7 Best Long-Term ETFs for 2025
7 Best Long-Term ETFs for 2025
Investing is a marathon, not a sprint. And that means the best stock market strategies are ones that think in terms of years and decades instead of days and weeks.
The following list of the best long-term ETFs keeps that in mind through low-cost, diversified approaches. They are all huge funds with billions in assets, affordable vehicles with low-cost structures, and foundational investment strategies designed to deliver over the long term. These factors don't guarantee that investors will make money, of course, but they definitely provide stability and consistency when compared with smaller and less-established methods.
There's admittedly a lot of appeal in finding a stock pick that doubles your money overnight, and many ambitious investors can get sucked in by hyped-up headlines. But the statistics show that's simply not a realistic plan to building wealth, and in fact can result in deep losses rather than big returns.
Here are the best long-term ETFs to buy now:
Long-term ETFExpense ratioAssets
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (ticker: VOO)0.03%$631 billion
Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ)0.20%$324 billion
Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (VGK)0.06%$25.5 billion
Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG)0.05%$107 billion
Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (VT)0.06%$55.5 billion
Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND)0.03%$127 billion
iShares Gold Trust (IAU)
The following list of the best long-term ETFs keeps that in mind through low-cost, diversified approaches. They are all huge funds with billions in assets, affordable vehicles with low-cost structures, and foundational investment strategies designed to deliver over the long term. These factors don't guarantee that investors will make money, of course, but they definitely provide stability and consistency when compared with smaller and less-established methods.
There's admittedly a lot of appeal in finding a stock pick that doubles your money overnight, and many ambitious investors can get sucked in by hyped-up headlines. But the statistics show that's simply not a realistic plan to building wealth, and in fact can result in deep losses rather than big returns.
Here are the best long-term ETFs to buy now:
Long-term ETFExpense ratioAssets
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (ticker: VOO)0.03%$631 billion
Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ)0.20%$324 billion
Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (VGK)0.06%$25.5 billion
Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG)0.05%$107 billion
Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (VT)0.06%$55.5 billion
Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND)0.03%$127 billion
iShares Gold Trust (IAU)
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Re: 7 Best Long-Term ETFs for 2025
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO)
Assets: $631 billion
Expense ratio: 0.03%
Though the S&P 500 is having a down year so far, VOO remains the go-to option for most long-term investors thanks to a low cost structure and the simple reality that it's never a good idea to bet against the U.S. economy over the long term. This dominant ETF is elegantly simple, tracking 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 – and let's face it, you should regardless of the current headlines – then this is the simplest way to do so.
Assets: $631 billion
Expense ratio: 0.03%
Though the S&P 500 is having a down year so far, VOO remains the go-to option for most long-term investors thanks to a low cost structure and the simple reality that it's never a good idea to bet against the U.S. economy over the long term. This dominant ETF is elegantly simple, tracking 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 – and let's face it, you should regardless of the current headlines – then this is the simplest way to do so.
Re: 7 Best Long-Term ETFs for 2025
Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ)
Assets: $324 billion
Expense ratio: 0.2%
Another long-term ETF that it's hard to bet against, the Invesco QQQ Trust is tied to the Nasdaq 100 index of the largest stocks listed on this tech-heavy stock exchange. That means Apple Inc. (AAPL), Microsoft, Nvidia Corp. (NVDA), and Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) make up the top four holdings – and thanks to a weighting based on market value, more than half of all assets are in the technology sector. It's risky to bet on a single sector, particularly in the short term. And this year tech stocks have largely disappointed. But it's nigh impossible to believe the dominant technology companies that make up QQQ will suffer anything more than short-term setbacks on their multiyear run to continued domination.
Assets: $324 billion
Expense ratio: 0.2%
Another long-term ETF that it's hard to bet against, the Invesco QQQ Trust is tied to the Nasdaq 100 index of the largest stocks listed on this tech-heavy stock exchange. That means Apple Inc. (AAPL), Microsoft, Nvidia Corp. (NVDA), and Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) make up the top four holdings – and thanks to a weighting based on market value, more than half of all assets are in the technology sector. It's risky to bet on a single sector, particularly in the short term. And this year tech stocks have largely disappointed. But it's nigh impossible to believe the dominant technology companies that make up QQQ will suffer anything more than short-term setbacks on their multiyear run to continued domination.
Re: 7 Best Long-Term ETFs for 2025
Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (VGK)
Assets: $25.5 billion
Expense ratio: 0.22%
Switching gears a bit, Europe-focused VGK actually has done very well this year, with 13% gains since January. EU stocks have consistently outperformed the U.S. year to date, and VGK is one of the leading U.S. funds that provides EU investment opportunity. The ETF has a huge list of 1,200 leading European stocks including German software giant SAP SE (SAP), Dutch chipmaker ASML Holding NV (ASML) and Swiss health care leader Novo Nordisk SA (NVO), among others. These are large and established companies similar to U.S. peers, but they just happen to be benefiting from regional uptrends right now. That makes this ETF a good long-term holding because of the value of geographical diversification in smoothing out any future bumps along the way in the decades to come.
Assets: $25.5 billion
Expense ratio: 0.22%
Switching gears a bit, Europe-focused VGK actually has done very well this year, with 13% gains since January. EU stocks have consistently outperformed the U.S. year to date, and VGK is one of the leading U.S. funds that provides EU investment opportunity. The ETF has a huge list of 1,200 leading European stocks including German software giant SAP SE (SAP), Dutch chipmaker ASML Holding NV (ASML) and Swiss health care leader Novo Nordisk SA (NVO), among others. These are large and established companies similar to U.S. peers, but they just happen to be benefiting from regional uptrends right now. That makes this ETF a good long-term holding because of the value of geographical diversification in smoothing out any future bumps along the way in the decades to come.
