFs which often outperform in recession or stagflation 5) real estate syndications - get 15-25% checkout passive pockets youtube channel, and biggerpockets website 6) Oil/Gas MLPs, like ET/EPD/MLPX 8-10% dividend yields alone about 100 other things that are easy to invest in and not the sp500 :)

LurkerFailsLurking

>But, what are we supposed to do? Are we really supposed to not keep pumping into the S&P, therefore, into tech? I bought VXUS instead. Over the last 30 years it's underperformed VOO but I'm expecting that to change, and it's been the case YTD.

Over-Computer-6464

>You really only need two indexes. VOO and VXUS. VTI and VXUS. VOO is missing midcap and small caps.

youngishgeezer

I would recommend a low cost ETF that holds all the companies in the world. In the US VT makes sense. In Canada there may be more tax advantaged fund or funds to effectively do the same thing. https://testfol.io/?s=jmxCYrLaYor This will show what investing in the world by way of VT or VTI & VXUS ETFS would earn if you started 29 years ago investing $1500 a month adjusted for inflation (meaning what you see is in today’s dollars and would require you to increase your monthly contributions to keep up with inflation). It’s US based for the inflation numbers but should give you a starting point to see what’s possible using real historical numbers. Play around with it and you can hopefully confirm you can retire nicely without huge investing all your living expenses.

dooknuckduster

VT, or two funds such as VTI/VXUS, ITOT/IXUS, make sense here [https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Lazy\_portfolios](https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Lazy_portfolios)

FearlessButterfly3

I would just stick with VTI and VXUS, as that covers both US and International exposure. QQQ or QQQM is overkill for a third fund, as you get tech exposure through VTI. Dont worry about bonds until you are in your 50's

NetZeroSun

As others have said, its no catch. If anything, its patience and consistency. You will hear about people making huge profit in crypto, or palantir, or nvidia and some really do. A vast majority do not. And many people panic when the market has a temporary downturn and panic sell everything (locking in their losses). As a starting point, take a look at the sub for boggleheads. Such as 70% broad market (VOO,SPY,VTI, etc.) and 30% VXUS (or equivalent for international exposure). You can tweak and adjust, but that gives you a starting foundation. The challenge is too keep adding to your investment over time (DCA), so that compound interest kicks into gear later on. Yes the market can crash, and sometimes even for a few years it can be done. But when you invest for 20-40 years, the challenge is not to panic and just keep investing and over time it will grow. You can backtest previous years and see how your investment strategy could look like at: https://testfol.io/ Again a lot of people hear about the chill stocks because many people know...but a LOT of people don't know, or get bored or overconfident (or desperate) and want to chase max profits. Thats when you see them on wallstreetbets posting.

Lauve

You'll do great with either of these as long as you DCA and aim to keep this portfolio long-term. If you compare historically, VOO & QQQ out performaced VTI significantly. Since you are young and have a long investment horizon I'd say ditch VTI and focus on QQQ+VOO (or choose one of them) and add VXUS for the international exposure (20%-40%).

qualifiedoasis

Or should I ditch QQQ completely and go with VOO VXUS

qualifiedoasis

Thanks! from what i gathered, you're suggesting a 2-fund approach? i like the VTI + VXUS option, but should I ditch QQQ completely? Also, should I do VTI or VOO?

Lauve

If you want the "perfect" portfolio do VTI and track the total global market performance. Since you are young and I imagine you are open to some risk you can prioritize the US Market and Tech: QQQ 40% VOO 40% & VXUS. 20%. Yes, QQQ & VOO overlap, but it's not a sin as long as you know you are actively priotiziing US Tech in this setup and believe in US Tech companies for the long run. If you want even more diversity and are open to other asset types you can add small-cap stocks (i.e Russel 2000), Gold ETF and some Bitcoin exposure (i.e IBIT). For example: QQQ 30% VOO 30% VXUS 20% Russel 10% Gold 5% Bitcoin 5% Either case look for a long-term investment horizon (15 years+) and DCA whatever portfolio you choose, don't time the market and don't panic sell. You should do well with either.

AdmirableLead6134

Addition: I only invest in VOO, VXUS, and WMT (because I work there and get a 15% match). Something like 80% VOO 20% VXUS is probably a good play, the rest of the world afaik is advancing economically faster than the US is, and from what I've read historically theres periods where the US outperforms international and vice versa so might as well diversify a bit. Low turnover diversified ETFs or in the case of 401ks mutual funds is the way to go. Max out every match you can get. I recently switched to Robinhood from Sofi because their IRA match is 3% vs Sofi's 1% match, and their subscription is $50 a year vs Sofi's new price of $120 a year. Also a 3% cash back credit card.

