If I Could Only Buy and Hold 1 ETF, I'd Stock Up on This One in 2026

• ETFs necessitate little effort than idiosyncratic stocks, yet they tin beryllium incredibly almighty investments.

• Growth ETFs tin assistance you gain above-average returns implicit time.

• A semipermanent outlook tin trim the hazard of losing wealth during a marketplace downturn.

• 10 stocks we similar amended than Vanguard Admiral Funds - Vanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF ›

Long-term investing is 1 of the astir effectual ways to physique wealthiness portion minimizing the interaction of marketplace volatility, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are low-maintenance investments that fto you bargain into hundreds of companies astatine erstwhile with adjacent to nary effort connected your part.

Choosing the close ETF tin beryllium tricky, though, particularly with truthful galore to take from. But if I could lone take 1 to bargain and clasp for decades, there's 1 I'd banal up connected successful 2026.

Generally speaking, galore ETFs autumn into 1 of 2 camps: those designed for stableness and those aiming for growth. Some funds, though, tin bash both.

The Vanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF (NYSEMKT: VOOG) lone includes stocks from the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC). These companies are among the largest and strongest successful the U.S., and galore are manufacture leaders with a agelong past of weathering economical instability.

However, this money doesn't see each of the stocks from the S&P 500. Rather, it lone holds those with the astir imaginable for growth. This tin assistance equilibrium hazard and reward by focusing connected stocks that person some proven way records and country to grow. With its much targeted approach, it's besides little apt to get bogged down by lower-performing stocks.

Over the past decade, the Vanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF has importantly outperformed the S&P 500 with full returns of 368%. In different words, if you'd invested $10,000 a decennary ago, you'd person astir $47,000 with this ETF versus astir $37,000 with a modular S&P 500 ETF.

It's important to enactment that portion this ETF has beaten the marketplace implicit galore years, its short-term show has been rockier. This is existent for galore growth-focused funds, arsenic they thin to thin heavy connected tech stocks -- which are notoriously volatile.

If you take to invest, beryllium definite you're consenting and capable to enactment invested for 5 to 7 years oregon longer. Even beardown investments tin acquisition nauseating downturns if the marketplace takes a crook for the worse, but you won't technically suffer immoderate wealth unless you merchantability your concern for little than you paid for it. By riding retired the tempest until banal prices recover, you'll apt regain immoderate mislaid value.