11 of the Best ETFs for Long-Term Growth (2023)

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are popular investment vehicles for DIY investors to diversify their portfolios and grow wealth over the long term. Many ETFs have very low expense ratios. There are also a wide variety of options, so you can select one that fits your investment goals and your situation.

We’re going to look at some of the best ETFs for the long-term growth of your wealth. ETFs can be an excellent buy-and-hold asset for those investing for retirement or other long-term goals. Essentially, you’ll get a portfolio of growth stocks with a single fund.

The purpose of this article is to highlight some ETFs that may be a good fit for long-term investors. This is not investment advice. If you have questions about your finances, seek personalized help from a financial professional.

How to Invest in ETFs

Investing in ETFs is simple, which is one of the reasons why they’re so popular. You may already have an account that allows you to purchase ETFs, but if not, here are three options worth considering.

Public.com

Public.com is an investing app that allows you to trade stocks and ETFs, including all of the ETFs featured in this article. You’ll get commission-free trades and the ability to purchase fractional shares.

One of the interesting ways that Public.com stands out from other investing apps is through social features and functionality. The app is a cross between investing app and social media platform. You can follow investors, connect with your friends, and learn from other people. If you’re looking for a user-friendly investing app, Public.com is a great choice.

Join Public to get up to $300 of free stock when you make a deposit.*

Webull

Webull is another investing app that offers commission-free trades and the ability to purchase fractional shares. It doesn’t have the social features you’d get with Public.com, but Webull does provide some helpful tools for research and analysis.

Webull currently offers new users up to 12 free stocks for trying the platform. You’ll get two free stocks (each worth $3 – $3,000) for signing up. Deposit any amount to get up to 10 more free stocks. Sign up for Webull through this link to be eligible for the bonus.

M1 Finance

M1 Finance offers automated investing with no management fees. It provides some of the same benefits you would get from a robo advisor, but without the fees. With a free M1 Finance account, you can invest in stocks and ETFs, including all of the ETFs featured in this article. You can even purchase fractional shares if you want to get started with a small amount.

When you create a free account with M1 Finance, you’ll select a “pie” that you want to invest in. The pie determines the specific investments that will be included in your portfolio, and the percentages of each. There are more than 80 expertly-created pies, or you create your own. Once you’ve selected a pie, all you need to do is contribute money to your account and M1 Finance will automatically invest it according to your pie.

Right now, M1 Finance is offering a $10 bonus for new customers if you sign up through this link. Sign up and fund your account, and you’ll get a $10 bonus to invest.

For more details, see How to Buy an ETF.

The Best ETFs For Long-Term Growth

The ETFs listed below are not ranked. They’re all excellent options, and which one is best will be determined by your particular situation. They’re listed according to category, so similar funds are close to each other within the list.

The details for each growth ETF listed below are taken from VettaFi and are valid as of the day this article was updated, December 20, 2022. Check the current details, as they will change with time.

Related: How to Get Free Stocks

1. Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI)

Vanguard’s Total Stock Market ETF is an extremely popular option ($245 billion in assets under management) for investors looking to get broad exposure to the stock market as a whole. It’s also worth pointing out that Vanguard’s VTSAX index fund is very similar, except it’s a mutual fund instead of an ETF.

VTI tracks the CRSP US Total Market Index and owns shares of stock from companies of all sizes, large and small. With such broad exposure (more than 3,500 total holdings), the performance of VTI generally mirrors the performance of the overall US stock market. It’s a simple option with a very low expense ratio and a strong history of solid returns for long-term investors.

VTI Details

2. Schwab US Large-Cap Growth ETF (SCHG)

Schwab’s US Large-Cap Growth ETF also offers a very low expense ratio at just 0.04%. The goal of this fund is to track the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Growth Total Stock Market Index. SCHG invests in large, blue-chip companies that are expected to continue growing.

SCHG includes about 200 holdings, as compared to VTIs 3,500+. Instead of investing in the market as a whole, the approach focuses on well-established companies that exhibit growth characteristics. With an excellent track record, this fund is a solid choice for long-term investors willing to experience some ups and downs along the way.

SCHG Details

3. Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ)

Invesco’s QQQ Trust tracks the Nasdaq-100 index, the top 100 non-financial companies traded on the Nasdaq exchange. Tech stocks account for a large chunk of QQQ, so if you’re bullish on the long-term potential of technology-focused companies, QQQ could be a solid option.

While VTI and SCHG take more of a broad approach by holding stocks of companies across all different industries, QQQ takes a more focused approach with a heavy concentration on technology and large-cap companies in particular.

QQQ’s expense ratio (0.20%) is significantly higher than VTI and SCHG, but still reasonable. QQQ experienced tremendous growth over the past 5-10 years, as tech stocks performed very well for much of that period. And with more than $200 billion in assets under management, it’s a popular choice.

QQQ Details

4. Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG)

The Vanguard Growth ETF ($74 billion in assets under management) aims to track the performance of the CRSP US Large Cap Growth Index.

While VTI covers the stock market as a whole, VUG invests in large-cap growth stocks. VUG’s current top holdings include some of the largest tech companies like Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, and Google. However, the fund also invests in other non-tech companies.

Like most Vanguard funds, VUG offers a very low expense ratio of just 0.04%. The fund’s performance has also been very strong, making it an appealing option for investors.

