Skip to content

Investment & ETF Guides

Plain-English explanations of VOO, ETFs, and long-term investing concepts — written to help you understand the numbers before you run them, and to point you to the right calculator when you're ready.

Featured Articles

VOOFeatured

How Long Does It Take to Become a Millionaire With VOO?

How long $250 to $2,000 a month in VOO takes to reach $1 million, how much a month you'd need to get there by a deadline, and how many VOO shares $1M buys.

7 min read
DividendsFeatured

How Is VOO Taxed? Qualified Dividends, Capital Gains and 2026 Rates

About 97% of VOO's 2025 dividends were qualified, and it paid no capital gains distribution. Here's how VOO is taxed in a US taxable account, with 2026 rates.

7 min read
DividendsFeatured

How Much VOO Do You Need to Live Off the Dividends?

At VOO's current yield, $1,000 a month in dividends takes over $1.1 million invested. The math for other income targets, and why few rely on dividends alone.

6 min read
VOOFeatured

Do Big Money Inflows Into VOO Mean Anything for Your Investment?

VOO regularly sees billions of dollars in weekly inflows. Here's what that actually means, how ETF shares get created, and whether it should change your plan.

6 min read
InvestingFeatured

Should You Wait to Invest in VOO? What Price Targets Tell You

Analysts' S&P 500 price targets often disagree widely. Here's what that means if you're waiting to invest in VOO, and what waiting has actually cost.

6 min read
DividendsFeatured

Is VOO a Good Dividend Stock? What Its Low Yield Actually Means

VOO's dividend yield is low compared to income-focused funds. Here's why, whether that's actually a problem, and who VOO's yield does and doesn't suit.

6 min read
VOOFeatured

Does Oil or Tech News Actually Move VOO? How Sector Weighting Works

Oil prices and tech stocks don't move VOO equally. Here's how much each sector actually weighs in the fund, why it matters, and the math behind it.

6 min read
InvestingFeatured

The VOO Investing Experiment: Testing 3 Common Assumptions

Does starting a few years earlier really matter? Is a lump sum better than investing monthly? We ran the math on three common VOO investing questions.

6 min read
VOOFeatured

VOO in a Roth IRA vs. Traditional IRA vs. Taxable Account

Where you hold VOO changes how it's taxed and when you can access it — Roth IRA, traditional IRA/401(k), or taxable account.

8 min read
VOOFeatured

VOO vs FXAIX: ETF vs Fidelity's S&P 500 Index Fund

VOO and FXAIX both track the S&P 500 at rock-bottom cost. Here's what genuinely differs — structure, minimums, trading — and how to think about picking one.

7 min read
VOOFeatured

Nvidia in VOO: How Much of Your Investment Is Actually Nvidia Stock?

Nvidia's live stock price, its outsized weight in the S&P 500, and why VOO's return now leans on one company more than usual.

7 min read
ETFsFeatured

Best Long-Term ETFs to Buy and Hold: 7 Core Funds Compared

Seven widely held ETFs for buy-and-hold investors — VOO, VTI, VXUS, VT, QQQ, SCHD and BND — and what role each plays in a portfolio.

8 min read
VOOFeatured

VOO Historical Returns by Year: Annual Performance & Average Return

VOO's year-by-year total returns, animated, with live 3-, 5- and 10-year annualized returns and the best and worst years.

6 min read
S&P 500Featured

VOO Year-End Outlook: Can the S&P 500 ETF Sustain Its Gains?

VOO's real year-to-date performance, updated live, plus what actually drives whether S&P 500 gains hold up into year-end, explained in plain English.

7 min read
DividendsFeatured

Does VOO Pay Dividends? History, Yield & Payment Dates

Yes, VOO pays dividends quarterly. See its live dividend history, trailing yield, ex-dividend dates, payout growth, DRIP and how dividends are taxed.

7 min read
S&P 500Featured

S&P 500 & VOO Growth: Latest Performance

How to check the S&P 500's and VOO's latest price, growth, and year-to-date performance in real time, plus how to think about long-run average returns.

6 min read
VOOFeatured

VOO Calculator & S&P 500 Calculator Guide

Which free calculator to use for VOO, compound interest, ROI, DCA, retirement, dividends or FIRE, and why the VOO calculator works for any S&P 500 fund.

7 min read
VOOFeatured

VOO ETF: Price, Dividend, Fees & Holdings

A complete guide to the VOO ETF: current price, dividend yield and payment schedule, expense ratio, top holdings, minimum investment, and how to buy it.

