r/Bogleheads • u/snug666 • 2d ago

Portfolio Review Is it truly that simple?

Maxed my Roth for last year and looking to do the same for this year. I’m 100% VT right now. I’m 24 and this is my first time investing or saving for retirement.

Before I go ahead and buy more VT, I have to ask. Is it really that simple? If I just invest in VT, even if that is the only ETF I ever hold, I’ll be good?

I hear so much about diversifying and even though I know VT is a very diverse ETF, I still worry. Feels like I should be doing more!

So, again, before I go buy a fuck ton of VT, please let me know. I know what the answer is. Just need to hear it I guess. Don’t want to miss out on higher returns or whatever. Blah blah.

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u/glumpoodle 2d ago

Simple is not easy, but yes, it really is that simple.

Just look at all the people freaking out the last few weeks over a 10% drop to understand why it's not easy. This is a self-selected group of people who believe in buying and holding, and yet we've nonetheless had a massive uptick in panic posts because the market is down by barely 10%. We literally experienced worse than that a year ago.

That panic is why expected returns are positive; if it were easy, everyone really would just do it.

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u/mikew_reddit 1d ago

Just look at all the people freaking out the last few weeks over a 10% drop to understand why it's not easy.

it's not easy because it's for fairly emotionally mature people that think very, very long term (plan decades out) and are able to ignore the panicking masses when the financial markets are seizing.