Some of these funds sport long-term average annual growth rates topping 20%.
Many people aim to retire with a million dollars. But many others, especially those who are still relatively young, should probably be aiming for much more than that. Let’s assume that you’re sitting on $100,000 that you can invest for your future. What should you do?
Well, unless you’re a crackerjack stock analyst, your best bet might be just investing in one or more exchange-traded funds (ETFs) — funds that trade like stocks. Here’s a look at a bunch that could serve you well.
Image source: Getty Images.
But first… some math
Let’s start, though, by seeing what can be achieved with that $100,000. Here’s how it might grow over time, with regular infusions of cash into your investing account, at a reasonable growth rate:
|
Starting with $100,000 and growing at 8% for |
$6,000 invested annually |
$12,000 invested annually |
|---|---|---|
|
5 years |
$184,948 |
$222,964 |
|
10 years |
$309,765 |
$403,638 |
|
15 years |
$493,163 |
$669,108 |
|
20 years |
$762,633 |
$1,059,171 |
|
25 years |
$1,158,574 |
$1,632,301 |
|
30 years |
$1,740,341 |
$2,474,416 |
|
35 years |
$2,595,147 |
$3,711,760 |
|
40 years |
$3,851,138 |
$5,529,825 |
Data source: Calculations by author.
I used an 8% average annual growth rate to be a bit conservative, since the stock market has averaged roughly 10% annually over many decades. Of course, during your particular investing period, it might average 6% or 12% or some other rate.
Solid ETFs to consider
Here, then, are some funds to consider:
|
ETF |
Dividend yield |
5-Year Avg. Annual Return |
10-Year Avg. Annual Return |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO 0.19%) |
1.12% |
14.91% |
14.40% |
|
Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI 0.19%) |
1.12% |
13.74% |
13.83% |
|
Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (VT 0.14%) |
1.66% |
11.47% |
10.09% |
|
Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG 0.45%) |
1.64% |
11.74% |
12.91% |
|
Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD +0.14%) |
3.87% |
8.90% |
11.26% |
|
Fidelity High Dividend ETF (FDVV 0.35%) |
3.08% |
16.33% |
N/A |
|
Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM 0.46%) |
2.50% |
12.94% |
11.08% |
|
Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG 0.18%) |
0.41% |
15.60% |
17.00% |
|
Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT 0.04%) |
0.39% |
18.29% |
22.00% |
|
iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX +0.12%) |
0.54% |
20.22% |
26.46% |
Data source: Morningstar.com, as of Nov. 25, 2025.
Here’s why I’m offering these ETFs as ideas for you:
The first three are broad-market funds from Vanguard, respectively plunking you into the 500 large-cap stocks of the S&P 500, most of the U.S. stock market (including medium and smaller companies), and most of the total world stock market.
The next four are focused on dividend-paying stocks, so they offer a more meaningful dividend yield than the broad-market funds. In many cases, there’s a trade-off between yield and growth rates, but some of these funds offer very solid dividend yields and very solid growth rates.
The last three are more aggressive choices. They can (and have) grown at a much faster rate than the other funds — but while offering very little income. Also, since they’re full of many tech stocks and other growth stocks, they can be more volatile and may fall harder during a market pullback.
So consider what’s best for you. You can do very well indeed just investing in the S&P 500 for decades, or you might park your long-term dollars in several of the funds above.
Selena Maranjian has positions in Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF, Vanguard Index Funds-Vanguard Growth ETF, and iShares Trust-iShares Semiconductor ETF. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF, Vanguard Index Funds-Vanguard Growth ETF, Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF, Vanguard Whitehall Funds-Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF, and iShares Trust-iShares Semiconductor ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.