S&p 500 long term investment?
The index itself has a long history of earning positive returns over time and recovering from downturns. While there are never any guarantees when it comes to investing, opting for an S&P 500 index fund or ETF is about as close to guaranteed long-term returns as you can get.
The index itself has a long history of earning positive returns over time and recovering from downturns. While there are never any guarantees when it comes to investing, opting for an S&P 500 index fund or ETF is about as close to guaranteed long-term returns as you can get.
The historical average yearly return of the S&P 500 is 9.69% over the last 20 years, as of the end of December 2023. This assumes dividends are reinvested. Adjusted for inflation, the 20-year average stock market return (including dividends) is 6.91%.
Assuming an average annual return rate of about 10% (a typical historical average), a $10,000 investment in the S&P 500 could potentially grow to approximately $25,937 over 10 years.
Returns in the S&P 500 over the coming decade are more likely to be in the 3%-6% range, as multiples and margins are unlikely to expand, leaving sales growth, buybacks, and dividends as the main drivers of appreciation.
In 1980, had you invested a mere $1,000 in what went on to become the top-performing stock of S&P 500 (^GSPC 0.08%), then you would be sitting on a cool $1.2 million today. That equates to a total return of 120,936%.
We saw in the previous section that investing in the S&P 500 has historically allowed investors to double their money about every six or seven years.
How the Rule of 72 Works. For example, the Rule of 72 states that $1 invested at an annual fixed interest rate of 10% would take 7.2 years ((72/10) = 7.2) to grow to $2. In reality, a 10% investment will take 7.3 years to double (1.107.3 = 2).
The S&P 500 returned 163% over the last decade, compounding at 10.2% annually. Investors can get direct exposure to the index with the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO).
The S&P 500 index tracks some of the largest stocks in the United States, many of which pay out a regular dividend. The index's dividend yield is the total dividends earned in a year divided by the index's price. Historical dividend yields for the S&P 500 have typically ranged from between 3% to 5%.
How much do you need to invest in S&P 500 to become a millionaire?
You can become a millionaire by investing $500 per month consistently for almost 30 years. This is a low-effort strategy, but you can achieve this goal even faster through the right combination of individual stocks. Should you invest $1,000 in Vanguard S&P 500 ETF right now?
| Discount Rate | Present Value | Future Value |
|---|---|---|
| 4% | $1,000 | $2,191.12 |
| 5% | $1,000 | $2,653.30 |
| 6% | $1,000 | $3,207.14 |
| 7% | $1,000 | $3,869.68 |
All that matters is how patient you are and which S&P 500 stocks you buy. Even if you only have $1 and never invest another penny, you can be a millionaire in 30 years. It's just that you'd need to hit a home run S&P 500 stock — which returns at least 58.5% — each year.
Consider if an investor put their money in the S&P 500. Historically, it has averaged 11.5% returns between 1928 and 2022. In 6.4 years, their money would double, assuming these average returns.
| Investment Return | Future Value of 150,000 in 30 Years |
|---|---|
| 4.5% | 561,798 |
| 4.75% | 603,549 |
| 5% | 648,291 |
| 5.25% | 696,233 |
If you invest $10,000 and make an 8% annual return, you'll have $100,627 after 30 years. By also investing $500 per month over that timeframe, your ending balance would be $780,326.
The average yearly return of the S&P 500 over the last 30 years is 10.7%, but even at a conservative return of 8%, you would have over $146,000 if you invest $100 a month for 30 years.
It's simple to calculate how much money you'd have today if you did just that 20 years ago with $10,000. The total would be more than $65,000, which implies a return of 555%. This includes all dividends, by the way.
If you had invested $1,000 into the S&P 500 about a year ago, your investment would be worth about $942 as of April 20, according to CNBC's calculations. Had you invested $1,000 into the S&P 500 about five years ago, your investment would have grown to about $1,689 as of April 20, according to CNBC's calculations.
- Invest in stocks. Over the long term, the stock market has historically averaged a return of about 7% per year. ...
- Invest in real estate. Real estate can also be a good way to grow your money. ...
- Invest in a business. ...
- Invest in high-yield savings accounts.
How can I double my money in 7 years?
For example, if your investment earns 6% per year on average, you would take 72 divided by 6 to determine that it will take 12 years for your money to double. Based on the above, you would need to earn just over 10% per year to double your money in a little over seven years.
It has a perfect long-term track record. The S&P 500 itself has a decades-long history of recovering from every recession, market crash, or bear market it has ever faced. In fact, research shows that no matter when you invest, you're likely to make money with an S&P 500 ETF -- as long as you keep a long-term outlook.
However, if the stock falls 7% or more below the entry, it triggers the 7% sell rule. It is time to exit the position before it does further damage. That way, investors can still be in the game for future opportunities by preserving capital. The deeper a stock falls, the harder it is to get back to break-even.
The Rule of 69 states that when a quantity grows at a constant annual rate, it will roughly double in size after approximately 69 divided by the growth rate. The Rule of 69 is derived from the mathematical constant e, which is the base of the natural logarithm.
A good return on investment is generally considered to be about 7% per year, based on the average historic return of the S&P 500 index, and adjusting for inflation. But of course what one investor considers a good return might not be ideal for someone else.