7 min read
VOOFeatured

How Much Could $500 a Month in VOO Become?

There's no single answer — it depends on your time horizon and return assumption. Here's how to think about it, with worked examples you can check yourself.

4 min read
ETFsFeatured

The Best Vanguard ETFs for Long-Term Investors

Vanguard runs one of the largest ETF lineups in the world. Here's how to think about "best," a quick tour of the main categories, and how to choose.

5 min read

Latest Articles

VOO

How Long Does It Take to Become a Millionaire With VOO?

How long $250 to $2,000 a month in VOO takes to reach $1 million, how much a month you'd need to get there by a deadline, and how many VOO shares $1M buys.

7 min read
Dividends

How Is VOO Taxed? Qualified Dividends, Capital Gains and 2026 Rates

About 97% of VOO's 2025 dividends were qualified, and it paid no capital gains distribution. Here's how VOO is taxed in a US taxable account, with 2026 rates.

7 min read
Dividends

How Much VOO Do You Need to Live Off the Dividends?

At VOO's current yield, $1,000 a month in dividends takes over $1.1 million invested. The math for other income targets, and why few rely on dividends alone.

6 min read
VOO

Do Big Money Inflows Into VOO Mean Anything for Your Investment?

VOO regularly sees billions of dollars in weekly inflows. Here's what that actually means, how ETF shares get created, and whether it should change your plan.

6 min read
Dividends

Investing in VOO From Outside the US: Withholding Tax and Treaty Rates

Not a US resident? How US dividend withholding works on VOO, the treaty rates for Canada, Australia and South Africa, and what to check before investing.

7 min read
Investing

Should You Wait to Invest in VOO? What Price Targets Tell You

Analysts' S&P 500 price targets often disagree widely. Here's what that means if you're waiting to invest in VOO, and what waiting has actually cost.

6 min read
Dividends

Is VOO a Good Dividend Stock? What Its Low Yield Actually Means

VOO's dividend yield is low compared to income-focused funds. Here's why, whether that's actually a problem, and who VOO's yield does and doesn't suit.

6 min read
VOO

Does Oil or Tech News Actually Move VOO? How Sector Weighting Works

Oil prices and tech stocks don't move VOO equally. Here's how much each sector actually weighs in the fund, why it matters, and the math behind it.

6 min read
Investing

The VOO Investing Experiment: Testing 3 Common Assumptions

Does starting a few years earlier really matter? Is a lump sum better than investing monthly? We ran the math on three common VOO investing questions.

6 min read
VOO

VOO in a Roth IRA vs. Traditional IRA vs. Taxable Account

Where you hold VOO changes how it's taxed and when you can access it — Roth IRA, traditional IRA/401(k), or taxable account.

8 min read
VOO

VOO vs FXAIX: ETF vs Fidelity's S&P 500 Index Fund

VOO and FXAIX both track the S&P 500 at rock-bottom cost. Here's what genuinely differs — structure, minimums, trading — and how to think about picking one.

7 min read
VOO

Nvidia in VOO: How Much of Your Investment Is Actually Nvidia Stock?

Nvidia's live stock price, its outsized weight in the S&P 500, and why VOO's return now leans on one company more than usual.

7 min read
VOO

How to Buy VOO: Minimum Investment & Fractional Shares Explained

What it actually takes to buy VOO — whether there's a minimum investment, how fractional shares work, and the steps to place your first order.

6 min read
ETFs

Best Long-Term ETFs to Buy and Hold: 7 Core Funds Compared

Seven widely held ETFs for buy-and-hold investors — VOO, VTI, VXUS, VT, QQQ, SCHD and BND — and what role each plays in a portfolio.

8 min read
VOO

VOO Historical Returns by Year: Annual Performance & Average Return

VOO's year-by-year total returns, animated, with live 3-, 5- and 10-year annualized returns and the best and worst years.

6 min read
S&P 500

VOO Year-End Outlook: Can the S&P 500 ETF Sustain Its Gains?

VOO's real year-to-date performance, updated live, plus what actually drives whether S&P 500 gains hold up into year-end, explained in plain English.

7 min read
Investing

VOO and QQQ Overlap: How Much Are You Really Diversifying?

VOO and QQQ share many of the same mega-cap holdings. Here's why the overlap exists and how to think about owning both funds in one portfolio.

6 min read
Dividends

Does VOO Pay Dividends? History, Yield & Payment Dates

Yes, VOO pays dividends quarterly. See its live dividend history, trailing yield, ex-dividend dates, payout growth, DRIP and how dividends are taxed.

