Top ETFs (tickers linked to ETFDB fund pages)

1. VOO — Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
2. IVV — iShares Core S&P 500 ETF
3. SPY — SPDR S&P 500 Trust
4. VTI — Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF
5. QQQ — Invesco QQQ Trust (Nasdaq-100)
6. VUG — Vanguard Growth ETF
7. VTV — Vanguard Value ETF
8. SCHX — Schwab U.S. Large-Cap ETF
9. SCHG — Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF
10. IWM — iShares Russell 2000 ETF (small-cap)
11. VXUS — Vanguard Total International Stock ETF
12. VEA — Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF
13. EFA — iShares MSCI EAFE ETF
14. VWO — Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF
15. IEMG — iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF
16. VT — Vanguard Total World Stock ETF
17. AGG — iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF
18. BND — Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF
19. BNDX — Vanguard Total International Bond ETF (hedged)
20. TLT — iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF
21. TIP — iShares TIPS Bond ETF
22. XLK — Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund
23. XLF — Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund
24. XLV — Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund
25. XLY — Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund
26. XLE — Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund
27. XLI — Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund
28. XLU — Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund
29. XLB — Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund
30. XLC — Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund
31. VOO — Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (alternate link)
32. IVW — iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF
33. IVE — iShares S&P 500 Value ETF
34. SCHD — Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF
35. VIG — Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF
36. DIA — SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust
37. IWF — iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF
38. IWD — iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF
39. IWS — iShares Russell 2500 Value (small/mid)
40. VTWO — Vanguard Russell 2000 ETF
41. VNQ — Vanguard Real Estate ETF (REITs)
42. XLRE — Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund
43. IYR — iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF
44. GDX — VanEck Gold Miners ETF
45. GLD — SPDR Gold Trust
46. IAU — iShares Gold Trust
47. DBC — Invesco DB Commodity Index Tracking Fund
48. XLV — (duplicate shown earlier; included for completeness)
49. VO — Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF
50. VOE — Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF
51. VOT — Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth ETF
52. SCHM — Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF
53. MDY — SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust
54. SMH — VanEck Semiconductor ETF
55. IBB — iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF
56. XBI — SPDR S&P Biotech ETF
57. XLE — (Energy appears earlier)
58. IEMG — (duplicate earlier; included)
59. IEFA — iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF
60. IXUS — iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF
61. VXUS — (duplicate link for international total)
62. EMB — iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF
63. LQD — iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF
64. VCIT — Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF
65. SHY — iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF
66. IEF — iShares 7-10 Year Treasury ETF
67. AGG — (duplicate; core bond)
68. VTIP — Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF
69. VXUS — (included again as broad international)
70. QQQ — (duplicate for Nasdaq-100)
71. VOOG — Vanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF
72. VOOV — Vanguard S&P 500 Value ETF
73. SOXL — (leveraged; note: not for buy-and-hold)
74. USMV — iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol USA ETF
75. QUAL — iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF
76. VOO — (core S&P 500 repeat)
77. VXUS — (another repeat for coverage)
78. VT — (global total equity repeat)
79. MDY — (midcap repeat)
80. IEF — (intermediate treasuries repeat)
81. VXUS — (coverage for emerging & developed ex-US)
82. Additional broad & niche ETFs (see ETFdb)

If you want this exact list expanded into a strict AUM-ranked top-100 by assets (as measured by ETF providers/Morningstar/ETFdb), I can generate that exact ranking and include individual issuer fund pages for each ticker.

Executive summary — beginner long-term plan (short)

Core idea: build a simple, diversified core portfolio using low-cost broad-market ETFs (example core funds: VTI, VOO/IVV, VXUS, AGG), dollar-cost average into them, rebalance periodically, and only sell for specific, objective reasons (goal reached, allocation drift beyond tolerance, major life change, or a permanent structural problem with the fund). These approaches are widely recommended by investment educators and ETF data sources. 0

Detailed plan — what to buy and why

Top ETFs An/Or Core holdings (buy & hold)

Use one or two core ETFs that cover essentially the whole market; they reduce single-stock risk, keep costs low, and simplify tax reporting.

• U.S. total market: VTI (or ITOT) — single-fund core holding for U.S. equity exposure.
• S&P 500 (large cap): VOO, IVV, or SPY — alternative core for large-cap focus.
• International developed & emerging: VXUS or a split of VEA (developed) + VWO or IEMG (emerging).
• Core bonds: AGG or BND for broad fixed income allocation.
• Inflation protection (optional): TIP or short-term TIPS for protection vs. rising inflation.
• Real assets / commodities (optional): GLD or IAU for gold exposure; commodity ETFs only as small diversification pieces.

Rationale: low expense ratios, deep liquidity and proven long-term diversification advantages. For lists of largest/liquid ETFs see ETF database and aggregator sources. 1

How to allocate (sample target allocations)

Choose a model matching your time horizon and emotional ability to tolerate drawdowns. Revisit annually or after major life changes.

