Index Investing 101: Stop Picking Funds and Start Building the Mix That Actually Works (SB1834)

Index Investing 101: Stop Picking Funds and Start Building the Mix That Actually Works (SB1834)

April 27, 2026 · 1h 0m

About this episode

Joe and OG discuss the fundamentals of index investing and how to effectively build a diversified portfolio.

Most investors spend their energy asking the wrong question. It's not which fund is best -- it's which combination of funds gets you to your actual goal at a cost and complexity level you'll actually maintain. Joe and OG break down the full index investing playbook: where to start, when to add complexity, what Wall Street calls indexing that really isn't, and the one number that should change how you think about your entire portfolio. What You'll Walk Away With Why the real argument for index investing isn't that nobody beats the market -- it's that you can't predict who will do it next The crockpot principle of index investing -- and why the self-cleaning oven analogy might be even better Why the S&P 500 and the total stock market index are closer than most people think -- and which one Joe is increasingly favoring for the long run The $100,000 turning point: what changes about your investment strategy when the portfolio gets big enough to get scientific The first two additions most Stackers should consider beyond their core index -- and why OG would actually add more than two Why mixing index funds from different companies can quietly undermine your diversification without…

People in this episode

Hosts: Joe, OG

Topics covered

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Wall Street, S&P 500, total stock market index, Stackers

Products: buffered ETFs, factor ETFs, active ETFs

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