Here the panel again stood pat, opting to retain all four of our 2018 US equity picks. XUU was the hands-down winner due in part to its lower fee structure at 0.07%, according to Robb Engen. A slim majority opted to retain the non-hedged Vanguard S&P500 ETF (VFV) and its the sister ETF, the currency-hedged VSP. The panel was almost split on reinstating VUN (The Vanguard US Total Market ETF) which had been an All-Star before 2018, but in the end opted not to add it back.
Best U.S. ETFs – The list
| ETF name | Ticker | Management Fee | MER | # of Holdings | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares Core S&P US Total Market Index ETF | XUU | 0.07 | 0.08 | 3459 | Returning All-star, low fees of 0.07% |
| Vanguard S&P 500 Index ETF | VFV | 0.08 | 0.08 | 507 | Provides unhedged exposure to the S&P500 at a very low cost |
| Vanguard S&P 500 Index ETF (CAD-hedged) | VSP | 0.08 | 0.08 | 507 | Provides currency-hedged exposure to the S&P_500 at no extra cost |
| BMO S&P500 Index ETF (CAD) | ZSP | 0.08 | 0.09 | 505 | Alternative to VFV; tied on fee; fund size is largest among 4 US Core ETFs |
As was the case last year, the panel debated whether we should add some US-based technology ETFs, like QQQ. There are a couple of TSX-listed Canadian Nasdaq 100 type ETFs that several panelists liked but we were unable to get a majority to agree on adding this as a category.
However, readers should check our new desert island picks: several panelists went with specialty US equity ETFs, such as HXQ.U from Mark Yamada.
Background vector created by aranjuezmedina – www.freepik.com
The post Best U.S. ETFs for 2019 appeared first on MoneySense.