Aviers247

With a 10% return you would need to invest $1250 a month or $625 a check if you got paid bi-weekly for the next 20 years. It sounds like a lot but if you use a 401k and it’s pre-tax then you won’t see a $625 cut in your paycheck. You will need to stick with growth mutual funds and so FXAIX for s&p500 exposure to 507 top companies and VXUS for international. You could add a mid or small cap fund also. I would do 80% into fXAIX and 20% into VXUS. If you are 40 then you could retire at 60 by being disciplined to this or if you’re 45 then you can retire at 65. 1 million pays between 40k to 60k depending on the dividend funds chosen at retirement. You will be able to draw this every year without draining your 1 million. On top of that you will have social security. This salary might sound nice in today’s money but in 20 years it will not be the same. You will need 1 million to retire.

gravyluvr

Use momentum when it comes to investing. Keep trying to increase your salary and don't let lifestyle creep increase your living expenses. Start with what you can and learn to live on 2-3% less of your salary every year until you get to a comfortable place. Early increases in savings translate to more compounding in the future. Try to find ways to make your money make money. Low expense ETFs and/or Mutual Funds are the best bets. Using Vanguard ETFs You can do a 50/30/15/5 mix of VTI/VXUS/BND/BNDX ETFs which gives you all the publicly traded stocks and bonds in the world with a 65/35 US/Intl and an 80/20 Stocks/Bonds ratio. Rebalance every year on your birthday. You can also find similar holdings at Fidelity and Schwab.

kl1720

Do this: open an account in Fidelity as it allows fractional share, and has other good features. I am not associated with them but I have tested etrade, Vanguard, schwab, ameritrade and others. Thus, recommending Fidelity. Then, start an auto investing by linking your bank account. Put $10 every week, $5 into VTI and $5 into VXUS. If you want, you can put more. Start small and make sure you reinvest your dividend. Once you see, its slowly climbing up, you will feel good, and feel confident to start investing more. And, along the way, start learning about investing.

Sugamaballz69

Even better, just one: VT Basically 60/40 VOO/VXUS at the moment

Emotional-Power-7242

You really only need two indexes. VOO and VXUS.

kcrawler

VT.. may even go a little wild and get VTI + VXUS

tombacca1

I only have access to RERHX at 0.62 expense ratio and MDITX with a 0.85 expense ratio in my Fidelity 401k. I bought one share of VXUS in my brokerage account for fun.

Poundcake2RedVelvet

playa do urself a favor and hold 50% VXUS. that way when the dollar collapses u have unhedged currency bets to escape to Europe with

LemonTeaCool

What's going on with VXUS after hour?

xcexoztykl

First of all huge props to you. I’m not too much older than you, at 24 . But I only started investing at like 21-22. I only have a net worth of abt 50k with almost 40k of that invested. Imagine if I started at your age! But most people don’t even start in their 20s, so you and I are both ahead of the curve. So you’re doing great with 66k at 18, and huge respect that you’re even thinking about this , let alone the amount you have. As for the investing advice, S&P 500 (VOO), or total stock market (VTI + VXUS or VT) are all good choices. Growth funds are also optional, but keep in mind the top companies in the us are mostly tech anyway.

sithie_12

I'd keep 10-15k liquid for emergencies/opportunities, then yeah, boring ETFs are your friend. Maybe 70% VTI (total market), 20% international (VXUS), 10% bonds (BND) if you want to be extra safe. Set it and forget it. The temptation to YOLO into meme stocks will be real, but that money compound growth over the next 10+ years will make you stupid rich if you just stay boring.

totally_possible

I reallocated to a more heavy VXUS package around the first tariff catastrophe. I don't see why this won't continue for another 3 years.

Marshall_Hoodie

Some tickets I’d be considering some allocations into that aren’t the S&P, Nasdaq, or VXUS are SOXX, VGT, AVDV, and AVUV. Allocations, not the entire amount.

NavalBAP

Schd 50%, JEPI 30%, VXUS the rest

yad76

Well, except you are making assumptions on the current breakdown of US versus international, plus neglecting that VT has a slightly higher expense ratio, plus neglecting that VT holds far fewer stocks than VTI+VXUS but this is Reddit so whatever. Downvote the quality answers and upvote the crap!