Re: 7 Best Long-Term ETFs for 2025
Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG)
Assets: $107 billion
Expense ratio: 0.05%
The largest dividend-focused ETF out there, VIG invests in large-cap stocks with a record of growing their dividends year over year. That makes this Vanguard fund a solid long-term bet because it is reliant on blue-chip leaders like chipmaker Broadcom Inc. (AVGO), payments leader Visa Inc. (V) and energy icon Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM). With about 340 total dividend payers making up the portfolio of this long-term dividend ETF, it is highly diversified among the most stable companies on Wall Street. That's proven out by the fact that VIG is roughly flat year to date while the broader S&P 500 index is down by almost 5% on the year.
Assets: $107 billion
Expense ratio: 0.05%
The largest dividend-focused ETF out there, VIG invests in large-cap stocks with a record of growing their dividends year over year. That makes this Vanguard fund a solid long-term bet because it is reliant on blue-chip leaders like chipmaker Broadcom Inc. (AVGO), payments leader Visa Inc. (V) and energy icon Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM). With about 340 total dividend payers making up the portfolio of this long-term dividend ETF, it is highly diversified among the most stable companies on Wall Street. That's proven out by the fact that VIG is roughly flat year to date while the broader S&P 500 index is down by almost 5% on the year.
Re: 7 Best Long-Term ETFs for 2025
Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (VT)
Assets: $55.5 billion
Expense ratio: 0.06%
Don't feel like making up your mind between this different flavors of stocks? This long-term ETF from investment giant Vanguard holds almost 10,000 stocks in the U.S. as well as abroad. It is weighted towards the biggest names, so familiar domestic blue chips like Apple rank as top components. That said, the bench is so deep that your cash is also spread around a much broader list of stocks. Roughly 60% of the portfolio is in the U.S., with other leading regions being Japan and the U.K. Particularly for long-term investors who simply want to play the general growth potential of the stock market regardless of sector or geography, this "kitchen sink" ETF could be a good long-term option.
Assets: $55.5 billion
Expense ratio: 0.06%
Don't feel like making up your mind between this different flavors of stocks? This long-term ETF from investment giant Vanguard holds almost 10,000 stocks in the U.S. as well as abroad. It is weighted towards the biggest names, so familiar domestic blue chips like Apple rank as top components. That said, the bench is so deep that your cash is also spread around a much broader list of stocks. Roughly 60% of the portfolio is in the U.S., with other leading regions being Japan and the U.K. Particularly for long-term investors who simply want to play the general growth potential of the stock market regardless of sector or geography, this "kitchen sink" ETF could be a good long-term option.
Re: 7 Best Long-Term ETFs for 2025
Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND)
Assets: $127 billion
Expense ratio: 0.03%
BND looks beyond stocks to offer exposure to the bond market. After a long-term uptrend in interest rates from post-pandemic lows, interest rates ratcheted up across 2023 and 2024 to the highest levels for some key rates since 2000. But with the Federal Reserve signaling easier monetary policy with a rate cut in late 2024 and President Trump all but demanding rate reductions, it seems likely rates will drop again – lifting bonds in the near-term. That bodes well for BND in 2025. More important for long-term investors, however, is diversification across asset classes that can provide more consistent and low-risk returns over time. That makes BND a solid pick right now, and for the years to come.
Assets: $127 billion
Expense ratio: 0.03%
BND looks beyond stocks to offer exposure to the bond market. After a long-term uptrend in interest rates from post-pandemic lows, interest rates ratcheted up across 2023 and 2024 to the highest levels for some key rates since 2000. But with the Federal Reserve signaling easier monetary policy with a rate cut in late 2024 and President Trump all but demanding rate reductions, it seems likely rates will drop again – lifting bonds in the near-term. That bodes well for BND in 2025. More important for long-term investors, however, is diversification across asset classes that can provide more consistent and low-risk returns over time. That makes BND a solid pick right now, and for the years to come.
Re: 7 Best Long-Term ETFs for 2025
iShares Gold Trust (IAU)
Assets: $37.5 billion
Expense ratio: 0.25%
Speaking of diversification across asset classes, gold has significantly outperformed both stocks and bonds so far in 2025 thanks to its low-risk and inflation-protected positioning. Perhaps there isn't as much growth potential in a lump of metal as you'll find in up-and-coming tech stocks, but there is decidedly less risk. Gold is seen as a store of value for good reason, as it has long been a physical and tangible source of wealth that is valuable in both good times and bad. IAU one of 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 related investments. Shares are up 15% this year to prove the potential of IAU to hold firm in tough times, which makes it an important asset for any long-term investor.
Assets: $37.5 billion
Expense ratio: 0.25%
Speaking of diversification across asset classes, gold has significantly outperformed both stocks and bonds so far in 2025 thanks to its low-risk and inflation-protected positioning. Perhaps there isn't as much growth potential in a lump of metal as you'll find in up-and-coming tech stocks, but there is decidedly less risk. Gold is seen as a store of value for good reason, as it has long been a physical and tangible source of wealth that is valuable in both good times and bad. IAU one of 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 related investments. Shares are up 15% this year to prove the potential of IAU to hold firm in tough times, which makes it an important asset for any long-term investor.