Don't Let Dips Derail Your Gains

Market dips are never fun, and right now we're in one. The S&P 500 is down roughly 5-7% so far in 2025, which can feel unsettling. But here’s some perspective: dips like this are surprisingly common.

I looked back at the performance of VOO, Vanguard's S&P 500 index ETF. Over the past 10 years, VOO has experienced drops of 5% or more 11 times. That's more than once a year on average.

Despite those dips, VOO has gained 240% over that same period. In other words, $10,000 invested in 2016 would now be worth over $30,000—but only if you stayed invested through the turbulence.

The takeaway? Market dips are part of the journey. Staying the course is key—you can’t get market returns without market risk.