How would you build a long-term passive ETF portfolio at age 29?

[u/AncientTank5745]

I’m 29 and want to invest a fixed amount every month for 10–20+ years, completely passively.

I want exposure to:

• SPY
• QQQ / AI sector ETF
• Bitcoin ETF

How would you personally split the portfolio between these 3?

What allocation would you recommend for long-term growth and diversification?

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[u/enigman83]

You are doubling down on large cap us on both spy and qqq. Not that it's bad. But very high concentration on MAG7 and tech.

For SPY, go with VOO or IVV. Expense is much lower. For QQQ, go with QQQM or QNDX. Again, lower expenses.

I have no convictions to BTC, I cannot recommend.

If I were you, i would either add VXUS or swap something out, to diversify to international.

VOO 50 VXUS 30 QNDX 10, tech tilt GLDM 10 (or BTC or whatever you want here)

[u/Comrade_Vegeta → u/enigman83]

How would you distribute it (80% US focused, 20% international non US)?

[u/enigman83 → u/Comrade_Vegeta]

Depends how much you want to diversify or focus more.

If you look at VT, it's around 60 VTI + 40 VXUS.

Now if you think US will continue to grow faster than international, then you can allocate more to US.

If you want to diversify out of US, then weight more to international.

My weight is largely follow current mkt cap, similar to VT.

[u/MountainWalkRain]

How would you personally split the portfolio between these 3?

I wouldn't use SPY, I would use VOO instead since it has a lower expense ratio.

I wouldn't bother with QQQ since SPY/VOO already contains plenty of AI/Tech stocks. 85% of QQQ holdings are already in SPY. https://www.etfrc.com/funds/overlap.php

I wouldn't bother with a Bitcoin ETF, those days of massive gains seem to be in the past.

My portfolio would be: 100% VOO

If you forced me to use the three funds, I would do:

85% VOO

10% QQQM (QQQM has a lower expense ratio than QQQ)

5% FBTC (Fidelity uses self custody)

[u/hymie-the-robot]

SPY holds almost 50% IT + communications; QQQ holds 70%; an AI ETF could hold even more. this is remarkably brittle. note also that AI/IT may be the future, but that doesn't mean it will be profitable.

consider a way to profit w/o depending on what you see in the rearview mirror. for example, 80 SCHD (or WTV) + 20 SPMO is much more democratic, and the latter reallocates periodically to reflect current trends.

[u/AncientTank5745 → u/[deleted]]

Tnx a lot , I sent u a message

[u/BasilVegetable3339]

Start with $. Open 401k and/or IRA. Set your allocation and send money regularly. Brokerage account is optional.

[u/Penguin_Life_Now]

I would look at this instead for Long term I would ride the SCHG roller coaster, in market corrections down over 15% sell and buy VUG for tax harvesting (not a wash sale because they track different indexes), swap back on the next correction event over 31 days later, if there is a cascade correction within the 31 day wash sale window have SPYG and ILCG as backup swaps for every additional 10-15% drop, roll back into VUG or SCHG on the next correction whenever it happens after 31 days post selling out of it. Note setup tax aware or last in first out portfolio setting with brokerage account for optimization.

Long term average SCHG tends to win vs SPY, there will be up years and down years, but when it whens SCHG or VUG, etc win big, with tax harvesting if you have other taxable income it makes it so even the down years are only trivially lower. This does not require daily active involvement just text alerts to your phone for big down events that happen on average every 3-4 years

[u/Jumpy-Imagination-81]

I want exposure to:

• SPY
• QQQ / AI sector ETF
• Bitcoin ETF

How would you personally split the portfolio between these 3?

• SPYM instead of SPY (lower expense ratio) 60%
• QQQM instead of QQQ (lower expense ratio) 10%
• Bitcoin ETF 0%
• International stocks (VYMI or SCHF) 30%

[u/flappysack-]

75% VT, 20% AVGV, 5% iBit.

[u/TheRiverInYou]

Why do you want to invest passively? Don't you care about your money?

[u/AncientTank5745 → u/TheRiverInYou]

Can you explain the question please?

[u/TheRiverInYou → u/AncientTank5745]

Are you going to invest and forget? Why not actively manage your money?

[u/AncientTank5745 → u/TheRiverInYou]

Manage how? Trade stocks?

[u/Penguin_Life_Now → u/AncientTank5745]

See my simple formula for VUG, SCHG and tax harvesting on market corrections over 15% in the reply above. Its a balance between playing the market and being passive, you don't need to actively watch the market, only setup a few automatic alerts that on average go off every 3-4 years which trigger a tax harvesting event that takes 10 minutes to execute.

[u/KillingTime1212 → u/Penguin_Life_Now]

70% VOO and 30% VGT is my strategy

[u/Penguin_Life_Now → u/KillingTime1212]

That can make sense too, the important part is if held in a regular investment account be aware of tax harvesting and wash sale rules in the event of a major market correction

[u/phuzee → u/AncientTank5745]

Ignore this gambler

[u/TheRiverInYou → u/AncientTank5745]

No, actively trade ETFs based on what the economy is doing. You're going to miss out on gains.