Investing is a marathon, not a sprint. While the stock market has been volatile in 2026, long-term investors are often better served by focusing on years and decades of potential growth rather than reacting to short-term market swings.
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The best long-term ETFs to buy and hold reflect that approach. They combine low costs with broad diversification and substantial assets, making them practical core holdings for investors who want to build wealth over time without constantly buying and selling individual stocks.
Each of these ETFs uses a relatively simple strategy, but together they cover a range of investment objectives, from U.S. stocks and international markets to bonds and gold:
| ETF | Assets under management | Expense ratio |
| Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (ticker: VOO) | $1.7 trillion | 0.03% |
| Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG) | $131 billion | 0.04% |
| iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF) | $126 billion | 0.18% |
| iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) | $111 billion | 0.06% |
| Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (VT) | $98 billion | 0.06% |
| Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) | $397 billion | 0.03% |
| iShares Gold Trust (IAU) | $65 billion | 0.25% |
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO)
Assets under management: $1.7 trillion Expense ratio: 0.03%
With 13% gains on the year so far, the S&P 500 continues to demonstrate the resilience of the U.S. stock market in 2026. For investors who want broad exposure to American stocks, VOO remains one of the most straightforward long-term options. The ETF tracks the S&P 500, giving investors exposure to many of the country’s largest and best-known companies, including JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM), Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ). Rather than trying to identify the next big winner, VOO provides a stake in a broad group of established businesses across the U.S. economy. For investors looking to participate in the long-term growth of the U.S. stock market, VOO offers an efficient, low-cost approach. Its simplicity can also make it easier to hold through periods of market volatility.
Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG)
Assets: $131 billion Expense ratio: 0.04%
Dividends can provide investors with a source of income without requiring them to sell shares. VIG focuses on large-cap companies with established records of increasing their dividend payments, making it a natural choice for investors who value a combination of income, quality and stability. The fund holds blue-chip companies such as Broadcom Inc. (AVGO), Eli Lilly and Co. (LLY) and ExxonMobil Holdings Corp. (XOM). With about 330 dividend-paying companies in its portfolio, VIG also offers substantial diversification rather than relying on a handful of high-yield stocks. VIG may not deliver as much upside as some more growth-oriented ETFs during strong bull markets, but its focus on companies with a history of increasing dividends can make it an appealing long-term holding. The dividend stream can also provide a measure of stability when stock prices are under pressure.
iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF)
Assets: $126 billion Expense ratio: 0.18%
Growth stocks offer a different approach from dividend-focused investments. For investors willing to accept greater volatility in exchange for higher growth potential, IWF provides targeted exposure to some of the largest growth companies in the U.S. The ETF starts with the roughly 1,000 large-cap and mid-cap companies in the Russell 1000 index and selects about 400 based on growth characteristics. Those criteria include measures such as sales growth, profit margins and earnings potential. The resulting portfolio has heavy technology exposure, with leaders such as Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) among its largest holdings. It has relatively little exposure to more value-oriented areas such as utilities, energy, real estate and materials. That concentration makes IWF less diversified across sectors than a broad-market ETF such as VOO, but it also gives investors more direct exposure to companies with strong growth characteristics. For those with a long investment horizon and the ability to tolerate greater swings in value, IWF is an established way to add growth potential to a portfolio.
iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR)
Assets: $111 billion Expense ratio: 0.06%
IJR takes a different approach to long-term growth by focusing on small-cap stocks. The ETF tracks the S&P 600 index, providing exposure to smaller U.S. companies that can have more room to expand than many of the country’s largest corporations. The average market capitalization of the fund’s holdings is just under $4 billion. That gives IJR a higher risk profile than funds focused on large-cap stocks, but it also provides exposure to companies that could become tomorrow’s market leaders. Top holdings currently include satellite communications firm Viasat Inc. (VSAT) and drugmaker Corcept Therapeutics Inc. (CORT), both of which are up more than 100% year to date. Individual small-cap stocks can be extremely volatile, but the fund’s broad portfolio spreads that risk across hundreds of companies. For investors with a long time horizon, that diversification can provide exposure to emerging businesses and potential future winners without requiring them to identify those companies individually.
[Read: 7 Small-Cap Value ETFs to Buy in 2026]
Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (VT)
Assets: $98 billion Expense ratio: 0.06%
The strong performance of international stocks in recent years has underscored the value of geographic diversification. VT provides an easy way to spread stock market exposure across the U.S. and international markets in a single ETF. The fund holds nearly 10,000 stocks around the world. Although it remains heavily weighted toward large U.S. companies such as Apple Inc. (AAPL), it also provides exposure to markets including Japan and the U.K. Roughly 60% of the portfolio is U.S.-based. That global reach can be useful for investors who do not want their entire stock portfolio tied to the performance of one country. Instead of trying to predict which region or market will perform best in the years ahead, VT provides broad exposure to companies around the world. For long-term investors seeking a simple way to diversify geographically, VT offers a broad portfolio that includes many of the world’s leading companies as well as businesses outside the usual group of U.S. market leaders.
Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND)
Assets: $397 billion Expense ratio: 0.03%
BND provides broad exposure to the U.S. bond market, giving investors access to a mix of government debt and investment-grade corporate bonds. That makes it a useful counterweight to an equity-heavy portfolio. Treasury yields have climbed significantly over the last year or so, with 30-year bond yields reaching a 19-year high. BND’s current payout is about 4.7%, based on the last 30 days of distributions. Unlike stocks, bonds are generally included in a portfolio not for maximum growth potential but for income, diversification and greater stability. BND spreads its holdings across a wide range of government and investment-grade corporate debt rather than relying on individual bonds. For investors who want to balance the higher volatility of stocks with a broad, relatively lower-risk fixed-income allocation, BND is a straightforward option.
iShares Gold Trust (IAU)
Assets: $65 billion Expense ratio: 0.25%
Investors looking beyond stocks and bonds can use gold as another source of diversification. IAU is one of the most popular ways to gain exposure to gold without having to buy, store and insure physical bars. Gold prices are up about 31% in the last 12 months, reflecting renewed interest in the metal as an alternative asset. Gold does not generate income like stocks that pay dividends or bonds that make interest payments, and it is unlikely to match the growth potential of the strongest technology stocks over long periods. Its role in a portfolio is different. Gold can serve as a potential safe haven during periods of market volatility and provide diversification when stocks and other financial assets are under pressure. IAU tracks the price of physical gold bullion rather than investing in gold-mining companies or other derivatives. Shares have lost some momentum in recent months, but gold can still play a useful role for investors seeking another layer of diversification and a long-term store of value.
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7 Best Long-Term ETFs to Buy and Hold originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 08/19/26: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
