Vanguard ETFs: A Slightly Anxious Investor’s Guide

Right. So, the plan was to become a sophisticated investor. Diversify, long-term thinking, all that jazz. Instead, I spend approximately 7 hours a day staring at screens, convinced everything is about to either boom or collapse. It’s exhausting. And frankly, researching individual stocks feels… ambitious. Like learning astrophysics while simultaneously training for a marathon. I mean, who has the time? The sensible thing, I’ve decided, is ETFs. Exchange Traded Funds. Baskets of stocks. Less terrifying. Less… responsibility.

Vanguard, apparently, is a good place to start. They seem… reliable. Like the sensible shoes of the investment world. But 103 ETFs? Seriously? It’s like being in a supermarket with 103 different types of yogurt. Paralysis sets in. Forty-nine of them did well over the last year, which is… encouraging. Only 15 didn’t make any money. Which, when you think about it, is still a lot of money. I’ve narrowed it down to stock ETFs, because, frankly, bonds just sound… beige. There are 65 of those. Forty-eight did well. Okay. We’re getting somewhere. Slowly.

The Contenders (and my increasing anxiety)

So, a few stood out. The Vanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF (VYMI +0.57%). Sounds… grown-up. The Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF (VONG +0.43%). Growth. Good. The Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU 0.47%). Utilities. Practical. I’ve made a list, naturally. It’s how I cope.

VYMI, apparently, did really well last year – over 38% return. Impressive. It owns 1,533 international stocks. That’s… a lot of stocks. I tried to picture 1,533 individual companies. My brain short-circuited. It also pays dividends, which is good. I like getting things given to me. It feels… fair.

VONG, while not quite as spectacular, still did okay – over 18%. And apparently, it’s the best-performing Vanguard ETF since inception. Which is… reassuring. It’s got a long-term annualized return of 17%. That’s… a big number. It owns stocks like Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Broadcom, and Amazon. All the usual suspects. I feel like I should know more about these companies. I don’t. I’ve added “research Nvidia” to my list. It’s getting very long.

And then there’s VPU. The Utilities ETF. 67 utility stocks. Mostly electrical companies. It’s… boring. But, apparently, utilities do well during volatile times. And we’re heading towards mid-term elections, so volatility is… inevitable. Plus, all these data centers need electricity. So, it’s… practical. I’m starting to think practical is underrated.

The Pick (and my increasing self-doubt)

Okay. Deep breath. If I had to pick one… I think it’s the Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT +0.10%). Yes, I know, I just spent the last 500 words waffling between them all. But hear me out. It owns 320 U.S.-based tech stocks. And its top holdings are Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, and Broadcom. The same ones that VONG has. But somehow, it feels… more focused. More… intentional.

I have this theory – and it’s probably wildly optimistic – that the AI boom will continue. And that Nvidia, Microsoft, and Broadcom will benefit. And that Apple will release some amazing new iPhones and AI smart glasses. (I’m just predicting things. It’s what I do.) If those four stocks do well, then VGT will do well. It’s not foolproof, obviously. Nothing is. But it feels… like a reasonable bet. I’m still terrified of losing money, naturally. But maybe, just maybe, I can avoid complete financial ruin.

I don’t think you can go wrong with any of these Vanguard ETFs, honestly. But VGT… it just feels… right. At least, it feels right today. Ask me tomorrow and I’ll probably have changed my mind. It’s a process, isn’t it? This whole investing thing. A terrifying, anxiety-inducing process. But a process nonetheless. Units of Cryptocurrency Lost: 12. Hours Spent Watching Charts: 9. Number of Panicked Texts to Friends: 24. And counting.

2026-01-25 13:53

The Contenders (and my increasing anxiety)

The Pick (and my increasing self-doubt)

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