The whole job in one line

Open a brokerage account, search VOO, set a recurring buy, turn on DRIP. 15 minutes.

VOO trades like a stock. If you can buy Apple shares, you can buy VOO. Here's the short version.

Pick a broker →

The 5 steps

Pick a broker → open and fund → search VOO → set auto-invest → turn on DRIP.

1

Pick a broker

Commission-free everywhere. Fidelity or Schwab for most people. See the grid below →

2

Open and fund your account

~10 minutes online. Need SSN, ID, and a bank account. ACH transfer takes 1–3 days.

3

Search VOO, place your order

Market order during 9:30am–4pm ET is fine for long-term holders. Market vs limit →

4

Set up auto-invest

Pick an amount, pick a frequency, walk away. Removes the temptation to time the market.

5

Turn on DRIP

Auto-reinvests your quarterly dividends. Free toggle. Compounds for decades.

Pick a broker

All commission-free. Fidelity is the safe pick for most. Skip this section if you already have a broker.

Fidelity

Top pick

Best all-around for most investors.

$1 fractional Auto-invest All account types Affiliate
Open an account →

Charles Schwab

Deep research, full banking integration.

$5 fractional Auto-invest All account types Affiliate
Open an account →

Vanguard

Buy-and-hold loyalists. Platform feels dated; no fractional ETF shares.

No fractional Limited auto-invest
Go to Vanguard →

Robinhood

Simple mobile-first experience. Limited IRA features.

$1 fractional Auto-invest Affiliate
Open an account →

We may earn a commission if you open an account through these links, at no extra cost to you.

Which account type?

Roth IRA wins if you qualify. Otherwise: 401(k) match first, then taxable.

Roth IRA

Best

Best if you qualify and want tax-free growth forever.

$7K/yr cap Tax-free growth Income-limited

Traditional IRA

Best if you want a tax deduction now and will retire in a lower bracket.

$7K/yr cap Tax-deferred

Taxable brokerage

Best if you've maxed tax-advantaged accounts or need liquidity.

No limits Tax on divs

401(k) / 403(b)

Best if your employer matches contributions. Use the S&P 500 index option.

Employer match Plan-dependent

Market order or limit?

For VOO, market order is fine. The spread is essentially zero — it's one of the most-traded ETFs on earth.

Market order

Default

Use when you're buying to hold for years. Fills immediately at the current price.

Instant fill Spread ~$0.01

Limit order

Use when you want to buy only if price drops to a specific level.

Price control May not fill

Investing a dollar amount instead of whole shares? Use fractional or "dollar-based" at Fidelity, Schwab, or Robinhood.

VOO or VFIAX?

Same stocks. Same 0.03% fee. Pick VOO unless you're already all-in at Vanguard and prefer mutual-fund automation.

  VOO (ETF) VFIAX (fund)
Trades Intraday Once daily 4pm ET
Minimum ~$1 (fractional) $3,000
Available at Every broker Vanguard only
Fee 0.03% 0.03%

5 mistakes to avoid

None of these have anything to do with VOO itself. All 5 are about your behavior.

01

Waiting for a dip

Staying on the sidelines costs more than dips save. Every 20-year S&P window has been positive.

02

Trading too often

Buying and selling VOO because the market wobbled is a recipe for destroying returns.

03

Ignoring account type

VOO in taxable while your Roth has room is leaving tax-free growth on the table.

04

Owning VOO and SPY and IVV

Same index, zero extra diversification. Pick one. See VOO vs SPY or VOO vs VTI for the tradeoffs.

05

Skipping DRIP

Cash dividends sitting in your account aren't compounding. Always turn it on.

After you buy

Three things. Then stop looking.

01

Keep contributing

The automated recurring buy is the whole strategy.

02

Keep DRIP on

Compounding does its job quietly.

03

Rebalance yearly

Only if your portfolio has bonds or other funds too. VOO-only? Nothing to do.

Buying VOO from outside the US

VOO is US-listed, so non-US investors need a broker with US market access (Interactive Brokers is the most common). Expect 30% US withholding tax on dividends (reducible under tax treaties), plus currency conversion fees.

Some regions have locally-listed equivalents — VUSA in Europe (Ireland-domiciled, more favorable treaty treatment), VUSA.L on the LSE, and similar ETFs in Canada, Australia, and Japan.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the minimum to buy VOO?

At brokers with fractional shares: $1. Whole-share brokers: the cost of a single share (see the ticker bar on voo.us for today's price). Vanguard imposes no ETF minimum.

Can I buy VOO on Robinhood?

Yes. Every major US broker carries VOO commission-free — Robinhood, Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard, Interactive Brokers.

VOO or VFIAX?

Same stocks, same 0.03% fee. VOO is the ETF (intraday trading, $1 minimum, any broker). VFIAX is the mutual fund (once-daily pricing, $3,000 minimum, Vanguard-only). VOO is more flexible for most.

Roth IRA or taxable?

Roth IRA if you qualify — growth and dividends are tax-free forever. Taxable works too because VOO rarely distributes capital gains.

Lump sum or dollar-cost average?

Lump sum wins about two-thirds of the time since markets rise more than they fall. DCA avoids bad-entry risk and is easier emotionally. For a steady paycheck: automatic recurring purchases are the practical pick.