global investment strategy | Finance & Investment

Regulation Crypto Assets: Here Is A Comparison To Reg A And Reg CF

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21 August 2026

Earlier this week, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced new proposed rules for issuers to raise capital under new exemptions for crypto assets. Regulation Crypto Asset (Reg CA) is widely modeled after two existing securities exemptions, Reg CF and Reg A.

Reg A and Reg CF were created by the JOBS Act of 2012. They are two of the three exemptions that allow for online capital formation – the other being Reg D 506c.

Under Reg CF, an issuer can raise up to $5 million from anyone in an online securities offering. The documents submitted to the SEC before relying on the exemption are a fairly simple notice filing and do not need to be qualified by the SEC.

Under Reg A, an issuer may raise up to $75 million (Tier 2), but the SEC must qualify the offering documents.

Of course, both exemptions have other requirements, but the SEC said it is mirroring these two exemptions for Reg CA offerings: one for startups and one for larger offerings.

The Startup Exemption allows for a crypto offering of up to $5 million in aggregate over four years. This may be used only once.

There is a required Transition Report or Form TR that must be submitted no later than four years after the Notice of Reliance the issuer must make to begin using the Startup Exemption

No financial statements are required. Securities are not restricted and face no rule-based resale restrictions; general solicitation is permitted; the exemption itself does not limit sales to retail/non-accredited investors. The issuer may be an individual, group, or entity. The exemption is a temporary “regulatory runway” while the issuer works to fulfill its objectives, which likely include decentralization.

The Fundraising Exemption has two tiers for issuers: Tier 1 up to $20 million and Tier 2 up to $75 million may be raised over a 12-month period. Tier 2 issuers must have an offering statement qualified by the SEC. Tier 2 requires audited financial statements.

Both Startup and Fundraising require forms of ongoing reporting, but the Startup requirement is limited. Neither requires an intermediary.

While the proposal could change before it goes into effect, the rules are pretty hardened. What will inevitably happen is that existing securities crowdfunding platforms will offer these crypto exemptions to stay relevant and competitive.

Below is a comparison table for Reg CA and Reg CF/ Reg A.

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Alex Jones no longer on-the-hook for $50 million owed to Sandy Hook families

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21 August 2026

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Alex Jones no longer on-the-hook for $50 million owed to Sandy Hook families

A Texas court on Friday slashed a $50 million judgment that conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was ordered to pay families of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre over his false claims that one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history was a hoax.

The Infowars founder can only be forced to pay about $6 million, the Texas Third Court of Appeals ruled in a unanimous opinion, citing state laws that limit lawsuit damages.

The ruling does not affect a separate $1.25 billion judgment against Jones in Connecticut, where he was also found liable for defaming and causing emotional distress to relatives of the 20 first-graders and six educators killed in the Newtown shooting.

The punishing financial verdicts against Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems, in recent years have forced him into bankruptcy, led to some of his personal property being put up for auction and led to him leaving his Infowars platform. For decades, he used the platform to push conspiracy theories about the United Nations, the federal government, gun control and more.

Sandy Hook families have yet to collect any money from Jones, who has waged lengthy appeals in state and bankruptcy courts as his company faces liquidation. He remains on air after moving onto new websites and streaming platforms.

Friday’s ruling did not throw out the trial court’s finding of defamation against Jones. Still, he called it “a gigantic victory for the First Amendment,” and said he will continue to appeal the case to the state Supreme Court to get the remaining damages thrown out.

“I got lawyers who are good constitutional lawyers and they are not backing down,” Jones said.

Jones has already tried to appeal the Connecticut judgment to the U.S. Supreme Court but was denied last year.

The decision by the Texas Third Court of Appeals left intact more than $4.1 million in compensatory damages awarded by a jury to Sandy Hook parents Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis for defamation and emotional distress. But it slashed more than $45 million in additional punitive damages down to $1.5 million to comply with the state’s $750,000 cap for each plaintiff.

The court found Heslin and Lewis did not show evidence that the harassment following Jones’ hoax claims rose to a level that would allow them to exceed the cap. It also said the trial judge improperly allowed the parents to seek higher damages after trial.

