Long-term investing
ETFs & index funds.
A focused shortlist of familiar funds, grouped by what they do. Start with broad US funds, then compare growth, dividends and other investment goals.
Start with the job, not the ticker. “Core” means broad diversification. “Growth” usually means more price movement. “Dividend” focuses on company payouts. The speculative group has higher risk. Daily leveraged and inverse trading products are excluded.
The four range columns show low and high prices. YTD %, below the current price, shows this year’s price change; dividends are excluded. Fund fit is a simple role-and-trend guide; Chart setup uses the long-term price checklist for ETFs. Mutual funds show “Daily NAV” because their price is set once a day. Neither replaces checking holdings, expense ratio, taxes or fit for your plan.
6 funds shown. Prices, ranges and YTD price return use the latest available session. Mutual funds normally update once a day. Curated 2026-09-26.
| Ticker | Fund / job | Now / YTD % | 1 wk | 1 mo | 3 mo | YTD range | Fund fit | Chart setup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonds & cashIncome and interest-rate exposure. Long-term bonds can move sharply when rates change. | ||||||||
| SGOVETF | iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETFVery short US Treasury billsBonds & cash · Cash-like | $100.45 YTD +0.1% | $100 $101Current in range | $100 $101Current in range | $100 $101Current in range | $100 $101Current in range | 83Strong fit | Wait |
| VTEBETF | Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETFUS municipal bondsBonds & cash · Income / rate risk | $47.37 YTD -5.8% | $47 $48Current in range | $47 $49Current in range | $47 $50Current in range | $47 $51Current in range | 83Strong fit | Wait |
| AGGETF | iShares Core US Aggregate Bond ETFBroad US investment-grade bondsBonds & cash · Income / rate risk | $94.13 YTD -5.8% | $94 $95Current in range | $94 $97Current in range | $94 $98Current in range | $94 $101Current in range | 67Mixed fit | Wait |
| BNDETF | Vanguard Total Bond Market ETFBroad US investment-grade bondsBonds & cash · Income / rate risk | $69.88 YTD -5.7% | $70 $70Current in range | $70 $72Current in range | $70 $73Current in range | $70 $75Current in range | 67Mixed fit | Wait |
| TIPETF | iShares TIPS Bond ETFInflation-protected US TreasuriesBonds & cash · Rate sensitivity | $103.98 YTD -5.4% | $104 $105Current in range | $104 $107Current in range | $104 $108Current in range | $104 $112Current in range | 67Mixed fit | Wait |
| TLTETF | iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETFLong-term US Treasury bondsBonds & cash · High rate sensitivity | $77.12 YTD -11.5% | $77 $79Current in range | $77 $82Current in range | $77 $85Current in range | $77 $91Current in range | 67Mixed fit | Wait |
One-line reading: the four low / high cells are observed ranges. YTD % is the split-adjusted price change from the final trading close of the prior year, excluding dividends and cash distributions. It can differ from the fund’s published total return. Fund fit combines fresh range direction, room below the YTD high and the fund’s stated job. The bright Chart setup badge is a separate checklist, not a promise.
Learning the basics? Compare two funds that do the same job, then check holdings, costs, taxes and how much risk you can live with.
Read the ETF lesson →