Quote: Investors are benefiting, but as the S&P 500 becomes increasingly concentrated — the Mag Seven account for 34% of the S&P’s market value — they remain exposed to the fate of a few enormous companies.

- NASDAQ Composite (heavily tech & growth)

- Russell 2000 (2,000 small cap companies)

- Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index (exposure to nearly all publicly traded companies in the US)

- S&P MidCap 400 (as the name implies; bridges gap between large and small cap)

- S&P SmallCap 600 (600 small-cap US companies, emphasizing firms with strong financial health)

You could also put your money into bonds, but they don't perform as well as equities, but are lower risk. Even though government (muni, state, federal) come with tax benefits, they typically still underperform something like the S&P 500 after tax.

You can also invest your money into property with rental incomes, start your own business, etc., but these all come with the burden of additional effort.

Other alternative assets you can push your money into are things like commodities, collectibles, or cryptocurrencies, with the first having a more predictable, though not guaranteed, demand. And if you want to get more esoteric, you can put your money into derivatives.

All in all, S&P 500 index has stood out for its simplicity, low cost (expense ratios), low effort (you don't have to work or manage), and high returns.

When the tide goes out, it's the people with the 401k's who are be going to be left swimming naked.