Mark Bankston, an attorney for Heslin and Lewis in the Texas lawsuit, shrugged off the appeals court ruling as “irrelevant” given that Jones still faces massive financial judgments in Connecticut.

“The families care not at all about this irrelevant ruling which affects only two of the 19 claims they all share. Jones still faces over a billion dollars of liability, so this changes absolutely nothing. All it does is highlight the absurdity of Texas law,” Bankston said.

Newtown families harassed as Jones claimed the massacre was a hoax

Heslin and Lewis’s 6-year-old son Jesse Lewis was among those killed in the Sandy Hook attack. Their lawsuit against Jones and the 2022 verdict marked the first time he was held financially liable for peddling lies about the massacre, claiming it was faked by the government to tighten gun laws.

Jones portrayed the lawsuit as an attack on his First Amendment rights, but conceded during the trial that the shootings were “100% real” and that he was wrong to have lied about them.

At the Texas and Connecticut trials, victims’ relatives testified that Jones’ followers — believing his claims that the shooting didn’t happen — subjected them to death and rape threats, in-person harassment and abusive comments on social media. Jones argued there was no proof that linked him to those actions.

Heslin and Lewis told jurors that an apology wouldn’t suffice and initially called on them to make Jones pay more than $150 million for the years of suffering he has put them and other Sandy Hook families through.

Almost immediately after the punitive damages in Texas were announced, Jones’ trial attorney predicted the award would be reduced to $1.5 million on appeal.

Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the Sandy Hook families in the Connecticut lawsuit, said Friday’s ruling has no bearing on the ongoing lower court proceedings in Texas involving the liquidation of Infowars’ parent company.

The Onion steps in to mock Jones and help frustrated families

Jones and his company have filed for bankruptcy, and those legal proceedings continue. The satirical website The Onion also moved to take over Jones’ Infowars platforms and turn his bullhorn of conspiracy theories into parody sites.

Jones gave up the Infowars brand in April and moved to a new location, switching his shows to new websites and posting them on his personal X account. The Onion, meanwhile, has set up its own Infowars webpage on its website, running videos of shows parodying Jones.

A proposed licensing deal that would give The Onion temporary authority to use Infowars’ trademarks, copyrights and intellectual property has been put on hold because the liquidation proceedings have been stayed during Jones’ appeals.

In November 2024, the Chicago-based satirical outlet was named the winner of a bankruptcy court auction of the assets of Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems, aimed at helping pay some of the defamation judgments. A federal judge overturned the auction results, citing problems with the process and The Onion’s bid.

___ This story has been corrected to show that Jones is still liable for $4.1 million in compensatory damages in addition to $1.5 million in punitive damages.

___ Dave Collins contributed from Hartford, Connecticut.

Bitcoin soars to nearly $80,000—but crypto’s new favorite coin, Hyperliquid, is stealing its thunder

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21 August 2026

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Bitcoin soars to nearly $80,000—but crypto’s new favorite coin, Hyperliquid, is stealing its thunder

Bitcoin is surging again. The cryptocurrency climbed above $78,200 on Friday for the first time since May. But it wasn’t the only crypto asset posting big gains. Hyperliquid, the decentralized perpetual futures exchange, reached a record $75, leaving its HYPE token up over 195% so far this year, according to CoinGecko.

Hyperliquid’s gains have drawn market share that might otherwise have flowed into Bitcoin, according to Ish Asad, a research analyst at crypto index fund manager Bitwise Investments.

“If Hyperliquid and perpetual futures weren’t so popular, people would just be buying spot Bitcoin,” Asad told Fortune.

Hyperliquid, which lets users trade through self-custody wallets rather than a traditional centralized exchange, has emerged as a major force in crypto derivatives trading over the past year. During the first quarter of 2026, the platform processed more than $633 billion in combined spot and perpetual futures volume, over six times its total during the second quarter of 2024, according to investment manager VanEck.

Its growing success has “sucked away volume” from direct purchases of smaller crypto tokens. Perpetual futures let traders speculate on a cryptocurrency’s price, often with leverage, without buying or holding the token itself, making the platform attractive to active traders.

