Could Buying the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF in 2026 Make You a Millionaire?

• The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF invests successful each azygous institution listed connected U.S. banal exchanges, truthful it's 1 of the astir diversified funds wealth tin buy.

• Extreme diversification tin trim hazard and volatility, but it tin besides pb to little returns compared to much concentrated portfolios.

• Nevertheless, the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF tin assistance diligent investors physique a million-dollar luck implicit the agelong term.

• 10 stocks we similar amended than Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF ›

Investors who are looking for a highly diversified exchange-traded money (ETF) successful 2026 mightiness privation to see the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (NYSEMKT: VTI). It tracks the show of the CRSP U.S. Total Market Index, which invests successful each 3,498 companies listed connected American banal exchanges, truthful it's fundamentally an full portfolio each connected its own.

That means it offers vulnerability to powerhouse artificial quality (AI) stocks similar Nvidia and Amazon, but besides small-cap maturation stories similar Lemonade, which soared by 95% past year.

Highly diversified ETFs typically make little returns than ETFs that way much concentrated indexes similar the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) oregon the Nasdaq-100, but they besides nutrient acold little volatility. With that said, the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF tin inactive present life-changing results for investors who bargain it successful 2026. Here's however it could beryllium a millionaire shaper implicit the agelong term.

The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF is weighted by marketplace capitalization, truthful the astir invaluable companies successful the money person a greater power implicit its show than the slightest valuable. As a result, its apical 3 holdings are Apple, Nvidia, and Microsoft, which are worthy a combined $12.3 trillion.

Therefore, contempt having astir 3,500 holdings, 18.1% of the full worth of this Vanguard ETF is parked successful those 3 high-flying stocks alone. But though that sounds similar a large number, those 3 stocks person a overmuch higher weighting of 20.8% successful the S&P 500, and 36.3% successful the Nasdaq-100. That's partially wherefore the Vanguard ETF has underperformed those indexes implicit the past 5 years:

With that said, the exertion assemblage wide has a beefy weighting of 38.5% successful the Vanguard ETF. The assemblage not lone includes Apple, Nvidia, and Microsoft, but besides different powerhouses similar Broadcom, Oracle, Palantir Technologies, and Advanced Micro Devices. Simply put, this ETF gives investors ample vulnerability to the AI boom.

Plus, it holds a fig of promising maturation stocks astatine the smaller extremity of the market, which you won't find successful the S&P 500 oregon the Nasdaq-100 astatine all: