Warren Buffett's Advice for Young Investors Comes Down to One Low-Cost S&P 500 ETF: $VOO

Warren Buffett's recommendation for ordinary investors centers on a single fund, according to TheStreet: the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF ($VOO). In his 2013 letter to Berkshire shareholders, Buffett wrote that his estate's trustee should put 90% of cash in a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund, naming Vanguard specifically. The 90% stock and 10% bond split was for his estate, not a universal prescription.
$VOO tracks roughly 500 of the largest U.S. companies and has an expense ratio of 0.03% per year, or $3 annually on a $10,000 balance. It also pays quarterly dividends.
The article says young investors have the edge of time, with a 25-year-old having roughly 40 years before traditional retirement age. It suggests capturing an employer's 401(k) match first, then opening a Roth IRA, with a 2026 contribution limit of $7,500, and setting up automatic contributions.
The article also notes that $VOO is a U.S. large-cap fund with a heavy weighting toward technology, holds no foreign companies, and should not be bought before building an emergency fund of three to six months of expenses.