“All the crypto trading happens on Hyperliquid now, so most of the other crypto assets are getting less buying pressure,” Asad added.

Hyperliquid’s most recent price jump came two days after President Donald Trump said his administration was working to bring the platform to the U.S.

“I understand that [Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair] Mike [Selig] is also working to bring Hyperliquid into the United States in a fully compliant and legal fashion, working very hard on that,” Trump said at a White House event.

Behind the rally

Despite Hyperliquid drawing some capital away from direct Bitcoin purchases, the cryptocurrency still gained nearly 25% over the past week. Macro factors, including the Treasury Department’s recent bond-buyback announcement, helped set the rally in motion, but Asad said liquidations drove Bitcoin’s most recent surge.

On Tuesday, as Bitcoin traded around $64,000, traders liquidated $1.3 billion in short positions in a single day. Another $1 billion in Bitcoin shorts were liquidated over the following 48 hours, bringing the week’s total to $4.5 billion, according to Bitwise.

Political developments also helped support the rally. At a meeting with crypto industry leaders this week, Trump urged Congress to pass the Clarity Act, a bill that would establish a long-awaited market structure framework for digital assets. On Thursday, Selig said he had directed the CFTC to begin developing clearer crypto rules if Congress does not pass the legislation before the end of the year.

In the meantime, worries over U.S. debt surpassing $40 trillion and a weakening U.S. dollar have renewed investor interest in alternative assets such as gold and Bitcoin.

She Ignored One Letter for Months… It Was Worth Thousands #money #finance

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21 August 2026

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She Ignored One Letter for Months… It Was Worth Thousands #money #finance

An ordinary envelope sat unopened on a kitchen counter for months because its owner assumed it was junk mail. When she …

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What Investors Can Do About Rising Costs and a Shaky Economy

Investments

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21 August 2026

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With rising interest rates, taxes, insurance, gas, and materials, not to mention dropping a couple of C-notes every time you go to the grocery store, the next time someone asks you to attend a real estate meet-up group, no one would blame you for saying, “That’s OK, I’ll sit this one out.”

Is there a viable way to invest in real estate in the current market? Let’s take a look at the factors at play and how to come out ahead.

Interest Rates

The biggest detriment to buying leveraged real estate is high interest rates. As of Aug. 13, Bankrate reported that the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate had risen to 6.74%. Inflation, fueled in part by the Iran war and the Federal Reserve’s reluctance to drop rates in light of economic uncertainty, means that borrowing money remains the single greatest impediment to making cash flow on a rental.

With median home prices at $434,100, near a record high, according to the Wall Street Journal, a 20% down payment would make the principal and interest payment $2,260 on a 30-year fixed mortgage at a 6.78% interest rate—not including taxes and insurance. Depending on your location, your monthly payment could be in excess of $3,000/month.

Meanwhile, according to Zillow, the national average rent, as of May, was $2,291/month. Clearly, the numbers, using national averages, don’t add up, and it doesn’t look like that’s about to change.

“There is no reason to think that mortgage rates are gonna come back down again. So they’re just saying I have to get on with my life, and that’s what they’re doing,” Brad Case, chief residential economist at Homes.com, told the Journal.

House Prices Aren’t Coming Down Fast Enough

According to Fortune, simply blaming the Fed for the affordability crisis doesn’t tell the whole story. The U.S. is still chronically undersupplied when it comes to houses. A Bank of America estimate cited in the article suggests that housing starts would need to reach 6 million annually to absorb that demand. Meanwhile, house prices rose by 40% in the 18 months following the pandemic, when rates were low.

Taxes and Insurance: The Hidden Villains

The rapid increase in house prices means that taxes have increased with reassessments. To add insult to injury, insurance costs soared between 2018 and 2024—at a much faster rate than inflation.

According to a report by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, cited by CNBC, average premiums in the Northeast have risen by 18%, by 25% in the Midwest, 27% in the Southeast, and 43% in the West over the seven years up to 2024. Premiums have risen by another 7% since the beginning of 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ producer price index.

