What if you'd held VT?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Total World Stock Index ETF (VT) at the month-end close of 2008-06 would be worth $4,747 at the close of 2026-08 — +374.7% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $6,022.
Your scenario
Result
If you'd bought $1,000 at the start of each year
Value of $1,000 invested on January 1 of each year, held to 2026-08, dividends included.
Every year, $1,000 from 2008
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $1,000 | — |
| 2009 | $1,327 | +32.7% |
| 2010 | $1,500 | +13.1% |
| 2011 | $1,388 | -7.5% |
| 2012 | $1,625 | +17.1% |
| 2013 | $1,998 | +22.9% |
| 2014 | $2,071 | +3.7% |
| 2015 | $2,033 | -1.9% |
| 2016 | $2,205 | +8.5% |
| 2017 | $2,746 | +24.5% |
| 2018 | $2,478 | -9.8% |
| 2019 | $3,142 | +26.8% |
| 2020 | $3,663 | +16.6% |
| 2021 | $4,332 | +18.3% |
| 2022 | $3,552 | -18.0% |
| 2023 | $4,335 | +22.0% |
| 2024 | $5,050 | +16.5% |
| 2025 | $6,183 | +22.4% |
| 2026 | $7,086 | +14.6% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought VT was 2009-02 ($18.29): $1,000 then is $8,786 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($161): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in VT be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Vanguard Total World Stock Index ETF (VT) at the start of 2008 would be worth about $4,747 today, a total return of +374.7%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for VT?
Vanguard Total World Stock Index ETF (VT)'s strongest calendar year since 2008 was 2009, a +32.7% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,327 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2022, at -18.0%.
Does the calculator include dividends and splits?
Yes where available. Prices are adjusted for both stock splits and reinvested dividends (total return), the same measure brokerages use.
How much would $100 per month in VT have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2008-06 would have grown to about $69,809 on $21,900 invested.
Did VT beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,022. VT trailed the S&P 500 by +21.2% in total return.
Is this investment advice?
No. What If I'd Held is an entertainment and education tool. Every number is a historical calculation, not a prediction, and past performance never guarantees future results.
Methodology
Vanguard Total World Stock Index ETF (VT) historical total-return data from 2008-06 to 2026-08, reduced to month-end closes for the tables above.
Returns use adjusted close prices from Yahoo Finance historical data — adjusted for stock splits and reinvested dividends — the same convention used by major brokerages. A "year" scenario invests $1,000 at the prior December's month-end close and values it at the latest available month-end close. Non-USD amounts are converted at historical month-end exchange rates (Yahoo Finance): to USD on the buy date and back to your currency at the latest rate, so the return reflects the currency move as well as the asset.
Month-end resolution means intra-month extremes are not captured in tables; the calculator uses exact trading-day closes where daily data is available. Figures ignore taxes, fees, and the currency effects of non-USD listings. History is not a forecast. What If I'd Held is entertainment, not investment advice.
What if you'd held…
Data: adjusted close prices via Yahoo Finance. As of 2026-08. Not financial advice.