Could Investing $1,000 in the iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) Make You a Millionaire? (Spoiler: Yes, It Could.)

Most of us would love to be millionaires -- and some of us may even be hoping to become multimillionaires. There are various ways to get there, such as by making a killing in real estate, buying a winning lottery ticket, or inheriting a bundle from your Aunt Mae. But one of the best ways to build wealth over the long term is by investing in the stock market.

We often recommend, as even Warren Buffett has done, plunking your long-term money in an S&P 500 index fund. That's still a fine idea, and it can certainly make you a millionaire over time. But if you're looking to diversify your portfolio beyond America's borders, and even beyond Canada, consider investing in the iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (NYSEMKT: IEFA) -- because it, too, might make you a millionaire.

Image source: Getty Images.

Meet the iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF

The iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF is an exchange-traded fund (ETF) -- a fund that trades like a stock. It's also an index fund, which means it aims to closely replicate the returns of a certain index by holding roughly the same stocks in the same proportions.

In the case of this ETF, it tracks the MSCI EAFE Investable Market Index (IMI), a stock index encompassing small, medium-sized, and large companies from around the world -- except the U.S. and Canada. It doesn't just include some of those companies -- it includes about 99% of the stock market value of each country.

A particularly big plus for the fund is its low expense ratio (annual fee) of 0.07%, which means you'll pay just $7 per year for each $10,000 you have invested in the fund.

So, how has it performed? Check it out:

Data source: iShares.com, as of Sept. 30, 2025.

Not bad, right? It performed particularly well in the past few years -- a period when the U.S. stock market delivered above-average results, too. (For perspective, the U.S. stock market averaged annual returns of close to 10% over many decades.)

The longer-term results are less eye-popping, but remember that past performance is not an indicator of future performance. The coming five, 10, or 15 years might feature average, fat, or lackluster returns.

Still, a reason to consider investing in this ETF, or some other ETF(s) that track non-U.S. stocks, is for diversification. After all, some folks these days are worrying about a stock market pullback or a correction (which is a drop of 10% to 20%). If and when U.S. stocks do fall, non-U.S. stocks may not, or may drop less sharply.

Can the iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF make you a millionaire?

Clearly, investing in this ETF can make you a millionaire -- as long as you have enough time, and you keep investing in it diligently. Let's aim to be a little conservative and see how your money could grow over time at an 8% growth rate:

Data source: Calculations by author via Investor.gov.

Depending on how much you can invest each year (and, ideally, you may be able to increase the amount you invest in most years), you might become a millionaire in 25 to 30 years, give or take a year or two. If you can invest, say, $15,000 or more annually, you'll get there faster. And if the iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF grows at a faster rate than 8%, which is certainly possible, that can hasten your millionaire status, as well.

What's in the iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF?

You might reasonably wonder just what's in the ETF. Well, here's a peek at that. It encompassed 2,611 holdings as of Oct. 15. Here are the top 10:

Data source: iShares.com, as of Oct. 15, 2025.

Note, too, that the ETF recently sported an overall beta of 0.75. Beta reflects how volatile the investment is relative to the overall market, and a score of 0.75 suggests that if the overall market dips or rises by 10%, the fund will dip or rise, respectively, by 7.5%.

If you're looking to diversify your portfolio and you're a fan of broad index funds, give this one some consideration.

HSBC Holdings is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Selena Maranjian has positions in ASML, HSBC Holdings, Novartis, and Roche Holding AG. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends ASML. The Motley Fool recommends AstraZeneca Plc, HSBC Holdings, Nestlé, Novo Nordisk, and Roche Holding AG. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.