If you're new to investing and don't have a lot of money to get started, don't fret. The best place for new investors to begin is often with exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which will give investors instant diversification through a portfolio of stock holdings.

As market-capitalization-weighted index ETFs, both VOO and VTI naturally feature a high allocation to large-cap stocks. If you want to focus more on mid- and small-cap stocks, a dedicated non-core ETF like VXF might be ideal. This ETF tracks the S&P Completion Index for a 0.06% expense ratio.

If you've been an investor for any length of time at all, then you've almost certainly been advised to start (and maybe even finish) with index funds like the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. This fund is of course simply meant to mirror the performance of the S&P 500.

Explore the best ETFs to buy in 2025. Discover top picks across a variety of sectors with insights to help you diversify and grow your investment portfolio.

Vanguard is one of the gold standards when it comes to low-cost exchange-traded fund (ETF) options. Undoubtedly, passive investing (typically with index funds) tends to be wildly popular among the retail crowd.