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    Index Fund Coach

    Beat 90% of professional investors. By doing nothing.

    The Bogle revelation

    John Bogle (Vanguard founder) proved that buying ALL stocks in the market — and holding them forever — beats almost every active fund manager. Why? Because most managers can\'t beat the market AFTER fees.

    A $10,000 investment in the S&P 500 in 1994 would be worth ~$200,000 today. Almost no one beat that.

    Top index funds (2025)

    Vanguard VTSAX / VTI

    Type: Total US Stock Market • Fee: 0.04%

    Owns ~4,000 US companies in one fund.

    Vanguard VTIAX / VXUS

    Type: Total International Stock • Fee: 0.07%

    Owns ~8,000 non-US stocks.

    Vanguard VBTLX / BND

    Type: Total US Bond Market • Fee: 0.05%

    Owns thousands of investment-grade bonds.

    Vanguard VTWAX / VT

    Type: Total World Stock • Fee: 0.10%

    "Set it and forget it" — entire world stock market in one fund.

    Vanguard Target Retirement 2030 (or 2025/2035)

    Type: Auto-balanced for retirement year • Fee: 0.08%

    Adjusts as you age. The simplest possible portfolio.

    Fidelity ZERO Total Market Index (FZROX)

    Type: Same as VTSAX, but ZERO expense ratio • Fee: 0.00%

    Free at Fidelity.

    Three-fund portfolio (Boglehead classic)

    Most retirement portfolios can be built with 3 funds:

    • 60% US Total Stock (VTSAX/VTI).
    • 20% International Stock (VTIAX/VXUS).
    • 20% Bonds (VBTLX/BND).

    Adjust ratios for your age:

    • Younger / aggressive — more stocks, less bonds (80/20).
    • Closer to retirement / conservative — more bonds (60/40 or 50/50).

    Even simpler — target-date fund

    Pick a fund that matches your retirement year (Vanguard 2030, 2035, etc.). It auto-balances stocks and bonds for you. ONE fund covers everything.

    Examples: VFFVX (Vanguard 2025), FXIFX (Fidelity 2025), SWYJX (Schwab 2025).

    Avoid these

    • Funds with expense ratios over 0.5%.
    • Front-loaded mutual funds (5% sales charge upfront).
    • "Hot" sector funds (tech, AI, gold).
    • Hedge funds.
    • Variable annuities sold by insurance brokers.
    • Individual stock picking with retirement money.

    Where to learn more

    Bogleheads.org — friendly forum with thousands of retirees discussing this. "The Little Book of Common Sense Investing" by John Bogle — 200 pages, life-changing. Reddit r/Bogleheads for community Q&A.