At no point I called it low risk. It's high risk / high return. The risk of high financial exposure to such funds can only be taken until 40, because one needs to be able to not sell during the entire economic downturn.
Most index-fund based retirement investment packages focus on 80/20, 60/40, and 40/60 stock-to-bond split, depending on your current age.
Nasdaq-100 or SP-500 can be a part of a medium-risk investment portfolio as long as the exposure to them is adjusted based on the period of time left until retirement.
It's a medium-risk strategy to keep up to 80% of your retirement portfolio invested in Nasdaq-100 or SP-500 in your 20s, up to 60% in your 40s, and up to 40% in your 60s. As long as the rest of the portfolio is invested in low-risk government bonds.
The last 15 years:
2019 35.23% 2018 -3.88% 2017 28.24% 2016 7.50% 2015 5.73% 2014 13.40% 2013 38.32% 2012 15.91% 2011 -1.80% 2010 16.91% 2009 43.89% 2008 -40.54% 2007 9.81% 2006 9.52% 2005 1.37% 2004 8.59%
At no point I called it low risk. It's high risk / high return. The risk of high financial exposure to such funds can only be taken until 40, because one needs to be able to not sell during the entire economic downturn.