The Case for VOO and Chill: Why Most Investors Should Skip Stock Picking

For most investors, buying a broad-market ETF like the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) is a more reliable strategy than picking individual stocks. In 2025, VOO returned 17.8%—a benchmark that eluded 79% of U.S. large-cap active managers. That underperformance isn’t an anomaly. Last year was the fourth-worst on record for active managers trailing the S&P 500 since S&P Dow Jones Indices began tracking the data in 2002. Even professionals, armed with resources far beyond the reach of retail investors, fail to beat the market with consistency. Warren Buffett, arguably the greatest investor of all time, has long argued that ordinary investors can outperform the pros by embracing low-cost index funds and adding to their holdings steadily over time. He’s called them the most sensible equity investment for the vast majority of people. The data behind VOO’s performance versus active management isn’t just compelling—it’s conclusive.