*Web Novel chapter below*
How to Invest in Index Funds: A Beginner’s Guide to Effortless Wealth-Building
Investing can feel like a maze of confusing options and risky bets—especially if you’re just starting out. But there’s one strategy that cuts through the noise with its simplicity, low cost, and proven results: index fund investing. If you’re searching for a beginner-friendly way to grow your wealth over time, index funds are your golden ticket. In this guide, we’ll explain what index funds are, why they’re perfect for beginners, and how to get started today—complete with trusted platforms where you can sign up. By the end, you’ll have a clear, actionable path to launch your investment journey.
What Are Index Funds?
Imagine owning a small piece of the entire stock market without having to pick individual stocks. That’s the magic of an index fund. It’s a type of mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF) that mirrors a specific market index, like the S&P 500 or the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Instead of betting on one company, you’re investing in hundreds—like Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon—all at once. It’s less about chasing winners and more about riding the market’s natural growth.
Why Index Funds Are Perfect for Beginners
Index funds are the go-to choice for new investors, and here’s why:
- Instant Diversification: One fund spreads your money across hundreds of companies, so a single stock’s stumble won’t derail your progress.
- Low Fees: No need for expensive stock-picking experts—index funds keep costs down.
- Set It and Forget It: No market expertise needed. Just invest and let time do the heavy lifting.
- Proven Track Record: Studies show index funds often outperform actively managed funds, making them a reliable path to long-term wealth.
How to Start Investing in Index Funds: A 3-Step Guide
Ready to take control of your financial future? Follow these simple steps to begin your index fund journey.
Step 1: Choose a Brokerage Account
A brokerage account is your gateway to buying index funds. Think of it as your investment dashboard. Here are three top platforms perfect for beginners:
- Vanguard: The pioneer of low-cost index funds. Sign up here.
- Fidelity: Offers zero-fee index funds with no minimums. Get started.
- Charles Schwab: Known for stellar customer support. Open an account.
Pro Tip: Look for platforms with low fees, a variety of funds, and an easy-to-use interface. Most let you start with as little as $1!
Step 2: Pick the Right Index Fund
Once your account is set up, choose a fund that matches your goals:
- S&P 500 Index Funds: Tracks the 500 largest U.S. companies (e.g., Vanguard’s VOO). Perfect for broad market exposure.
- Total Stock Market Index Funds: Includes small, mid, and large-cap stocks (e.g., Schwab’s SWTSX). Maximum diversification.
- International Index Funds: Invests globally (e.g., Fidelity’s FZILX). Adds worldwide balance.
Newbie Hack: Start with an S&P 500 or total market fund for simplicity and growth potential.
Step 3: Make Your First Investment
Now, it’s time to put your money to work:
- Fund Your Account: Transfer as little as $1–$100 to get started.
- Buy Your Fund: Search for your chosen fund (e.g., VOO at Vanguard) and hit “buy.”
- Automate It: Set up automatic investments—like $50 a month—to grow your wealth effortlessly.
Quick Links:
Why Index Funds Are a Smart Choice
- Lower Risk: Diversification cushions you from single-stock disasters.
- Tax-Friendly: Fewer trades mean fewer taxable events.
- Long-Term Gains: With the market’s historical 7–10% annual return, index funds are a retirement-building powerhouse.
Risks to Keep in Mind
No investment is bulletproof. Here’s what to watch:
- Market Swings: When the market dips, so does your fund. But history shows it bounces back.
- No Big Wins: You won’t beat the market—but for most, matching it is a win.
Tips for Index Fund Success
- Invest Regularly: Use dollar-cost averaging to smooth out market highs and lows.
- Diversify Further: Add international or bond funds as your portfolio grows.
- Stay the Course: Don’t panic-sell during downturns. Long-term investors win by holding steady.
Real-Life Success Story: Sarah’s $240,000 Nest Egg
Meet Sarah, a 30-year-old teacher who invested $200 a month in an S&P 500 index fund. After 30 years, her $72,000 in contributions ballooned to over $240,000—thanks to the market’s average 7% return. No stock-picking, no stress—just consistent investing through platforms like Fidelity or Vanguard.
