Index Fund Starter Kit: Plain Guide + Growth, Fee & Freedom-Number Calculator (Google Sheets & Excel)
Your first index fund, step by step: what it is, what it costs, which account, and a plan built on your own numbers.
No hype and no fund picks. This kit teaches you how to choose, then lets you test your plan in a spreadsheet.
What's inside
- A 12-page plain-English guide: what an index fund is, the main types (S&P 500, total market, international, bonds, target-date), how fees work, the main US account types (401(k), IRA, Roth IRA, HSA, taxable), a common order of steps, buying and automating your first fund, and what to do when the market drops. Plus a 'My plan' worksheet and a checklist.
- Growth tab: your starting amount and monthly amount at three return rates you choose (low, middle, high), with a chart.
- Fee Drag tab: what a fund's yearly fee could cost you in dollars over 10, 20 and 30 years.
- Freedom Number tab: a rough sketch of how much might cover a year of spending, and how long it could take at your pace.
Works in Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel. Yellow cells are yours to fill; everything else calculates. We tested every formula against a separate calculation.
Honest note
Educational only: not financial, investment or tax advice, and no recommendation to buy any fund. The spreadsheet's results depend entirely on the return rates you type in; real markets go up and down, and you can lose money. Contribution limits change yearly, so the guide points you to IRS.gov for current numbers. The account chapter is US-specific; a page for non-US readers is included.
