John Bogle, who founded Vanguard Group, had a major influence on the index funds people own today. Indeed, Vanguard’s exchange traded funds (ETFs) — and less directly, all ETFs — continue to bear his enduring imprint.
His fans, known as “Bogle-heads,” will often study Bogle’s principles on investing in general and funds in particular. They might wonder: if he were still with us, what would be Bogle’s top three Vanguard ETFs to buy in 2026?
We can’t know for certain, but we can study Bogle’s concepts and pick out three Vanguard ETFs that would check the right boxes. To borrow some of Bogle’s phrases, he would likely keep an eye out for “wide diversification,” “clarity of strategy,” “minimal costs,” and “long-term focus.”
In addition, it’s safe to say that Bogle would probably prefer ETFs that offer regular dividend payouts. So now, let’s look at three Vanguard funds that a “Bogle-head” could consider buying today.
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO)
Today, we’re starting off with a Vanguard fund that certainly would get Bogle’s stamp of approval in 2026. It’s the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:VOO), which effectively tracks the S&P 500 large-cap stock index.
Certainly, you’ll achieve broad diversification with the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF as it includes around 500 stocks across multiple business sectors. Whether it’s consumer staples, consumer discretionary, utilities, technology, financials, or industrials, you’ll get Bogle-approved multi-sector stock exposure with the VOO ETF.
Bogle liked to see earnings growth over time, and the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF includes many companies with good earnings track records. A few examples are Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Walmart (NYSE:WMT), Bank of America (NYSE:BAC), Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO), and Home Depot (NYSE:HD).
There’s no denying the “long-term focus” and the “clarity of strategy” with the the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, since it’s a tried-and-true index fund that’s ideal for buying and holding. Moreover, if a business fails and is kicked out of the S&P 500, you won’t see it in the VOO ETF anymore.
As far as “minimal costs” are concerned, you won’t do much better than the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. This fund has a rock-bottom expense ratio of 0.03%, which means you’ll only pay fees of $0.03 per share per year for every $100 invested in VOO. The fund’s 1.08% annual dividend yield will more than make up for the fees, so you can start a share position today with confidence.
Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS)
Sticking with the theme of broad diversification, you can adhere to Bogle’s ideas and broaden your horizons even further with the Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (NASDAQ:VXUS). By combining this fund with the VOO ETF, you’ll diversify your holdings not just nationally, but internationally.
That’s because the Vanguard Total International Stock ETF holds “stocks issued by companies located outside the United States,” spanning “developed and emerging non-U.S. equity markets.” Astoundingly, the VXUS ETF includes 8,646 stocks in its list of holdings.
It’s easy to imagine that Bogle would choose to hold shares of the Vanguard Total International Stock ETF in 2026. Bogle preferred to keep expenses low, and VXUS features a very reasonable annual expense ratio of 0.05%.
Naturally, there’s no way to guarantee earnings growth with over 8,000 companies. Nevertheless, there’s bound to be some economic growth in various geographic regions, whether it’s in Europe, Asia/Pacific, and/or emerging markets. Therefore, the Vanguard Total International Stock ETF could be a prime diversifying tool for your portfolio this year.
Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM)
To round out this list of Vanguard funds that Bogle would almost certainly choose to own in 2026, we’ve got a great choice for passive income seekers. Bogle emphasized the importance of dividends, so you won’t likely go wrong with the Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (NYSEARCA:VYM).
As you would expect by now, the Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF features an ultra-low fee structure that Bogle would want to see. Specifically, the VYM ETF’s annual expense ratio is just 0.04%.
That’s a small price to pay for easy portfolio exposure to 563 high-quality stocks, such as JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM), Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG), Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO), and Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM). Sure, there’s some overlap with the VOO ETF, but the Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF delivers a juicy 2.34% annual dividend yield.
Truly, every “Bogle-head” ought to check out the Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF. The “long-term focus” is practically built into the fund because it’s designed for sitting back and collecting the periodic dividend payments. Hence, combining the VYM ETF with VOO and VXUS will honor Bogle’s legacy and should put you on the path to building wealth in 2026.