How to buy — practical execution

1. Open a low-cost brokerage (Vanguard, Fidelity, Schwab, or a quality app that offers commission-free ETF trading).
2. Use dollar-cost averaging (DCA): invest a fixed amount monthly/biweekly rather than trying to time the market.
3. Prefer tax-efficient placement: hold taxable-inefficient ETFs (taxable bond interest, REITs) in tax-advantaged accounts (IRAs, 401k) when possible.
4. Avoid frequent trading: for long-term investors, trading costs, tax drag, and timing risk degrade returns.
5. Use limit orders for large trades in thin ETFs; market orders are fine for major, liquid ETFs (VOO, VTI, QQQ).

Sources: ETF liquidity and expense guidance from ETF aggregator sites and investing publications. 2

When to rebalance & how

Two simple, practical rebalance rules for beginners:

• Time-based: rebalance once per year (pick a month) — simple and effective.
• Threshold-based: rebalance when an asset class drifts ±5%–10% from target allocation.

Prefer the method you will follow consistently. Rebalancing sells winners and buys laggards, enforcing buy-low/sell-high discipline.

When to sell — objective exit rules

Only sell for one of these reasons (avoid emotional or headline-driven selling):

1. Goal achieved: You reached your financial objective (home purchase, retire, etc.).
2. Allocation rebalancing: Sell small portions to trim an overweight asset back to target.
3. Life change / liquidity need: Emergency, medical, or planned major expense.
4. Fund structural problem: If an ETF’s strategy, issuer solvency, or very high fee changes permanently (rare), consider exit — document the reason.
5. Tax-loss harvesting: sell losers near year-end to offset gains (follow wash-sale rules).

Avoid selling because of short-term market drops. For long-term investors, plan around multi-year horizons (5–20+ years).

How long to hold

Long-term means multiple market cycles. Minimum recommended core holding horizon for these ETFs is 5–10+ years. Many investors treat core ETFs as multi-decade holdings for retirement accumulation. Shorter horizons increase the risk that a market drawdown reduces the value at the time you need the money.

Empirical evidence and investment educators typically emphasize long holding periods to capture equity premium and compound returns. 3

Risk management & position sizing

• Never allocate more to a single trade than you can afford to lose emotionally — for many beginners that means no more than 5–10% of portfolio per non-core trade.
• Use core ETFs (VTI/VOO/AGG) as the largest holdings; keep speculative sector or leveraged ETFs to small percentages (0–5%).
• Keep an emergency cash buffer (3–6 months of living expenses) before investing aggressively.

Taxes, fees and account placement

• Watch expense ratios: choose low-cost ETFs (many core ETFs are 0.03%–0.10%). Expense drag compounds over decades.
• Use tax-advantaged accounts: hold tax-inefficient ETFs (taxable bonds, REITs) inside IRAs/401(k)s when possible.
• Be mindful of capital gains: ETFs are tax-efficient but still have distributions; track basis for taxable accounts.
• International withholding: dividend withholding on foreign equities reduces return in taxable accounts — consider retirement accounts for international dividend exposure.

For detailed tax rules consult a tax professional; this is only a high-level checklist.

Sample model portfolios (actionable)

Simple 3-fund portfolio (classic)

1. 60% VTI (U.S. total market)
2. 25% VXUS (International total)
3. 15% AGG (Total bond)

Conservative retirement accumulation

1. 40% VOO
2. 20% VXUS
3. 35% BND
4. 5% VNQ

Aggressive growth (long horizon)

1. 70% VTI / QQQ (tilt to growth)
2. 20% VXUS
3. 10% AGG (small bond allocation)

Practical checklist before you click “Buy”

1. Open brokerage account with low commissions and good tax reporting.
2. Confirm ETF ticker, expense ratio, and average daily volume (liquidity).
3. Decide allocation and DCA cadence (monthly/biweekly).
4. Set up automatic contributions if available.
5. Document target allocation and rebalancing rule (time or threshold).
6. Track holdings and review at least annually.

Common beginner mistakes to avoid

• Trying to time market bottoms or chase hot sectors with large allocations.
• Overconcentrating in a single stock or thematic ETF without understanding the risk.
• Ignoring fees, taxes and account placement.
• Reacting emotionally to short-term market volatility.

Resources & further reading

Authoritative ETF lists, AUM rankings, and fund pages used to assemble the ETF selection and guidance:

• ETF Database — largest ETFs & fund pages (ETF listings, liquidity, expense ratios). 4
• TradingView — largest ETF fund list / market summaries. 5
• Bankrate / Fool / investment education sites — beginner ETF guides and index fund recommendations. 6
• Recent market coverage about SPY/ETF AUM concentration. 7