Index Fund Investing: A 7-Step Starter Plan for New Investors
In 2026, the average actively managed U.S. stock fund returned roughly 12% before fees. The Vanguard 500 Index Fund (VFIAX) returned over 14% with an expense ratio of 0.04%. Over 20 years, that gap compounds into tens of thousands of dollars. Index fund investing isn’t a trend — it’s a mathematically superior strategy for most …