Nearly every financial article you read will tell you the same thing. Over the long haul, almost nothing beats the S&P 500. The index has compounded at roughly 10% a year for almost a century, and a single low-cost fund replicating it has become the default setting for retirement accounts across the country.
Things are changing fast, and some ETFs have delivered persistent alpha for years, or even decades. Naturally, you will have to take more risk, and there’s no guarantee that these ETFs will continue to outperform. But if you want to do more than “just buy the index” and you’re willing to take a bit more risk to widen your lead, look no further.
This post originally appeared at 24/7 Wall St.