If You Like Money, This ETF Could Be What You're Looking For

By Dana George – Feb 25, 2026 at 1:15AM ESTKey PointsVanguard Total Stock Market (VTI) excedes the criteria for an outstanding fund. Like some other Vanguard ETFs, VTI closely follows an index with a long history of success.VTI is great for nervous investors because it diversifies your portfolio and spreads the risk of a market downturn. These 10 Stocks Could Mint the Next Wave of Millionaires ›NYSEMKT: VTIVanguard Total Stock Market ETFToday's Changeangle-down(0.82%) $2.75Current Price$339.21Price as of February 24, 2026 at 4:00 PM ETIf you seek a diversified portfolio consisting of winners, VTI may be right for you.Whether you're an experienced investor or just getting started, your first goal is to protect your money as it grows. One way to do that is by investing in an exchange-traded fund (ETF). An ETF is a type of investment fund that holds a collection of assets, including stocks, bonds, and commodities. By holding a variety of assets, an ETF diversifies your portfolio and helps spread risk when the market is down. Image source: Getty Images.

Vanguard Total Stock Market Not all ETFs are created equal, and frankly, some are better than others.

Vanguard Total Stock Market (VTI +0.82%) meets the criteria for an ideal fund. Among the characteristics identifying a strong ETF are a clear investment approach, low costs, and strong historical performance. Here's how VTI stacks up in those areas: Clear investment approach The VTI ETF uses a clear and straightforward investment approach. It tracks the CRSP US Total Market Index, which weights all investable U.S. stocks by market cap. It's no surprise that corporate powerhouses like Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Nvidia, Tesla, Meta Platforms, and Berkshire Hathaway rise to the top. As those big-name corporations increase in value, so do VTI and your diversified portfolio. ExpandNYSEMKT: VTIVanguard Total Stock Market ETFToday's Change(0.82%) $2.75Current Price$339.21Key Data PointsDay's Range$335.49 - $339.6252wk Range$236.42 - $344.42Volume3.6M Low costs VTI -- like all Vanguard ETFs -- is famous for its low expense ratio. Unlike with an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you don't have to dig for how much you're paying in fees. It's 0.06%, or just $6 annually for an investment of $10,000. If you're curious about how Vanguard gets away with charging so little in fees, here are three reasons: Unique ownership setup: Vanguard is owned by its funds, and those funds are owned by investors. This means there's no pressure to maximize profits to please outside shareholders. Pure numbers: The company has so many assets under management that it can pass on discounted expense ratios to investors. Low marketing fees: Vanguard rarely uses an external sales or marketing force. Instead, it depends on word of mouth to attract new investors. Historical performance Despite the financial crisis of 2007 to 2009, a global pandemic, and various geopolitical events, VTI has managed to end most years on a high note. Here's a breakdown of the fund's performance since 2015: Year Annual Return 2025 17.10% 2024 23.81% 2023 26.05% 2022 -19.51% 2021 25.67% 2020 21.03% 2019 30.67% 2018 -5.21% 2017 21.21% 2016 12.83% 2015 0.36% Source: Yahoo! Finance If nothing else, despite all that has happened over the past decade, this table indicates how well VTI has handled financial turbulence. Read NextFeb 23, 2026 •By Reuben Gregg BrewerHow Broad Market ETFs Like VTI Can Support Long-Term Portfolio StabilityFeb 8, 2026 •By David DierkingThis "Set It and Forget It" ETF Could Make You a Multimillionaire With Almost No EffortFeb 7, 2026 •By Katie BrockmanVTI vs. SPY: Which Popular Broad Market ETF Is the Best Choice for Investors Right Now?Feb 6, 2026 •By David DierkingWhy I Am Never Selling This Broad Market ETFFeb 2, 2026 •By Katie Brockman2 Vanguard ETFs I'm Buying Hand Over Fist if the Stock Market Crashes in 2026Jan 31, 2026 •By Katie BrockmanSPTM and VTI Both Offer Low-Cost Broad U.S Market Exposure, but Which Is the Better Buy?About the AuthorDana George is a contributing retirement and Social Security expert at The Motley Fool. Previously, Dana spent five years writing for Motley Fool Money and 20 years as a newspaper reporter. She is also the author of four published novels. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Spring Arbor University. .TMFByGeorgeStocks MentionedVanguard Total Stock Market ETFNYSEMKT: VTI$339.21 (+0.82%) $+2.75Berkshire HathawayNYSE: BRKA$741200.00 (+0.14%) $+1000.00Meta PlatformsNASDAQ: META$639.20 (+0.31%) $+1.95MicrosoftNASDAQ: MSFT$389.19 (+1.23%) $+4.72AlphabetNASDAQ: GOOGL$310.96 (0.17%) $0.53AppleNASDAQ: AAPL$272.25 (+2.28%) $+6.07TeslaNASDAQ: TSLA$409.63 (+2.45%) $+9.80AmazonNASDAQ: AMZN$208.54 (+1.59%) $+3.27Berkshire HathawayNYSE: BRKB$494.60 (+0.10%) $+0.51NvidiaNASDAQ: NVDA$193.06 (+0.79%) $+1.51AlphabetNASDAQ: GOOG$310.92 (0.25%) $0.77*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.