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Many investors subscribe to the idea of index investing, but figuring out which index fund they should own can leave them somewhat paralyzed.
Two common recommendations are the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI +0.00%) and the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO +0.00%). Both Vanguard funds earn high marks from index investors thanks to their low expense ratios and strong track record of matching their respective indexes. Either could provide a great foundation for a portfolio.
Where they differ is in which index they track. The Total Stock Market fund tracks the CRSP US Total Market Index, which captures practically every investable U.S. stock in the market. The S&P 500 ETF tracks the S&P 500, which is a collection of about 500 of the largest U.S. companies that have been consistently profitable for at least a year.
Deciding between the two can be a challenge. So, here's what you need to know.
Both funds are weighted by market capitalization. That means the biggest U.S. companies like Microsoft and Apple make up a significant share of both portfolios. Meanwhile, smaller companies, like numbers 491 through 500 in the S&P 500 make up a much smaller share. As a result, there's a lot of overlap between the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF and the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF.
The top 10 holdings in each fund are the same. Here they are and their respective weightings.
Stock | VOO Weight | VTI Weight |
---|---|---|
Microsoft | 7.08% | 6.12% |
Apple | 5.63% | 4.93% |
Nvidia | 5.05% | 4.2% |
Amazon | 3.73% | 3.3% |
Meta Platforms | 2.42% | 2.09% |
Alphabet (Class A) | 2.01% | 1.74% |
Berkshire Hathaway (Class B) | 1.73% | 1.46% |
Alphabet (Class C) | 1.7% | 1.44% |
Eli Lilly | 1.4% | 1.3% |
Broadcom | 1.32% | 1.22% |
Data source: Vanguard. Data as of 3/31/2024.
Overall, 86% of the Total Stock Market ETF overlaps with the holdings in the S&P 500 ETF. As a result, the returns you can expect are very similar and highly correlated.
That leaves 14% of the Total Stock Market ETF invested in stocks outside of the S&P 500. These are mid- and small-cap stocks, or large companies that have yet to meet the profitability criteria for inclusion in the S&P 500 index. That amount of diversification is not insignificant, but it's not going to push the Total Stock Market ETF returns too far from the returns of the S&P 500 ETF.
There are some other important factors to consider, though. Let's take a look at them in the context of the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF and the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF.
You can't go wrong with either the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF or the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. Both offer very low expense ratios and turnover rates, and the difference in their tracking errors is negligible. The overlap in their holdings ensures that you'll get very similar returns going forward. The added exposure to mid- and small-cap companies through the Total Stock Market ETF does tilt its expected returns higher although that may take a very long time to play out.
If you want some added exposure to mid- and small-cap stocks, but not as much as the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF provides, you could simply buy both. Splitting your money between the two evenly will put most of your investments in large-cap stocks, but around 7% in mid- and small-cap stocks outside the S&P 500. Although you can split your funds however you want. You may need to rebalance sometimes, but since the returns of each fund are so similar, you'll never stray too far from your target allocation.
At the end of the day, either or both funds can make a great cornerstone to your portfolio.