A Sensible Fellow’s Guide to Growth

Now, a body might find himself ponderin’ the mysteries of the market, lookin’ for a place to put a few hard-earned dollars. Don’t have a king’s ransom, you say? Well, that’s no reason to sit idle. Consider, if you will, the Vanguard S&P 500 Growth Index Fund ETF – a mouthful, I grant you, but we’ll stick with VOOG for brevity. Seems a sensible enough proposition, wouldn’t you agree?

Most folks haven’t the time nor the inclination to pore over balance sheets and chase after the latest Wall Street whispers. They’d rather be tendin’ to their gardens, or fishin’ down by the creek. And that’s as it should be. But a man still wants his savings to grow, doesn’t he? That’s where these “index funds” come in handy. An index fund, see, is like a basket. It holds a piece of nearly every company listed on a particular index – in this case, the S&P 500. It aims to mirror the index’s performance, less a wee little fee for the trouble. A clever contraption, if you ask me.

Now, this particular fund, the VOOG, doesn’t just grab any old company from the S&P 500. No sir. It’s a bit more discerning. It picks out the companies that are growin’ the fastest – the ones with a bit of pep in their step. It’s like siftin’ for gold, but the sifter does the work for you.

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Now, it’s a fact that this fund holds a good many shares of just a few companies. A considerable portion, in fact. Nvidia, that chipmaker everyone’s talkin’ about, takes up a sizable chunk. Some might call that risky, puttin’ so many eggs in one basket. But others, seein’ Nvidia’s potential, might reckon it’s a shrewd move. It’s a gamble, like most things in this world, but a calculated one, perhaps.

Let’s have a look at how this fund has fared over the years, compared to a plain vanilla S&P 500 fund:

ETF 5-Year Avg. Annual Return 10-Year Avg. Annual Return 15-Year Avg. Annual Return
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO +0.47%) 13.80% 15.58% 13.75%
Vanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF (VOOG +1.10%) 13.45% 17.36% 15.39%

Here’s a peek at what this fund is holdin’ these days:

Stock Weight in ETF
Nvidia 14.47%
Microsoft 11.48%
Apple 6.41%
Alphabet Class A 5.82%
Broadcom 5.22%
Alphabet Class C 4.66%
Meta Platforms 4.59%
Amazon 3.80%
Berkshire Hathaway Class B 2.94%
Eli Lilly 2.73%

If those names strike a chord with you – if you believe in the power of innovation and a bit of good ol’ American ingenuity – then this fund might be worth a look. Keep in mind, though, that even the most promising stocks can stumble. They’ll likely fall harder during a downturn, but they usually bounce back, given time and a bit of luck.

Now, if you’re a cautious sort, you might consider some dividend-focused funds. They offer a bit more stability, though they might not grow quite as fast. It all depends on your temperament and your tolerance for risk. A man should invest according to his own nature, not follow the herd like a sheep.

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2026-02-10 02:43