The Vanguard ETF Built for Long-Term Investors Who Want Reliable Results

Most investment recommendations you see on TV or on the internet are based on some type of catalyst. Somebody thinks you should buy or sell based on factors such as interest-rate changes, earnings, or macroeconomic conditions.

The reason I like the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (NYSEMKT: VTI) is that it doesn't need to worry about any of that. This exchange-traded fund (ETF) doesn't make sector rotations or adjustments based on the most recent market event. It simply invests in the entire U.S. stock market. Its investment case is built simply on allowing participation in the U.S. economic growth engine, not picking individual winners within it.

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Why total market exposure beats trying to pick winners

Trying to pick winners, avoid losers, and beat the market is usually a losing effort. Studies have consistently shown that people who attempt market timing underperform the broader market over time. This is usually because those investors sell after stocks have already gone down and wait too long to get back in after they've gone up.

Investing in the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF is a simple example of "if you can't beat the market, match it." You don't need to try to figure out when defensive stocks start to overtake tech, or when small caps outperform the S&P 500. None of that is a concern because you already own it all.

To be fair, there's still a concentration concern here, just as there is with the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF: Technology is currently 41% of the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF's portfolio. But if there's one thing we can say about the sector compositions of the broad U.S. market indexes, it's that they reflect what's driving the economy today. In that sense, the composition of this ETF emphasizes why it's perfect for reliability.

Fees matter over the course of decades

The other benefit of going the "total U.S. stock market ETF" route is that you can own this portfolio for next to nothing.

The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF charges just 0.03% annually in fees, or $3 for every $10,000 invested. Very few ETFs charge fees that low for the services they provide. Many actively managed mutual funds carry expense ratios of 0.75% to 1%. Factor this in, and the cost savings become very real.

Fees are another big reason investors lag the broader market over time. The more you're paying to a fund issuer, the better your performance needs to be to make up that gap. In most cases, it's a futile effort that results in high fees for subpar returns.

Make it easy on yourself. Avoid the temptation to time the market. The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF offers diversification, simplicity, ultralow fees, and (most importantly) no headaches.

David Dierking has positions in Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.