VUG Details

5. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV)

One of the most popular funds for long-term growth ($285 billion in assets under management) is the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust, which tracks the S&P 500 index.

Although this is the largest fund of its kind, several other S&P 500 funds are very similar. We’re listing the iShares Core S&P 500 EFT here because it’s very similar to SPY, but the expense ratio of IVV is just 0.03%, compared to 0.09% from SPY. The expense ratio from SPY is certainly acceptable, but IVV is a comparable fund with even lower expenses. Either one (or Vanguard’s VOO) would be a good choice.

The S&P 500 focuses on large-cap stocks, so that’s exactly what you’ll get with the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF. It’s a solid choice for the long-term investor since it helps your portfolio to keep pace with the S&P 500 index.

IVV Details

6. Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM)

VYM is linked to the FTSE High Dividend Yield Index. With this fund, you’ll be investing in large companies that have a strong track record of paying out dividends to shareholders on a regular and consistent basis. These companies are generally very solid and well-established. Current top holdings include JP Morgan Chase, Johnson & Johnson, Home Depot, and Proctor & Gamble.

By investing for dividends, you’re unlikely to see quick growth as you might experience with other funds that invest in companies pursuing more aggressive growth. However, this is a solid approach to take for the long term and may be viewed as lower risk than other investments in the stock market.

Related: How to Live Off Dividends

VYM Details

7. iShares Russell Mid Cap Growth ETF (IWP)

Most of the funds we’ve covered so far are focused primarily or exclusively on large caps. The iShares Russell Mid Cap Growth ETF invests in mid-size companies. Because they’re smaller than the blue chips, mid-cap stocks often have the potential for more significant growth.

They’re also larger than the companies you would be investing in through a small-cap fund, so there’s more stability. As a result, a mid-cap fund could be an appealing addition to your portfolio.

Currently, the top holdings for the iShares Russell Mid Cap Growth ETF include companies like Moderna, IDEXX Laboratories, DocuSign, and Roku (without a heavy concentration on any single company). The expense ratio, while very reasonable at 0.23%, is higher than most of the other funds covered here. With a strong historical track record and plenty of upside, this is a fund you might want to consider.

IWP Details

8. Vanguard Small Cap Growth ETF (VBK)

Small-cap funds offer better potential for quick growth than large or mid-cap funds. They also offer excellent potential for long-term growth as long as you’re willing to go through some ups and downs. Smaller companies have more room for growth and can see quick jumps in value, but they’re also more prone to sudden drops.

Vanguard’s Small Cap Growth ETF invests in many small-cap stocks. No single holding makes up a large percentage of the investments, providing some diversification. The current top holdings include Charles River Laboratories International, Pool Corporation, Avantor, and Bio-Techne Corporation.

With a low expense ratio of 0.07% and strong potential for growth, VBK is an appealing option for investors who can accept a higher level of fluctuation with the goal of better long-term growth.

VBK Details

9. Vanguard Russell 2000 ETF (VTWO)

The Russell 2000 is the most popular index of US small-cap stocks. It excludes the largest 1,000 companies and includes the next 2,000. Vanguard’s Russell 2000 ETF tracks the Russell 2000 index and is another excellent option for those who want to invest in small caps.

As you can see by comparing the details of VTWO and VBK, the two funds are quite different, even though they’re both small-cap funds. VTWO’s current top holdings include Caesars Entertainment, Novavax, Penn National Gaming, and Plug Power.

If you’re looking for high growth potential and can accept a lot of volatility along the journey, VTWO may be another fund worth considering.

VTWO Details

10. iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA)

All of the funds we’ve looked at so far are focused on US-based stocks. The iShares MSCI EAFE ETF invests in foreign companies, particularly large and mid-cap stocks. EAFE stands for Europe, Australasia, and the Far East. As a result, this fund invests in companies from developed countries.

Although EFA invests in foreign companies, many (like Nestle, Toyota, AstraZeneca, and Sony) are familiar to Americans.

An international fund like the iShares MSCI EAFE ETF can provide excellent diversification to your portfolio while also providing long-term upside.

EFA Details

11. iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG)

The iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF is another international fund, but unlike EFA, it focuses on emerging markets (like China, India, Taiwan, Brazil, Indonesia, and others) rather than developed countries.

The holdings of IEMG include large, medium, and small-cap equities. Investing in these types of companies as an individual investor would be difficult or impossible, but IEMG makes it simple to include emerging markets in your portfolio.

Investing in emerging markets will typically lead to increased volatility, but it provides the potential for significant returns. The current top holdings of the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF include some familiar names like Alibaba and Samsung.

IEMG Details

Frequently Asked Questions

For more ETFs, please see these articles:

• Best High Dividend ETFs
• Best Tech ETFs
• Best Small-Cap ETFs
• Best Real Estate and REIT ETFs

*Public.com offer valid for U.S. residents 18+ and subject to account approval. This is not a recommendation. You can lose money with any investment. Open To The Public Investing is a member of FINRA & SIPC. Regulatory and firm fees apply. New customers receive free stock with value $3-300; 0.3% receive the max value. Cryptocurrency trading provided by Apex Crypto LLC (NMLS ID 1828849). Apex Crypto is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services. See Public.com/disclosures/

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