The report’s coauthors, Jeffrey Czajkowski and Paula Harms, wrote:

“The data tells the story of a homeowner’s insurance market that is overall operationally robust but nonetheless under pressure and exhibiting signs of stress. These trends support consumer sentiment that coverage is becoming more expensive and harder to find or keep in some places.”

Your Tenants Are Dealing With Inflation, Too

Passing on the increased costs of owning rental property to your tenants isn’t going to fly. They are feeling the pinch too.

To make matters worse for landlords, while expenses have gone up, rental prices have been inching down for the last three years, though they are still 17.2% higher than before the pandemic as of May.

A Softer Job Market Has Many Tenants Fearful

Employment has always been the wild card as far as landlords are concerned. Should a once-stable tenant unexpectedly lose their job, chaos can ensue.

The job market has been volatile in recent weeks. It was widely reported on Aug. 7 that the U.S. job market lost 23,000 jobs in July, while previous months’ gains were revised down.

Rental Strategies for Landlords in a Turbulent Market

If you are considering sitting out a turbulent real estate market, you are not alone—which is why you should consider jumping in! I know, it sounds a little preposterous, but as legendary investor Warren Buffett advised in a 2008 New York Times opinion piece, “Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful.”

Being contrarian and finding ways to invest in difficult markets is where profits are made, so let’s roll up our sleeves and take a look at a few safe investing strategies that could help you add to your portfolio and snag some deals in a down market.

Revise the BRRRR

A recent Bigger Pockets podcast explained this in great detail. In some affordable markets, buying a property under $300,000 doesn’t mean dodging bullets, where the job market and rents are decent, allowing landlords to cash flow. Combining these facts with a low-cost cosmetic BRRRR will allow you to get the maximum bang for your buck, recycle your cash, and keep it moving.

Combine a house hack with low-cost government financing and the 2-out-of-5 capital gains tax exclusion

An FHA mortgage (there are other low-down payment assistance programs in different states) is an affordable way to buy a home, requiring a 3.5% down payment. It can also be used on a small multifamily (two to four units), allowing you to house hack: live in one unit and have your tenants help with the mortgage payment.

If you live in the home for two out of five years and sell it, you will not have to pay capital gains taxes on the increased equity of $250,000-$500,000 (depending on your marital status). Combining these strategies is a bulletproof way to get you through a turbulent market.

Increase the cash flow

This might sound easier said than done, but increasing the cash flow on your rental doesn’t mean jacking up the rent on your existing tenant but rather incorporating a different rental strategy entirely.

Whether it’s adding ADUs, renting by the room, or pivoting into medium-term rentals, there are numerous ways to increase your cash flow, depending on how hands-on or labor-intensive you want to get.

Live only on your W2 income and invest in small, affordable rentals

By investing your profits back into your buildings and then paying off your portfolio, you can cash flow with a minimum of stress. This BiggerPockets podcast outlines the strategy.

Final Thoughts

A tough real estate market means that passive investing might become less passive. It means looking harder to find deals and thinking out of the box to make them work. Also, notions about quitting your W2 job might have to be put on hold, as the stability of a paycheck is gold dust in turbulent times.

However, investing now has an upside: fewer bidding wars and more realistic pricing. A high-interest rate climate isn’t lost on sellers, who are more inclined to price their homes accordingly. A clear-minded, methodical approach to investing based on solid strategies, rather than speculation and hype, will keep you in good stead in today’s market.

When things eventually turn around—which history has told us they will—refinancing to a lower rate will allow you to emerge with cash flow and equity.

APM Financial Fitness: August 2026

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21 August 2026

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If you spent more time watching the World Cup competition than reviewing your finances, you’re not alone. Millions here and around the world began tuning into Cup matches last month, with the final game scheduled for July 19th. It was a welcome diversion from worries about inflation, although the annual inflation rate slowed to 3.5% in June, down from May’s 4.2%.

Home Financing

Should Your Extra Cash Go Toward Extra Mortgage Payments?

