iShares ETF Has A 'Set And Forget' Investment For Retirees You Don't Need To Overthink

"The hardest part of retirement investing isn't picking stocks or timing the market - it's resisting the urge to do either. iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (NYSEARCA:ITOT) solves this by offering exposure to the entire U.S. equity market in a single position, charging just 0.03% annually, and requiring no ongoing decisions beyond occasional rebalancing with bonds. What ITOT Actually Does in a Retirement Portfolio"

"ITOT tracks roughly 3,000 U.S. stocks across all market capitalizations, from mega-cap technology companies to small regional banks. The fund delivers the return of the total U.S. stock market, minus a 0.03% expense ratio. For retirees, this means automatic diversification across sectors, company sizes, and economic cycles without researching individual companies or rebalancing between growth and value styles. The fund holds 33% in information technology, 11% in financials, and meaningful exposure across all ten major sectors."

"Does It Deliver on the 'Set and Forget' Promise? Over the past decade, ITOT returned approximately 285%, turning $10,000 into roughly $38,500-an annualized return in the mid-teens. The fund slightly outpaced its primary competitor VTI despite nearly identical holdings and expense ratios. ITOT has weathered multiple market disruptions. It survived the 2020 COVID crash, endured the 2022 bear market (falling roughly 34% before rebounding), and navigated April 2025 turbulence, dropping about 20% intraday before recovering within months."

ITOT tracks roughly 3,000 U.S. stocks across all market capitalizations, delivering the return of the total U.S. stock market minus a 0.03% expense ratio. The fund allocates 33% to information technology, 11% to financials, and meaningful exposure across all ten major sectors, with top holdings including NVIDIA, Apple, and Microsoft. The ETF yields about 1% and pays quarterly distributions that have grown roughly 6–7% annually, while a 3% portfolio turnover limits tax drag. Over the past decade ITOT returned approximately 285%, has weathered major market disruptions, and functions as a low-maintenance, broadly diversified core holding for retirement portfolios.

Read at 24/7 Wall St.