Am I overthinking this… or is just buying VOO fine?

I’ve been investing for six months, setting up automatic deposits. But every time the money hits, I start overthinking what to buy. And every time, I just end up buying more VOO.

I keep wondering if I should add small caps (AVUV), dividends (SCHD), international (VXUS), growth (QQQM, SCHG), Bitcoin, or even some individual stocks (V, PLTR). I’ve heard solid arguments for all of them, but is throwing everything in the mix smart, or just unnecessary?

I know there are worse things than going all in on VOO, but I don’t feel like I’m truly “VOOing and chilling” the way I should be.

What do you think? Should I keep it simple with VOO, or add something else to balance it out?

By the way, I’m 31. Thanks for any advice!

If you want to diversify a bit more, VTI is an easy switch. It covers the whole U.S. market, including mid- and small-caps, while still being pretty close to VOO in returns. VXUS would add international exposure. The U.S. has done great in recent years, but there’s no guarantee that continues forever. Spreading things out a bit could help.

@Zachary
Big fan of VTI.

@Zachary
I do 80% VOO, 20% VXUS. Helps me feel like I’m not putting all my eggs in one basket.

Nico said:
@Zachary
I do 80% VOO, 20% VXUS. Helps me feel like I’m not putting all my eggs in one basket.

Just so you know, VTI is mostly VOO anyway. If you’re doing 80% VOO and 20% VTI, you’re basically just holding VOO with a tiny bit of extra stuff.

@Mal
Exactly. Nothing wrong with VOO, but if you’re aiming for diversification, this isn’t really changing much.

@Mal
Oops, meant VXUS, not VTI.

Around here, index funds are king. If that’s your thing, great! But I personally keep my retirement funds in index funds and use my extra cash to pick individual stocks. Some of them are up nearly 100% this month (nuclear energy sector). It’s not a ton of money, but it makes things more fun.

Depends on what you’re trying to do long term. If you’re looking for more balance, adding something that doesn’t move exactly like VOO could make sense. Even a small percentage in something different can help you see how different assets react to market cycles.

@Weston
This is a solid take. Learning how different investments behave is valuable.

I stick to the basic strategy: VOO with some small caps and international. No individual stocks for me. I’m also not into dividends—if I wanted more VOO-like exposure, I’d just buy more VOO.

Bitcoin? Sure, but no more than 5-10% of your portfolio. Only if you’re comfortable with wild swings.

At the end of the day, your plan should fit your risk tolerance and goals.

@Zinnia
You won’t pick individual stocks but you’ll put 10% into Bitcoin?

Ali said:
@Zinnia
You won’t pick individual stocks but you’ll put 10% into Bitcoin?

The idea is you put 1% in now, and after 10 years, it turns into 10% of your portfolio by itself.

@Noor
And another 10 years later, it turns into 0%.

Parker said:
@Noor
And another 10 years later, it turns into 0%.

Or maybe you retire and start spending it. Either way, you win.

You’re doing fine.

I’m doing something similar, except I go with VEQT since I’m in Canada. I also like having a bit more international exposure.

There’s going to be some rough patches in the economy soon, but I’ll just keep putting money in consistently. Eventually, things recover, and I’ll be set up for some big gains.

The key is to keep buying, even when things look bad. Just don’t buy individual stocks.

That’s exactly why I just stick to 100% VTI.

Set up a weekly buy schedule for VOO. Even if it’s just $20 a week. Just keep doing it.

If something unexpected happens, you can adjust. But always keep adding.

Want to pick stocks? Fine, but don’t stop your weekly buys. Want to learn options? Cool, but don’t mess with the weekly buys.

You’re still new to investing. You haven’t been through a real downturn yet. Just stick to the plan and keep going.

@Daire
This is solid advice.