If you’ve achieved some long-term financial goals or received a salary raise, you may be revisiting your monthly budget and deciding what to do with the additional funds. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

If your current mortgage has a lower interest rate, you may want to consider investing your extra cash instead of paying down your mortgage. For example, you could check out high-yield products like Certificates of Deposit (CDs) or a high-yield savings account.

Here are some other tips to keep in mind.

Be sure to preserve your financial liquidity. It may be a better idea to move additional funds into an emergency savings account. If you increase your monthly mortgage payment too much, you could end up with a temporary cash flow problem.

Pay down any higher interest debts first. If you have balances on higher-interest credit cards, student loans and/or car loans, it’s recommended that you take care of these first.

Last but not least: while mortgage interest can be tax-deductible, your deduction may shrink along with your mortgage balance.

This article is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. The information presented regarding mortgage interest deductions is general in nature and may not apply to your specific financial situation. Tax laws are subject to change and can vary based on individual circumstances.

Source: marcus.com

Insurance

Automotive Gap Insurance: What It Is, When You Need It

If you’ve recently been shopping for a new car or truck, you’re aware of how much sticker prices have risen. This is why you may want to consider adding gap insurance coverage to your mandatory auto insurance coverage.

Gap insurance covers the “gap” between what a vehicle is worth and what the driver owes on their auto loan or lease if the car is totaled or stolen. Without gap insurance, you may end up paying the remaining loan or lease balance, even if the vehicle’s been written off or not recovered.

You may want to consider getting gap insurance if:

You made a small down payment on an expensive vehicle,
Are leasing the vehicle,
Have bought a vehicle that’s expected to depreciate quickly; or
If you opt for a longer auto loan term. This makes it likely that you’ll have negative equity for a period of time.
If you’re thinking of purchasing this insurance, keep in mind that you must be the original loan or lease holder, and that the vehicle being insured is fairly new (not more than 2-3 years old).

While gap insurance may be offered to you by the dealership when you’re finalizing your purchase, your insurance provider may offer coverage at a lower price. You may also want to ask your auto loan provider about gap insurance. If you’re leasing, check the small print: these often include gap coverage or a waiver of “gap liability” by default.

This article is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. We are not a licensed insurance agent or broker; we do not sell, solicit, or provide insurance advice. Before making any coverage decisions, consult a licensed insurance professional and review your specific policy documents to determine what is appropriate for your individual situation.

Source: wallethub.com

In the News

Workforce Pell Grants Go Live

Considering that the average costs to attend college have increased over 40% faster than the rate of inflation, many Americans think a higher education isn’t worth the price. However, an alternative to college loans is now available.

The new policy, known as Workforce Pell, widens the scope of federal Pell Grants by helping lower-income learners pay not just for associate or bachelor’s degrees, but for nondegree job training as short as eight weeks. Students may apply for a Workforce Pell and become qualified for positions in high-demand fields including nursing, welding, automotive repairs and HVAC.

Workforce Pell is a welcome expansion to federal education grants, and funds became available this month. However, many would-be applicants aren’t aware they exist. In addition, some states are still identifying the training programs that satisfy the eligibility requirements.

If you or a family member would like to learn more about Workforce Pell, click here to visit ACT’s Workforce Pell web page.

Source: hechingerreport.org

Credit and Consumer Finance

How This Year’s World Cup Is Affecting Global Pocketbooks

Every summer, there’s a moment when the school supply lists come out and parents start doing math in their heads. This year, that math is harder than usual.

Families across the country are getting ready to spend on notebooks, backpacks, clothes, and school supplies, and the price tags are adding up. Surveys this year show a mixed picture, but the theme is the same everywhere you look: shoppers are spending real money on back-to-school, and they’re feeling it. One national survey found that 62 percent of shoppers are hunting for sales this year, up from 52 percent last year. Another found that a quarter of parents are cutting back on back-to-school spending specifically because everyday costs have gotten more expensive.

At the same time, the broader numbers on how people feel about their finances have been sliding too. Consumer confidence dropped for the third month in a row in July, and higher grocery and gas prices are a big reason why.