7 min read
S&P 500

S&P 500 & VOO Growth: Latest Performance

How to check the S&P 500's and VOO's latest price, growth, and year-to-date performance in real time, plus how to think about long-run average returns.

6 min read
VOO

VOO Calculator & S&P 500 Calculator Guide

Which free calculator to use for VOO, compound interest, ROI, DCA, retirement, dividends or FIRE, and why the VOO calculator works for any S&P 500 fund.

7 min read
ETFs

What Is an ETF? A Beginner's Guide

A plain-English explanation of what an ETF is, how it works, how it differs from a mutual fund or a single stock, and the main types you'll come across.

6 min read
VOO

VOO ETF: Price, Dividend, Fees & Holdings

A complete guide to the VOO ETF: current price, dividend yield and payment schedule, expense ratio, top holdings, minimum investment, and how to buy it.

7 min read
VOO

How Much Could $500 a Month in VOO Become?

There's no single answer — it depends on your time horizon and return assumption. Here's how to think about it, with worked examples you can check yourself.

4 min read
Investing

How Does Compound Interest Work?

A plain-English explanation of compound growth, with a small worked example you can check by hand, and why it matters more the longer money stays invested.

4 min read
Investing

What Is Dollar-Cost Averaging?

Dollar-cost averaging means investing a fixed amount on a fixed schedule, regardless of price. How it works, illustrated, and how it compares to a lump sum.

4 min read
ETFs

The Best Vanguard ETFs for Long-Term Investors

Vanguard runs one of the largest ETF lineups in the world. Here's how to think about "best," a quick tour of the main categories, and how to choose.

5 min read

VOO Guides

View all

Guides on investing in VOO, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF.

VOO

How Long Does It Take to Become a Millionaire With VOO?

How long $250 to $2,000 a month in VOO takes to reach $1 million, how much a month you'd need to get there by a deadline, and how many VOO shares $1M buys.

7 min read
VOO

Do Big Money Inflows Into VOO Mean Anything for Your Investment?

VOO regularly sees billions of dollars in weekly inflows. Here's what that actually means, how ETF shares get created, and whether it should change your plan.

6 min read
VOO

Does Oil or Tech News Actually Move VOO? How Sector Weighting Works

Oil prices and tech stocks don't move VOO equally. Here's how much each sector actually weighs in the fund, why it matters, and the math behind it.

6 min read
VOO

VOO in a Roth IRA vs. Traditional IRA vs. Taxable Account

Where you hold VOO changes how it's taxed and when you can access it — Roth IRA, traditional IRA/401(k), or taxable account.

8 min read
VOO

VOO vs FXAIX: ETF vs Fidelity's S&P 500 Index Fund

VOO and FXAIX both track the S&P 500 at rock-bottom cost. Here's what genuinely differs — structure, minimums, trading — and how to think about picking one.

7 min read
VOO

Nvidia in VOO: How Much of Your Investment Is Actually Nvidia Stock?

Nvidia's live stock price, its outsized weight in the S&P 500, and why VOO's return now leans on one company more than usual.

7 min read
VOO

How to Buy VOO: Minimum Investment & Fractional Shares Explained

What it actually takes to buy VOO — whether there's a minimum investment, how fractional shares work, and the steps to place your first order.

6 min read
VOO

VOO Historical Returns by Year: Annual Performance & Average Return

VOO's year-by-year total returns, animated, with live 3-, 5- and 10-year annualized returns and the best and worst years.

6 min read
VOO

VOO Calculator & S&P 500 Calculator Guide

Which free calculator to use for VOO, compound interest, ROI, DCA, retirement, dividends or FIRE, and why the VOO calculator works for any S&P 500 fund.

7 min read
VOO

VOO ETF: Price, Dividend, Fees & Holdings

A complete guide to the VOO ETF: current price, dividend yield and payment schedule, expense ratio, top holdings, minimum investment, and how to buy it.

7 min read
VOO

How Much Could $500 a Month in VOO Become?

There's no single answer — it depends on your time horizon and return assumption. Here's how to think about it, with worked examples you can check yourself.

4 min read

ETFs Guides

View all

How exchange-traded funds work and how to evaluate them.

S&P 500 Guides

View all

Understanding the S&P 500 index and the funds that track it.

Investing Guides

View all

Core investing concepts, from compounding to dollar-cost averaging.

Dividends Guides

View all

How dividends work and how dividend investing fits into a portfolio.