Can you live off index funds?
The easy answer is -- yes -- you can retire a millionaire with index funds.
Once you have $1 million in assets, you can look seriously at living entirely off the returns of a portfolio. After all, the S&P 500 alone averages 10% returns per year. Setting aside taxes and down-year investment portfolio management, a $1 million index fund could provide $100,000 annually.
Broadly diversified index funds can be your investment vehicle for a ride to becoming a millionaire retiree, if the stock market performs as it has in the past. If you know little about investing and have no desire to learn more, you still can be a successful investor. That's because you have the power of index funds.
Historically, the stock market has an average annual rate of return between 10–12%. So if your $1 million is invested in good growth stock mutual funds, that means you could potentially live off of $100,000 to $120,000 each year without ever touching your one-million-dollar goose.
- Purchasing an annuity.
- Choosing dividend stocks.
- Buying fixed-income securities.
- Starting a business.
- Investing in real estate.
- Building a portfolio.
The stock market has proved to be a great investment in the long run, but over the years it has had its fair share of bumps and bruises. Investing in an index fund, such as one that tracks the S&P 500, will give you the upside when the market is doing well, but also leaves you completely vulnerable to the downside.
It's easy to see why S&P 500 index funds are so popular with the billionaire investor class. The S&P 500 has a long history of delivering strong returns, averaging 9% annually over 150 years. In other words, it's hard to find an investment with a better track record than the U.S. stock market.
A great way to grow 100K into a million is through a diversified investment portfolio. This can include exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for broad market exposure, dividend stocks for steady income, and growth stocks for higher potential returns.
10% annual rate of return is quite aggressive. The other thing that's super aggressive is that you would have to invest on an annual basis $8,995, and you'd have to do that every year for 10 years to get to a million. Well, most folks out there can't save almost $660,000 a year.
If the S&P 500 outperforms its historical average and generates, say, a 12% annual return, you would reach $1 million in 26 years by investing $500 a month.
How long will $800,000 last in retirement?
With $800k initially saved, you could withdraw $40k-60k annually and still have your portfolio last between 19-28 years. The higher your spending amount, the faster your savings get depleted.
Retirement age | Length of time covered by the $200k (assuming a life expectancy of 80 years) |
---|---|
45 | 35 years |
50 | 30 years |
55 | 25 years |
60 | 20 years |
- Tally and reduce monthly expenses.
- Utilize free services.
- Consider working longer.
- Be strategic about Social Security.
- Tap into your home's equity.
- Keep your money invested.
- Talk to a finance professional.
The safest way to invest $1 million is to buy Treasury bills. A Treasury bill (or T-bill) is a short-term debt obligation backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. government. The U.S. government is the least risky borrower because of its tax revenue.
For example, it takes $1,400 per month to reach $1 million in 20 years. However if you can find 30 years to save, it only takes $475 per month to reach the same goal. This isn't easy, but finding the extra time may be easier than finding an extra $12,000 per year.
Based on this, if you retire at age 65 and live until you turn 84, $1 million will probably be enough retirement savings for you.
Much of it, yes, but not entirely. In a broad-based sell-off of a market, the benchmark index will lose value accordingly. That means an index fund tied to the benchmark will also lose value.
As with all investments, it is possible to lose money in an index fund, but if you invest in an index fund and hold it over the long-term, it is likely that your investment will increase in value over time.
In 2002, the fallout from frenzied investments in internet technology companies and the subsequent implosion of the dot-com bubble caused the S&P 500 to drop 23.4%. And in 2008, the collapse of the U.S. housing market and the subsequent global financial crisis caused the S&P 500 to fall 38.5%.
In 2007, Buffett bet a million dollars that over the course of a decade, a simple S&P 500 index fund would outperform a basket of hand-picked hedge funds. He picked the Vanguard 500 Index Fund Admiral Shares (VFIAX). Hedge fund manager Ted Seides from Protégé Partners accepted the bet and picked five funds-of-funds.
What does Dave Ramsey think about index funds?
Ramsey says index mutual funds can be a better buy than ETFs. Ramsey suggested that if you do want to engage in passive investing, you're better off doing it with an index mutual fund than with an ETF that tracks a market or financial index.
Ultra-wealthy individuals invest in such assets as private and commercial real estate, land, gold, and even artwork. Real estate continues to be a popular asset class in their portfolios to balance out the volatility of stocks.
- Invest in Real Estate. ...
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- Invest in The Stock Market. ...
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For example, a 10% average annual rate of return could transform $100,000 into $1 million in approximately 25 years, while an 8% return might require around 30 years.
Davis says most real estate syndicates aim to double investors' money within two to five years — much faster than an ETF. “It's entirely possible to go from $200,000 to $1 million in under 10 years with real estate syndications,” he said.
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