A simple buy-and-hold strategy is all you really need to make a lot of money in the stock market.
If you want to grow your portfolio’s balance to more than $1 million, a good way to balance risk and growth is by investing in an exchange-traded fund (ETF). An ETF can, through diversification, minimize your overall risk and at the same time, rise in value as it benefits from market and industry-specific trends. It’s a win-win for investors and can be an easy way to invest, especially if you aren’t comfortable with picking individual stocks.
And if you can afford to invest $34,000 today, I’ll show you how that could potentially turn into more than $1 million over a 30-year period. One fund that can help you achieve that is the Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF (VUG 0.12%).
Why the Vanguard Growth Index ETF makes for a solid investment option
Investing in growth stocks can be a surefire way to ensure your portfolio’s balance rises over time. But picking the best growth stocks can be a challenge, especially over the long term and as new trends emerge in the market. ETFs adjust and rebalance over time to reflect those changes, ensuring that they are always lining up with their stated goals.
The Vanguard Growth Index ETF aims to invest in large-cap growth stocks, which can provide investors with excellent returns. It contains 183 stocks in its portfolio and includes top companies from a wide range of industries. Apple, Eli Lilly, and Visa are all within its top 10 holdings. There is, however, some heavy exposure to tech at the top as Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia account for more than one-third of the ETF’s overall weight. But that isn’t unusual for many growth or tech-focused funds; the biggest tech stocks will often be among the largest holdings.
Historically, the fund has generated strong returns for investors. In the past 20 years, the ETF has generated total returns (which include dividends) of around 915%. That averages out to a compounded annual growth rate of approximately 12.3%.
VUG Total Return Level data by YCharts
How the ETF can produce a $1 million portfolio
Long-term returns are never a guarantee, but with the Vanguard fund focused on growth, there’s a strong possibility that it can continue to generate strong market-beating returns over the long run. Historically, the S&P 500 index has generated returns of around 10% per year.
Assuming that the fund can continue to outperform and generate an annual return of 12% per year, here’s how a $34,000 investment could grow over the long term.
| Year | Investment Value |
|---|---|
| 10 | $105,599 |
| 15 | $186,101 |
| 20 | $327,974 |
| 25 | $578,002 |
| 30 | $1,018,637 |
Calculations by author.
It can take some time for the investment to pick up steam, which is why you’re always going to be better off keeping the balance invested, letting the effects of compounding to help it grow. The larger that balance becomes, the greater the gains on a 12% return become, which is why in later years the gains become much more significant than in the early stages.
Ultimately, your returns will likely vary. But if you’re fortunate and get a reasonably similar average return in the future, this Vanguard ETF could possibly help you build up a portfolio worth more than $1 million.
The Vanguard Growth Fund makes for a solid buy-and-forget investment
If you can afford to do so, investing in this Vanguard fund and then forgetting about it can be an excellent way to set yourself up for a strong retirement.
Often the biggest obstacle in investing is the temptation to pursue investments which may be hot at the moment and which seem to have greater potential in the short term. But things don’t always pan out that way, and a more stable and safer way to invest is by putting money into a diverse fund and letting it sit. And that’s why forgetting about your investment can be good idea and help you ensure that you leave it alone.
As long as you don’t need the money, keeping your money invested in this ETF for decades can be a great way to set yourself up for some potentially life-changing returns in the future.
David Jagielski has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Vanguard Index Funds-Vanguard Growth ETF, and Visa. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