Start Your Investment Journey Today
Index funds are your beginner-friendly path to low-cost, reliable wealth-building. Sign up with a trusted brokerage like Vanguard, Fidelity, or Charles Schwab, pick a fund, and start with as little as $50 a month. The sooner you begin, the more time your money has to grow. Take that first step now—your future self will thank you!
I was reincarnated as bait for the summoned hero
After getting plenty of rest in the container house, both my physical and mental energy have recovered.
Of course, my magic power has also fully returned. At this rate, I feel like I could easily fire off three high-level, wide-range spells without breaking a sweat.
I ate a bit too much last night, so I kept breakfast light.
It was some Chinese porridge from a retort pouch that I had bought at the convenience store. The dashi was well-seasoned, and it was deeply satisfying.
Even Sheera, who usually loves meat, seemed to have overdone it last night because she quietly slurped on her Chinese porridge this morning.
Fighting on a full stomach can be tough, so it’s best to eat only until you’re 80% full. Thanks to plenty of sleep and good quality food, my magic power has also been restored, so this amount of food is just right.
The lowest level of the Anheim Dungeon is the eightieth floor.
If we conquer three more floors, we’ll reach the room of the final boss.
“Next up is the seventy-seventh floor.”
Early in the morning. Standing in the dungeon still wrapped in morning mist, I stored the container house set up in the safety area into my [Item Box].
The golden dragon Rei seems to be in her adventurer form again today. She furrowed her elegant brows, deep in thought.
“What’s wrong?”
“…Hmm. Perhaps we’ve been relaxing a bit too much. It seems noisy down below.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously.”
Rei nodded lightly with a completely serious expression.
Sheera and Kotesu seemed to sense the mood and silently stared at me.
“…Is it really that bad?”
“Yeah. At the pace we were going before, it might get difficult to suppress the flood of monsters.”
“……”
Apparently, the strongest golden dragon can grasp the situation inside the dungeon using her [Presence Detection] skill.
We had already dealt with the excessive number of monsters and magical beasts below the seventieth floor, but it seems that the upper floors have become more ominous.
“Could it be the work of the temporary demon lord who replaced the last boss?”
Since it hasn’t been confirmed as a demon yet, I asked Rei about it, referring to it as a “temporary demon.”
“Probably. They must have sensed our presence and are now on guard. I think they’re planning to attack the town of Anheim first.”
“Ah…?”
As expected, even the quasi-last boss noticed us. We had been pretty flashy in defeating enemies, so there’s no helping it.
In that case, there’s only one thing we can do.
“We need to hurry to the lowest floor.”
“Are you finally going to get serious?”
A sly smile crept across Rei’s lips as she looked at me with mischief in her eyes.
“…Tohma, weren’t you serious before?”
Sheera blinked, unable to ignore the implication.
There was no way to dodge this.
Kotesu yawned as if pretending not to notice, while Rei smirked mischievously. I shot them a resentful look.
“This man cleared the infamous hardest dungeon, the Demon Mountain Dungeon hidden within the Great Forest!”
“Come to think of it, I did hear something about that.”
“He’s the kind of guy who can solo an intermediate dungeon while whistling.”
“I don’t whistle, but… well…”
That said, this time the Anheim Dungeon had become troublesome because the number of monsters and magical beasts had grown almost to the point of a stampede.
Even individually weak beasts became annoying when surrounded by hundreds of them.
(Plus, this time, Sheera is with us.)
With a girl whose level is still low and relatively weak, we couldn’t push forward recklessly while protecting her. Rei’s remark likely foresaw this.
“Was I holding us back?”
“Not exactly…?”
Sheera clenched her lips tightly, her shoulders slumping dejectedly.
“In that case, I’ll evacuate to the sky from here on out so I won’t get in the way on the lower floors.”
“Sheera.”
“I’ll take care of the aerial magical beasts. This time, Kotesu should stay behind too. Don’t get in Tohma’s way.”
“Mew…?”
Picking up the kitten with one hand, Rei placed it on her shoulder.
She gently patted Sheera’s shoulder, and the girl nodded, transforming into a silver bird.
Peeking out from her clothes, Crow Sheera began packing away items and outfits into the storage magic tool.
“On the seventy-seventh floor, a flock of Griffin s awaits. Swift elimination is necessary.”
