For the S&P 500, Professor G suggests VU, SPY, IVV, or SPLG as ETFs and FXAIX at Fidelity, SWPPX at Schwab, or VFAX at Vanguard as mutual funds. For the total US stock market index, he recommends VTI (Vanguard ETF) and VTSAX at Vanguard, FSKAX at Fidelity, or SWTSX at Charles Schwab as mutual funds.
The video shows that there is an 87% overlap between VU (S&P 500) and VTI (total US stock market) in terms of the companies held. A more detailed analysis reveals that 99.6% of VU's holdings are also in VTI.
Professor G suggests QQQM, VUG, SCHG, and VGT as examples of higher-risk, higher-reward growth ETFs. For safer ETFs with high upside and dividend potential, he mentions SCHD and VYM. He also briefly mentions JEPI and JEPQ as dividend-focused options, but notes these are best held in tax-advantaged accounts.
This video addresses the optimal number of ETFs for an investment portfolio. Professor G explores different ETF types (broad market, sector-specific, bonds, international), emphasizing the importance of avoiding redundancy and maximizing returns. He introduces a free online tool, ETF Research Center, to analyze fund overlap and suggests a streamlined portfolio approach.