Back-to-school shopping isn’t optional. Kids need shoes that fit and supplies for class, whether or not the family budget feels comfortable that month. That makes it a good stand-in for something bigger: the everyday cost of living has crept up, and families are adjusting how they spend, not whether they spend.

You don’t need a survey to tell you this if you’ve stood in the school supply aisle lately. But it’s worth naming, because a lot of people feel like they’re the only ones falling behind on their budget. They’re not. Comparing prices, shopping sales, and rethinking what’s a need versus a want are becoming the norm, not the exception.

If back-to-school costs are stretching your budget this year, you’re in good company, and there’s nothing wrong with looking for ways to make your money go further. That might mean shopping sales, spacing out purchases, or simply being more deliberate about what you buy first versus what can wait.

A tight month here and there is normal. But if this is starting to feel like a pattern rather than a one-time squeeze, it’s worth stepping back and looking at the bigger picture, not just this month’s budget. Sometimes that kind of squeeze is a sign it’s worth checking whether your mortgage payment still fits your life, or whether equity you’ve built in your home could help cover a specific need without adding new high-interest debt.

You don’t have to figure this out alone, and you don’t have to make any big decisions today. If tighter months have you wondering whether your home loan still makes sense for where you are now, an APM Loan Advisor can help you look at your options. Every family’s situation is different, and we’re here to help you see what’s actually available to you, no pressure, no sales pitch.

Source: nerdwallet.com

Did You Know?

The 1776 Economy of the 13 Colonies

When the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, low-tech ruled. Agriculture was the economy, with an estimated 95% of laborers (many enslaved) working long hours on farms and plantations. This meant that the 13 colonies’ economy could be tipped into a recession by bad weather.

Farmed and fished commodities like tobacco, flour, rice, dried fish, whale oil, and indigo were the colonies’ biggest exports. Described as “blue gold”, indigo was used to dye military uniforms and royal robes. During the 1770s, it accounted for 25% of all colonial exports.

Well-dressed colonials imported expensive silks, wool and brocade materials from Britain. They also imported sugar from the Caribbean. Firewood was the most popular energy source, and it represented 18% of the colonies’ GDP.

During this time, American colonists were technically the most prosperous people on Earth, enjoying higher incomes than their English counterparts. According to historians’ estimates, an average American earned almost 14 pounds per year, compared to 10 to 12 pounds for a Briton. Plus, colonial wealth was more equally distributed, with over 50% of white Americans being property holders while fewer than 5% of the aristocratic English owned land.

Instead of flaunting their wealth by carrying an Hermès Birkin bag or driving a Rolls-Royce, affluent merchants and planters went for a dinner party display of a single pineapple, which could cost around $8,000 in today’s dollars. (Those who couldn’t afford to buy one often rented one.)

Sources: morningbrew.com

Alaska Airlines Announces New Nonstop Service to Athens and Paris

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21 August 2026

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Alaska Airlines Announces New Nonstop Service to Athens and Paris

Alaska Airlines Adds Nonstop Service to Athens and Paris

Alaska Airlines is launching new nonstop service from Seattle to Athens and Paris, two of the world’s most iconic destinations that rank among the most requested by Atmos™ Rewards members. When these new additions launch next spring, Alaska will serve seven intercontinental destinations from Seattle.

Starting today, tickets to Athens International Airport (ATH) and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) are available at alaskaair.com. To celebrate these two new routes, Alaska Airlines is offering introductory roundtrip Main Cabin fares starting at $999, available for purchase in the U.S. through August 26.

Seattle-Athens

Alaska is making history as the first airline to announce nonstop service from Seattle to Athens. The seasonal service will begin May 12, 2027, operate three times a week and become the longest route Alaska has ever flown. When the new route launches, it will also become the West Coast’s only nonstop Athens flight, making it easier than ever for travelers across the region to access Greece and beyond.

