7 Best Vanguard Funds to Buy and Hold

Bogle built his investment philosophy around a simple idea: investors are best served by owning the market at the lowest possible cost. In “The Little Book of Common Sense Investing” and throughout his career, he repeatedly argued that passive indexing gave investors the highest probability of long-term success. However, some of Vanguard’s newest products represent a noticeable departure from Bogle’s passive indexing philosophy.

In November 2025, the firm launched three actively managed equity ETFs in partnership with Wellington Management, targeting U.S. Their expense ratios range from 0.3% to 0.4%, more than 10 times VOO’s 0.03% fee. In July, the firm announced a strategic alliance with Wellington Management and alternative asset manager Blackstone to launch the semi-liquid WVB All Markets Fund.

The fund combines public stocks and bonds with allocations to private assets via a fund-of-funds model, reflecting the firm’s growing interest in alternative investments. It is impossible to know what Bogle would have thought of these newer offerings, but Vanguard has operated under different leadership since his retirement and passing. Bogle consistently emphasized low costs, broad diversification, tax efficiency, disciplined investing and staying invested through market cycles.

Those same principles remain a useful framework today for long-term investors. Here are seven of the best Vanguard funds to buy and hold: Fund Expense Ratio Vanguard 500 Index Fund Admiral Shares (VFIAX) 0.04% Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Admiral Shares (VTSAX) 0.04% Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund Admiral Shares (VTIAX) 0.09% Vanguard Total World Stock Index Fund Admiral Shares (VTWAX) 0.09% Vanguard LifeStrategy 60/40 Fund (VSMGX) 0.10% Vanguard Targe…