Happy Halloween week. Here's the scariest thing in your portfolio, and it isn't a crash. ๐
It's a fee you never noticed.
A fund that charges 1% takes $10 a year from every $1,000 you invest. Every year. Whether it made you money or not. Over 30 years, that quiet little fee can eat a five-figure chunk of your future.
So this week's 6 ETFs have one thing in common: every one of them costs $1.50 a year or less per $1,000. Treats, no tricks.
Same 3 jobs as always: 2 to grow, 2 to steady, 2 to last.
Ticker | What it is | Fee/yr* | |
|---|---|---|---|
๐ GROW | QQQM | The 100 biggest Nasdaq companies | $1.50 |
SCHG | ~190 big US growth companies | $0.40 | |
๐ก๏ธ STEADY | XLV | Health care: people get sick in good and bad markets | $0.80 |
BND | ~15,000 US bonds in one fund | $0.30 | |
๐ธ LAST | VIG | Companies that keep raising their dividends | $0.40 |
VYM | ~600 higher-dividend US companies | $0.40 |
*Yearly fee on every $1,000 invested.
๐ GROW: money you won't touch for 10+ years
QQQM (Invesco Nasdaq 100 ETF). Launched in October 2020 by Invesco as the cheaper little sibling of QQQ, which has been around since 1999. Same 100 companies, lower fee. Why it's on the list: if you want the big tech names in one place, this is the lower-cost way to hold them. Heads up: it's heavy on a handful of giants, so it swings.
SCHG (Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF). Launched by Charles Schwab in December 2009. Holds about 190 large US companies that are growing faster than average. Why it's on the list: growth exposure for 40 cents a year per $1,000. Some of the lowest fees out there.
๐ก๏ธ STEADY: for when the market gets loud
XLV (Health Care Select Sector SPDR). One of the original sector funds, launched by State Street in December 1998. Holds about 60 health care companies from the S&P 500: drug makers, insurers, medical devices. Why it's on the list: people need health care in booms and recessions, so this one tends to hold up better when things get shaky.
BND (Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF). Launched by Vanguard in April 2007. Owns around 15,000 US government and corporate bonds. Why it's on the list: bonds are the shock absorbers of a portfolio. When stocks drop, a bond fund usually moves a lot less. It pays interest, too.
๐ธ LAST: money that pays you to hold it
VIG (Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF). Launched in April 2006. Holds about 340 US companies with a track record of raising their dividends year after year. Why it's on the list: it's not about the biggest dividend today. It's about companies that keep giving their shareholders a raise.
VYM (Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF). Launched in November 2006. Holds about 600 US companies that pay above-average dividends. Why it's on the list: more income now than VIG, spread across hundreds of companies so no single one can sink you.
Your homework this week
Open whatever you already invest in (401k, IRA, brokerage app). Find the expense ratio for each fund. Multiply it by 10 to get the yearly fee per $1,000. Anything over $5? That's a fee worth questioning.
Then hit reply and tell me what you found. I read every one.
๐ Start here if you're new
Before you invest a dollar, find out where the last one went. (Halloween candy counts.)
Want the full step-by-step? My $50 book bundle is here: less than one family dinner out.
One more thing: I'm taking 5 people
I'm opening 5 free spots in a small group I'm calling 101. Four weeks. You pick a way to make extra money (sell what you have, sell a skill you have, or create content), and I help you build the plan, give you your homework and check on you every week. The catch: you have to show up, and give me honest feedback at the end. Reply "101" to this email if you want in.
Go grow your bag. Bye! ๐
Amira Nicole
TikTok ยท Stan Store ยท
P.S. I didn't dig through a single government filing to find this stuff. AllSight reads them for me in plain English. First 2 weeks free. (affiliate link)
Fund details as of 10/26/2026, from each fund's provider. Fees and holdings change. Education only, not financial advice. Some links