When it comes to investing in the stock market, there are so many ways to create passive income. All the different investing strategies can feel overwhelming!

My favorite passive income strategy is index fund investing. It's how I was able to replace my salary and leave the corporate world.

That's right, I currently live off my passive income from index fund investing.

First, what exactly is an index fund?

An index fund is a portfolio of stocks or bonds that tracks the performance of a financial market index, such as the S&P 500.

What's the best index fund to invest in? Not sure how to get started with index fund investing? 

Studies show that if you have many years ahead of you before retirement, a portfolio of 80% stocks and 20% bonds provides great returns over time.

You'll simply have to rebalance it periodically to keep your portfolio 80/20. As you near retirement, let's say 5 years to retiring, a higher percentage of bonds is recommended to help smooth out market volatility.

Personally, I like to keep my portfolio simple: 100% VTSAX. 0% Bonds. 

It may not outperform an 80/20 portfolio but I like not having to rebalance my portfolio periodically. After all, this website is named "NotABondGirl" for a reason!

Interested in creating passive income through index fund investing too?

Then you probably already know that the path to financial wealth is to have your money work for you. Investing in index funds allows your money to compound over time so that you can earn money while you sleep.

Not interested in stock picking and day trading? Want to sleep soundly at night despite the volatility of the markets?

Studies show that if you have many years (decades) ahead of you before retirement, a portfolio of 80% stocks and 20% bonds provides great returns over time.

You'll simply have to rebalance it periodically to keep your portfolio 80/20. As you near retirement, a higher percentage of bonds is recommended to help smooth out market volatility.

Personally, I like to keep my portfolio simple: 100% Stocks. 0% Bonds. It may not outperform an 80/20 portfolio but I like not having to rebalance my portfolio periodically.

Specifically, I follow author of “The Simple Path to Wealth” Jim L. Collins investment strategy.

I have a Vanguard brokerage account and invest in Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Admiral Shares (VTSAX). 

It is a low cost index fund that hits all the diversification points mentioned above.

According to Collins, investing in the well diversified VTSAX is the simplest path to wealth.

He recommends investing 100% in VTSAX. Upon reaching retirement, then rebalance your portfolio to 75% VTSAX and 25% VBTLX (bonds).

VTSAX allows for a diversified portfolio as it covers being:

• Diversified across different asset classes
• Diversified within asset classes
• Diversified across markets, countries and currencies
• Diversified across time

What does it mean to be diversified across time? I’m talking at least a ten year long term investment strategy. No jumping in and out of the market.

Even the top financial gurus are not able to predict the right time to buy stocks. By adding to my index fund portfolio systematically over months and years, I reduced my risk and increased my returns over time.

This was a major factor in helping me reach financial independence retire early (FIRE) at 35.

Yes, 100% of my investment portfolio is invested in VTSAX. And I sleep very well each night.

Well technically, 5% of my investments are in index funds similar to VTSAX because previous 401K Plans and other job related retirement accounts did not offer VTSAX in the benefits package. 

So I selected the closest index funds to VTSAX. But basically, I'm "Not A Bond Girl" and very much a "Stock Girl."

Interested in taking a deeper look into this passive income strategy?

Read “The Simple Path to Wealth” here!

Or if you're like me and prefer audiobooks, I bought mine on Amazon to listen to over and over for the investment tips and mainly for the inspiration.

Check out the audio version of "The Simplest Path to Wealth" here.