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ETF buyer’s guides

Which ETFs to buy in each category

Best ETFs
T-bill ETFs: Vanguard’s VBIL undercuts SGOV, BIL and CLIP at 0.06%
Vanguard’s VBIL charges 0.06%, less than SGOV, BIL or CLIP. Funds that pay higher yields get them from corporate and other non-Treasury debt, whose income doesn’t get the state tax exemption like Treasury debt does
Updated Nov 2, 2026VBIL+0.01%
Best ETFs
Best small-cap ETFs: Vanguard’s VB beats three great funds all charging just 0.03%
Schwab's fund is the wider cut at the same 0.03% fee, State Street's S&P 600 fund is for companies that are making money, and Vanguard's Russell 2000 fund is the one to hold if that index is the job.
Updated Nov 2, 2026VB+0.60%
Best ETFs
Best value ETFs: Vanguard's 0.03% fund, unless you want Russell's list
Updated Nov 2, 2026VTV+0.25%
Best ETFs
The best growth ETF is the cheap one on the index you want
Updated Nov 2, 2026SPYG−1.04%
Best ETFs
Best international ETFs: one cheap fund, then the Korea choice
Updated Nov 2, 2026VXUS+0.27%
Best ETFs
The best S&P 500 ETF costs 0.02%. Equal weight is a different bet
Updated Nov 2, 2026SPYM−0.48%
Best ETFs
Best bond ETFs for a portfolio hold the whole investment-grade market
Updated Nov 2, 2026AGG+0.15%
Best ETFs
For a rising dividend, iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF ranks first
Updated Nov 2, 2026DGRO+0.27%
Best ETFs
Best gold ETFs: the two A grades charge 0.10% or less
Updated Nov 2, 2026IAUM+1.55%
Head-to-Head
IWD vs VBR: a lower fee does not buy the other value portfolio
8 hours agoIWD+0.27%
Category Review
Active emerging-markets ETFs that did not look like the MSCI index did not finish with it
Updated Nov 2, 2026AVEM−0.05%
Category Rankings
Chips, AI and crypto took October's losses
Updated Nov 2, 2026SPY−0.47%
Head-to-Head
Hold VB over IWM for a small-cap stake
Oct 30, 2026VB+0.60%
Category Review
The largest option-income fund beat the S&P 500 by selling calls on a quarter of its assets
Updated Oct 30, 2026RDVI+0.78%
Head-to-Head
BND and BNDX are not substitutes. Own both, or own one market.
Oct 29, 2026BND+0.04%
Head-to-Head
IVW vs. VV: iShares’ growth ETF holds almost nothing Vanguard’s doesn’t, at six times the fee
Oct 28, 2026IVW−1.05%
Category Review
Korea and Taiwan made the year in markets not everyone calls developed
Updated Oct 28, 2026EWY−0.83%
Head-to-Head
IEFA vs. EFA: the cheaper fund is the one to hold
Oct 27, 2026IEFA+0.34%
Category Review
The median tactical fund gained 7.8%, no better than a 60/40 mix
Updated Oct 27, 2026SPY−0.47%
Head-to-Head
ITOT is the better U.S. stock fund than DFAC
Oct 26, 2026ITOT−0.47%
Category Review
Equal-weight technology beat the biggest tech funds this year
Updated Oct 26, 2026RSPT−2.32%
Head-to-Head
VTV leads VYM over 10 years. The recent gap is one year
Oct 23, 2026VTV+0.25%
Category Review
The two largest US active value ETFs lagged in the third quarter, and they do not own the same market
Updated Oct 23, 2026AVUV+0.44%
Head-to-Head
New money goes to QQQM. A taxable QQQ holding can stay.
Oct 23, 2026QQQM−1.35%
Head-to-Head
Take VTI over VOO unless you already own the rest of the market
Oct 23, 2026VTI−0.42%
Head-to-Head
VOO has kept about a tenth of a percentage point a year more of the S&P 500 than SPY
Oct 23, 2026VOO−0.50%
Head-to-Head
VOO vs. VOOG: the S&P 500 fund is the better default
Oct 23, 2026VOO−0.50%
Head-to-Head
VOO is the better core fund. QQQ only wins as a Nasdaq-100 bet
Oct 23, 2026VOO−0.50%
Head-to-Head
Own the world's stocks with VT, or only the United States with VTI
Oct 23, 2026VT−0.14%
Head-to-Head
QQQ vs. VGT: choose VGT for technology, QQQ for the Nasdaq-100
Oct 23, 2026VGT−2.68%
Head-to-Head
VOO and IVV own the same S&P 500 stocks at the same fee
Oct 23, 2026VOO−0.50%
Head-to-Head
SCHD yields twice what VIG does. Over 10 years, VIG still leads.
Oct 22, 2026SCHD+0.34%
Category Review
S&P 500 buffer funds gained 12.3% and the reset month decided the rest
Updated Oct 22, 2026BAPR−0.25%
Head-to-Head
SPYM leads IWF by 9.4 percentage points in 2026. They are not the same bet
Oct 21, 2026SPYM−0.48%
Category Review
U.S. value funds beat the S&P 500 over the past year, but the funds did not move together
Updated Oct 21, 2026VLUE−1.01%
Head-to-Head
South Korea is the difference between VWO and IEMG
Oct 20, 2026VWO+0.34%
Category Review
Infrastructure ETFs lagged stocks, and large construction funds fell hardest in the quarter
Updated Oct 20, 2026PAVE+1.74%
Category Review
The largest real estate option-income fund's distribution was not its return
Updated Oct 19, 2026IYRI+1.40%
Head-to-Head
VXUS already holds the stocks in VEA
Oct 19, 2026VXUS+0.27%
Head-to-Head
Own iShares Core S&P 500 ETF, IVV, unless you want the heavier growth bet in Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF, VUG
Oct 16, 2026IVV−0.50%
Category Review
Broad U.S. large-cap funds kept pace with the S&P 500 this year. The top 50 did not.
Updated Oct 16, 2026XLG−0.93%
Head-to-Head
VTI or VOO is a choice of market, not a choice of fee
Oct 15, 2026VTI−0.42%
Category Review
Bond length decided the year for TIPS funds
Updated Oct 15, 2026STIP−0.25%
Head-to-Head
iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF AGG and Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF BND barely differ
Oct 14, 2026AGG+0.15%
Category Review
Active small- and mid-cap funds trail the S&P 500 after a hard third quarter
Updated Oct 14, 2026SPY−0.47%
Head-to-Head
Own the Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF rather than Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1, unless you trade options
Oct 13, 2026QQQM−1.35%
Category Review
Municipal bond funds are down for the year after a third-quarter selloff erased the first-half gain
Updated Oct 13, 2026VTEB−0.01%
Head-to-Head
Own Vanguard S&P 500 ETF to hold the S&P 500. Use State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust for options and large blocks.
Oct 12, 2026VOO−0.50%
Category Review
S&P 500 full protection lagged a 17% market, and October priced three different caps
Updated Oct 12, 2026JAJL−0.12%
Head-to-Head
iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF and Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF have returned almost the same
Oct 10, 2026AGG+0.15%