It’s hard to ignore the latest headlines given the volatility on Wall Street in 2025 and the real impact on day-to-day pricing of various assets. Most investors are in it for the long haul, however, planning for retirement or financial goals that are still many years down the road.
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That’s why it’s critical to consider long-term exchange-traded funds (or ETFs) to buy and hold, even if some of these funds haven’t been doing grand in recent weeks. While it’s dangerous to just stick your head in the ground and ignore recent events, it can be equally dangerous to fixate on today’s market environment at the cost of long-term financial success.
The following seven funds are among the best long-term ETFs thanks to massive asset balances, low cost structures, and simple but effective approaches to driving returns:
| Long-term ETF | Assets | Expense ratio |
| Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (ticker: VOO) | $590 billion | 0.03% |
| iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF) | $96 billion | 0.19% |
| Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG) | $87 billion | 0.05% |
| Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS) | $83 billion | 0.05% |
| Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (VT) | $42 billion | 0.06% |
| Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) | $128 billion | 0.03% |
| iShares Gold Trust (IAU) | $46 billion | 0.25% |
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO)
Assets: $590 billion Expense ratio: 0.03%
A go-to ETF for any long-term investor, VOO recently unseated the similar SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) to rank as the largest ETF by assets on U.S. exchanges. This dominance is thanks to its elegantly straightforward strategy. This ETF tracks the S&P 500 index of the most prominent blue-chip companies to provide exposure to the companies you know well — from megabank JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) to trillion-dollar tech leader Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) to health care icon Johnson & Johnson (JNJ). If you want to play the U.S. stock market over the years to come, this Vanguard ETF provides the most straightforward way to do so — as do other lookalike S&P 500 funds like SPY and the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV), each of which also command more than $500 billion in assets.
iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF)
Assets: $96 billion Expense ratio: 0.19%
For investors who are interested in a short list of dominant U.S. companies but would prefer to skip over some of the sleepier corners of Wall Street, this iShares growth ETF takes the the largest 1,000 stocks that make up the Russell 1000 index of large-cap and mid-sized stocks, and then selects the top 400 or so based on growth criteria such as sales and profit expansion. The result is a focused list that still includes S&P 500 favorites like Apple Inc. (AAPL) but almost entirely cuts out utilities, energy, real estate, and materials stocks that collectively represent less than 2% of the entire fund’s assets. If you are looking for long-term growth, IWF is a well-established and cost-effective way to position your portfolio for success.
Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG)
Assets: $87 billion Expense ratio: 0.05%
VIG is by many measures the largest dividend stock ETF out there, with a portfolio of about 340 large-cap dividend stocks with a record of growing their payouts over time. The overall yield may be lower than some funds out there, currently ranking at about 1.7% compared with just under 1.5% for the S&P 500 index on average right now. But the potential for future dividend growth as well as current payouts is what makes this fund attractive. Top holdings at present include Big Tech dividend stocks like Microsoft as well as payments leader Visa Inc. (V), pharmaceuticals giant Eli Lilly and Co. (LLY) and energy icon ExxonMobil Corp. (XOM).
[Read: 6 of the Best AI ETFs to Buy for 2025]
Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS)
Assets: $83 billion Expense ratio: 0.05%
One of the big stories in 2025 has been the outperformance of select European and Asian companies even as U.S. stocks have largely stumbled. But rather than chase the latest tickers in the news, investors may want to consider a long-term investing strategy that includes broad geographic diversification should such circumstances happen again in the years ahead. The Vanguard Total International Stock ETF gives investors access to more than 8,500 stocks headquartered in foreign markets around the world. Many are well-established and familiar, including Asian tech firm Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSM), Swiss consumer products giant Nestle SA (OTC: NSRGY) and Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp. (TM). Top regions of focus include Japan at 15%, China at 9% and the United Kingdom at 9% of assets right now.
Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (VT)
Assets: $42 billion Expense ratio: 0.06%
Perhaps the simplest long-term ETF for those who don’t want to horserace different flavors of stocks, this Vanguard fund holds more than 9,700 stocks across the U.S., developed markets like Europe, and emerging markets like Asia and South America. That gives a “total stock market” approach — though it’s worth noting the fund is weighted by market value so big names like Apple represent a much larger share of the portfolio than smaller, unknown components. Specifically, roughly 62% of the portfolio is in the U.S. and about 23% is allocated to the tech sector, so VT is not investing in every area of the market equally. That said, the sheer number of companies and countries that are covered helps ensure any investor’s cash is spread around in a diversified manner.
Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND)
Assets: $128 billion Expense ratio: 0.03%
Stocks should be a core part of any long-term investing strategy, but diversifying into other assets can also be beneficial and reduce your overall risk profile. BND is a powerful way to do exactly that, ranking among the 10 largest exchange-traded funds of any kind and providing a simple way to play the full breadth of fixed-income investments. This long-term ETF has an enormous portfolio of more than 17,000 investment-grade bonds including debt securities from top corporations like Bank of America Corp. (BAC) as well as U.S. Treasurys. Right now, about 51% of total assets are in government bonds, with another 26% or so in corporate debt and most of the rest in securitized bonds that focus on pools of mortgage-related assets. Together, the bonds in this fund add up to drive a yield of 4.4% — about triple the average dividend among S&P 500 stocks right now.
iShares Gold Trust (IAU)
Assets: $46 billion Expense ratio: 0.25%
Gold is another popular asset for those who want to look beyond stocks and into other investment categories. And considering gold has significantly outperformed both stocks and bonds so far in 2025, up about 25% in an otherwise troubled year for stocks, the power of investing in alternative assets should be clear. Admittedly, there are years that gold underperforms significantly. But the best long-term portfolios are often positioned for consistency and diversification, and this ETF has a lot to offer as part of this more holistic approach. IAU ranks among the largest and most affordable ETFs to get direct exposure to gold, as the fund is tied to physical bullion prices rather than gold miners or other indirect investments in the precious metal.
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7 Best Long-Term ETFs to Buy and Hold originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 04/25/25: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