‘Leave the drop item collection to me!’
“Nya!”
Though Rei watched indifferently, it was reassuring to have supportive words from Sheera and Kotesu.
“Rei, I’m counting on you to look after those two.”
“Leave it to me.”
Touching the teleportation gate, I descended to the seventy-seventh floor.
The Griffin s awaited us in a field where ruins lay half-buried in a lush forest.
The area designed to resemble ancient ruins looked impressive, but if we didn’t quickly eliminate the flock of Griffin s, the city of Anheim would soon be overrun by hordes of magical beasts.
“It’d be a shame if anything happened to the two-story cottage I worked hard to summon using my saved points.”
Although my prideful home came equipped with barrier magic tools, it was unclear whether it could withstand the overwhelming tide of magical beasts and monsters.
(Even the safety area seemed on the verge of being breached.)
There was no point conserving magic power here.
Sheera and Kotesu were protected on Rei’s dragon form. I decided to unleash my attack magic to its fullest potential.
◆◇◆
One after another, the Griffin s were mercilessly slashed apart.
The magic I used was wind magic. Even mid-level attack magic, when infused with mana, had high killing power. Spells of this level consumed little mana, allowing me to cast them repeatedly.
I sent Air Cutters flying in all directions like boomerangs, severing the necks and torsos of the Griffin s.
For High Elves, this lush forest was akin to their own backyard. The ruins and trees were like a playground for someone skilled in parkour.
Manipulating the wind, I propelled myself into the air, leaping onto a Griffin mid-flight.
Forcing the enraged Griffin into submission, I sliced apart any unruly creatures targeting the baby dragon or the silver crow with blades of wind.
“Hmm, is that all?”
Breaking the neck of the Griffin I was riding, I gracefully landed on the ground.
I scanned the surroundings and activated my [Presence Detection] skill, but there were no more hostile magical beasts left in this field.
‘Impressive. Leave the drop items to me.’
The baby dragon and the cat spirit Ketti gathered the dropped items using their spirit magic, tossing them into my [Item Box].
I could inspect them later. There were roughly four hundred magic stones, and I found what appeared to be a magic tool among the drops, so expectations were high.
After quickly hydrating, I teleported to the seventy-eighth floor.
Unlike the previous natural fields, the seventy-eighth floor had drastically changed in appearance.
An eerie field illuminated only by pale moonlight. A solitary church stood atop a hill, surrounded by a graveyard.
“Undead, huh? How troublesome.”
Crawling out of the graveyard were corpse people, and guarding the church were skeleton soldiers.
The dark shadows flitting through the air were wraiths.
‘Leave it to me!’
Sheera’s telepathic voice rang out.
A sharp streak of light cut through the dark night sky, causing the wraiths to vanish.
The silver crow held in its beak a purification staff dropped by the High Orc King.
‘I can use Purify Cleanse now too!’
While she had mostly been using Wash spells, it seemed she could indeed use Purify Cleanse as well.
As expected of a mythical beast chick. Although mediated by magic tools, she could wield holy magic masterfully.
The purified undead dropped magic stones and gems.
The wraiths, which were once holy priests, disappeared, leaving behind silver rosaries.
Upon appraising them, they turned out to be magic tools that repel low-level undead.
(This should sell for a good price.)
Nobles would surely snap up accessories that repel evil spirits.
For now, though, I had to deal with the troublesome corpse people and skeleton legion.
I remembered a usable magic weapon among the spoils from the Demon Mountain Dungeon, which I had left in my [Item Box].
“Here it is. The Holy Spear.”
Blessed by a god, this sacred weapon could annihilate undead.
Skeletons could be shattered into pieces, but corpse people required burning with light or fire magic until they turned to ash.
Though they weren’t strong individually, dealing with them was tedious.
“But with this spear…!”
Just grazing them caused the cursed corpses, skeletons, and wraiths to vanish.
“…This is actually pretty fun.”
Had it not worked, I would’ve had to continuously blast fire and light magic, but even intangible wraiths were easily defeated.
Efficiently clearing them out, I kicked open the church door in search of the floor boss.
Standing in front of what appeared to be a large altar was—
“A vampire?”