City Pair	Starts	Ends	Departure	Arrival	Frequency
Seattle – Athens	May 12, 2027	October 2027	4:30 p.m.	2:20 p.m. + 1	3x week
Athens – Seattle	May 13, 2027	October 2027	4:20 p.m.	6:55 p.m.	3x week

Seattle–Paris

Paris, one of the most searched destinations on alaskaair.com, will become even more accessible for guests in the Pacific Northwest when service begins on May 25, 2027. The new route will provide guests with convenient nonstop access to Paris five times per week through the fall.

City Pair	Starts	Ends	Departure	Arrival	Frequency
Seattle – Paris	May 25, 2027	October 2027	5:25 p.m.	12:25 p.m. +1	5x week
Paris – Seattle	May 26, 2027	October 2027	2:25 p.m.	3:50 p.m.	5x week

Could Investing $300 a Month in VOO Make You a Millionaire? Here’s the Math.

Finance

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21 August 2026

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Could Investing $300 a Month in VOO Make You a Millionaire? Here’s the Math.

One of the most frequently recommended ways for people to invest in the stock market is to buy the S&P 500 index. With a low-cost S&P 500 index fund, you can own all 500 of the largest publicly traded companies in America. Just buying these 500 major names could be enough to make you a millionaire. That’s because the S&P 500 has delivered strong long-term returns.

In the 98 years since 1928, the S&P 500 has delivered annualized returns of about 10%. Keep in mind, that number includes some massive economic downturns during worldwide catastrophes like the Great Depression and World War II. Even with the dot-com bubble of 1999-2000, the global financial crisis of 2008, the pandemic of 2020, and other serious crises and short-term sell-offs, the S&P 500 has been one of the best places for people to put their money for almost 100 years.

One of the best ways to buy the S&P 500 is via a popular Vanguard exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO +0.58%) is so well-known that it’s often referred to by its ticker (VOO). This fund has a shorthand investment strategy named after it called “VOO and chill.”

Let’s look at why “VOO and chill” could be a simple strategy to make you a millionaire with long-term investing.

Image source: Getty Images.

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO): 14.94% annualized returns since September 2010

The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF holds a total of 505 stocks and tracks the performance of the S&P 500 index. Just like the broad index it tracks, this ETF has delivered stellar returns in recent years. In the past (nearly) 16 years since VOO was established in September 2010, this S&P 500 ETF has delivered average annual returns of 14.94%. In the past five years, it’s delivered 12.82% annualized returns (by net asset value).

Both of those average returns are higher than the long-term stock market average return of 10% per year. This strong performance might not continue. The stock market could go into a bear market or fail to deliver such high growth in the future.

But let’s look at how VOO could make you a millionaire with a few different possible rates of return, based on its real-life past performance.

Today’s Change

(0.58%) $4.05

Current Price

$705.06

Key Data Points

AUM

$1.7T

Dividend Yield

1.04%

Expense Ratio

0.03%

Top Holdings

NVDA

7.55%

AAPL

7.05%

MSFT

5.36%

How VOO can make you a millionaire

Let’s say you can invest $300 per month, and you keep using that same $300 amount to keep buying shares of the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) month after month. Let’s also assume that the fund delivers the same 98-year long-term average annual return of 10% per year.

At that 10% annualized rate of return, your money would grow to $57,375 after 10 years. After 20 years, you’d have $206,190. After 30 years, you’d have $592,178, and after 36 years, you’d have more than $1 million.

What if VOO could perform even better than that? Let’s assume that VOO can keep delivering the same return it did in the past five years: 12.82%. $300 per month invested at that rate of return would grow to $65,735 after 10 years. After 20 years, you’d have $285,346. After 30 years, you’d have more than $1 million.

What if VOO keeps up the same strong performance of the past 15 (almost 16) years? Let’s assume that the fund delivers the same 14.94% average annual return that it’s delivered for the past 15 (almost 16) years.

At that rate of return, $300 invested per month would grow to $72,880 after 10 years. In 20 years, you’d have $366,183, and after 27 years, you’d pass the $1 million mark.

Why invest in VOO?

There is no guarantee that any stock ETF or investment will deliver 10% or higher annual returns forever. But these are real numbers based on historic returns. The ultra-low 0.03% expense ratio, broad diversification, and simplicity show why the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF ranks among the best low-cost index funds.