Investing Basics
Plain-English guides to getting started with investing, index funds, brokerage accounts, risk, and building a portfolio you can stick with.
232 guides in Investing Basics, page 7 of 10
VGT vs QQQM: Pure Tech vs the Nasdaq-100
VGT vs QQQM with issuer data: Vanguard's pure technology ETF against the Nasdaq-100. One is all-tech, the other is multi-sector growth, and the fee gap matters.
VGT vs VOO: A Pure Tech Bet vs the Whole S&P 500
VGT vs VOO with Vanguard's data: a pure technology-sector ETF against the broad S&P 500. Tech crushed the last decade, but concentration cuts both ways, here's the trade-off.
VGT vs XLK: Two Tech ETFs, One Broad and One Concentrated
VGT vs XLK with issuer data: Vanguard's broad tech ETF against State Street's S&P 500 tech fund. Near-identical fees and returns, the real difference is breadth.
VIG vs SCHD: Dividend Growth vs Quality High Yield
VIG vs SCHD with issuer data: Vanguard's dividend-growth ETF against Schwab's quality-yield fund. Higher income and value vs a broader, cheaper quality tilt.
VIG vs VYM: Vanguard's Dividend Growth vs High Yield
VIG vs VYM with Vanguard's data: dividend growth against high current yield, both at 0.04%. Different income and tilt, and how to pick between Vanguard's two dividend ETFs.
VT vs VOO: The Whole World vs the S&P 500
VT vs VOO with Vanguard's data: one fund holding the entire global stock market against the U.S. S&P 500. Diversification vs a U.S.-only bet, and why the 10-year gap misleads.
VT vs VXUS: The Whole World vs Everything Outside the US
VT vs VXUS with Vanguard's data: one fund holding the entire global market against one holding only international (ex-US). They're not rivals, here's how they fit together.
VTSAX vs VOO: Total Market Fund vs the S&P 500 ETF
VTSAX vs VOO with Vanguard's data: the total U.S. market mutual fund against the S&P 500 ETF. Two differences, what they own and how they trade, decide it.
VTSAX vs VTI: The Same Fund in Two Wrappers
VTSAX vs VTI with Vanguard's data: the same total-market portfolio as a mutual fund vs an ETF. Same holdings and returns, so the choice is fee, minimum, and how you like to buy.
VUG vs QQQ: Broad Growth vs the Nasdaq-100
VUG vs QQQ with issuer data: Vanguard's broad large-cap growth ETF against the Nasdaq-100. Cheaper and more diversified vs pricier and more concentrated.
EEM vs VWO: Two Very Different Ways to Own Emerging Markets
EEM vs VWO with iShares and Vanguard data. Same idea, different funds: a 12x fee gap, and one holds South Korea while the other doesn't. Here's how to choose.
FXAIX vs VOO: Same 500 Stocks, Two Different Wrappers
FXAIX vs VOO, primary-sourced: Fidelity's 0.015% mutual fund vs Vanguard's 0.03% ETF, how each trades, the taxable-account catch, and which fits you.
IVV vs VOO: Two Nearly Identical S&P 500 ETFs
IVV vs VOO, primary-sourced: same index, same 0.03% fee, same structure. The tiny real differences and how to choose between iShares and Vanguard.
JEPI vs JEPQ: Two High-Income ETFs, One Big Trade-Off
JEPI vs JEPQ with JPMorgan fact-sheet data: same covered-call income strategy, different equity engine. Yields, volatility, and the capped-upside catch.
QQQ vs QQQM: The Cheaper Twin, and What Changed in 2025
QQQ vs QQQM, primary-sourced: same Nasdaq-100 index, QQQM's 0.15% fee, and the Dec 2025 change that ended QQQ's unit-investment-trust drawbacks.
QQQ vs VOO: Nasdaq-100 Growth or the Whole S&P 500?
QQQ vs VOO, primary-sourced: 100 tech-heavy Nasdaq stocks vs the broad S&P 500, concentration, QQQ's year-by-year swings, and which one fits you.
SPY vs QQQ: The Two Most-Traded ETFs, Compared for Traders and Holders
SPY vs QQQ with issuer and SEC data: what each holds, concentration, SPY's UIT structure vs QQQ's 2025 conversion, and which suits trading vs holding.
SWPPX vs VOO: Schwab's Cheap Fund or Vanguard's ETF?
SWPPX vs VOO with Schwab and Vanguard data: the 0.02% no-minimum S&P 500 mutual fund vs the 0.03% ETF, the 2025 share split, taxes, and which fits you.
VFIAX vs VOO: The Same Fund in Two Wrappers
VFIAX vs VOO, primary-sourced: two share classes of the same Vanguard 500 fund. The real differences (wrapper, fee, minimum) and how to choose.
VGT vs QQQ: Pure Tech or the Nasdaq-100?
VGT vs QQQ, primary-sourced: Vanguard's pure tech sector fund vs Invesco's Nasdaq-100 on fees, sector mix, concentration, and which fits you.
VOO vs VOOG: The Whole S&P 500 or Just the Growth Half?
VOO vs VOOG with Vanguard data: the full S&P 500 vs its growth-only half, concentration, the return-and-risk trade-off, and which fits your portfolio.
VT vs VTI: The Whole World or Just the U.S.?
VT vs VTI with Vanguard fact-sheet data: 10,000+ global stocks vs the total U.S. market, the fee gap, the ten-year return spread, and how to pick one.
VTI vs VXUS: The Two Halves of the Global Market
VTI vs VXUS with Vanguard data: the total U.S. market vs total international. They are complements, not rivals. Here is how to combine them.
VUG vs VOO: Large-Cap Growth or the Whole S&P 500?
VUG vs VOO with Vanguard fact-sheet data: large-cap growth vs the full S&P 500 at the same 0.03% fee, concentration, turnover, and VUG's 2026 index rename.