Core Viewpoint - Investing in a broad exchange-traded fund (ETF) like the iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (ITOT) can be more effective than selecting individual stocks, as evidenced by its 202% increase over the past decade, turning a $1,000 investment into $3,020 [1][6] Summary by Category ETF Overview - The iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF includes small-, mid-, and large-cap stocks, providing comprehensive exposure to the U.S. equity market, unlike other indexes that focus on specific company sizes [2][6] - ITOT is weighted by market capitalization, resulting in larger companies comprising a greater portion of the ETF, with the tech sector representing approximately one-third of the ETF [3] Performance and Cost - Over the past decade, ITOT's stock price has increased by over 200%, demonstrating strong performance for a diversified ETF [6] - ITOT has a low expense ratio of 0.03%, meaning an investor pays only $0.30 annually for every $1,000 invested, making it one of the cheapest ETFs available [3][6] Investment Considerations - Analysts from The Motley Fool Stock Advisor have identified 10 stocks they believe are better investment opportunities than ITOT, suggesting that while ITOT is a solid choice, there may be more lucrative options available [4][5]