This is one page summary of the best ETFs* available to you to invest in the US. If you are not residing in US, then you can still access to these ETFs through many international online brokerages like Scottrade, Interactive Brokers, Fidelity, Capital One Investing and TDAmeritrade.

I would personally recommend TDAmeritrade because I have personally used it. I love the UI of TD Ameritrade. TD has the most commission-free ETFs, and if you’re moving a significant amount of money, you will get a sign-up bonus when you fund your account.

I define the best ETF by filtering out all non-commission free ETFs. This way, you reap the benefit of having 100% of your money being invested, either lump sum or dollar cost averaging. Then using data from TDAmeritrade, I categorize each ETF based on its asset class, and compare its standardized return since inception up to 31 Dec 2016.

Standardized Returns assume reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. It depicts annualized returns without adjusting for the effects of taxation, but are adjusted to reflect sales charges and ongoing fund expenses.

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ETFETF CategoryStandardized Return
(as of 31 Dec 2016) since inception
ETF BenchmarkInception YearManagement Fee
iShares China Large-CapChina region7.85%FTSE China 50 Index20040.74%
SPDR® S&P China ETFChina region+5.23%S&P China BMI Index20070.59%
PowerShares DB Commodity Index Tracking FundCommodity Broad Basket-3.34%n/a20060.85%
PowerShares DB Oil FundCommodity Energy-8.39%n/a20070.75%
iShares Intermediate Credit Bond ETFCorporate Bond+4.45%Barclays U.S. Intermediate Credit Bond Index20070.20%
iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETFCorporate Bond+5.56%Markit iBoxx® USD Liquid Investment Grade Index 20020.15%
iShares MSCI BRIC ETFDiversified Emerging Mkts-4.40%MSCI BRIC Index20070.72%
SPDR® S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap ETFDiversified Emerging Mkts-0.68%S&P Emerging Markets Under USD2 Billion Index20080.65%
Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets Index Fund ETF SharesDiversified Emerging Mkts+5.61%FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap China A Inclusion Index20050.07%
PowerShares Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt PortfolioEmerging Markets Bond+6.68%DBIQ Emerging Market USD Liquid Balanced Index20070.50%
SPDR® EURO STOXX 50 ETFEurope Stocks+5.50%EURO STOXX 50® Index20020.29%
Vanguard FTSE Europe ETFEurope Stocks+3.44%FTSE Developed Europe All Cap Index20050.08%
Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund ETF SharesForeign Large Blend+1.24%FTSE All-World ex US Index20070.08%
Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets Index Fund ETF SharesForeign Large Blend-0.29%FTSE Developed All Cap ex US Index20070.06%
iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETFForeign Large Growth+3.95%MSCI EAFE Growth Index20050.40%
iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETFForeign Large Value+2.85%MSCI EAFE Value Index20050.40%
iShares MSCI EAFE Small-Cap ETFForeign Small/Mid Blend+2.40%MSCI EAFE Small Cap Index20070.40%
Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Small-Cap Index Fund ETF SharesForeign Small/Mid Blend+10.87%TSE Global Small Cap ex US Index20090.08%
SPDR® Dow Jones International Real Estate ETFGlobal Real Estate-0.10%Dow Jones Global ex-U.S. Select Real Estate Securities Index20060.59%
SPDR® Dow Jones Global Real Estate ETFGlobal Real Estate+3.47%Dow Jones Global Select Real Estate Securities Index20080.50%
SPDR® Bloomberg Barclays High Yield Bond ETFHigh Yield Bond
+5.44%Bloomberg Barclays High Yield Very Liquid Index20070.40%
WisdomTree India Earnings FundIndia Equity-1.61%WisdomTree India Earnings Index20080.83%
PIMCO 1-5 Year U.S. TIPS Index Exchange-Traded FundInflation-Protected Bond+1.76%BofA Merrill Lynch 1-5 Year US Inflation-Linked Treasury IndexSM20090.20%
iShares TIPS Bond ETFInflation-Protected Bond+4.13% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) Index (Series-L)20030.20%
iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETFIntermediate Government+4.07% ICE U.S. Treasury 3-7 Year Bond Index20070.15%
Vanguard Intermediate-Term Government Bond Index Fund ETF SharesIntermediate Government2.97%Bloomberg Barclays U.S. 3-10 Year Government Float Adjusted Index. 20090.06%
iShares Core US Aggregate BondIntermediate-Term Bond+4.06%Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index20030.05%
Vanguard Interm-Term Bond ETFIntermediate-Term Bond+5.34%Bloomberg Barclays U.S. 5-10 Year Government/Credit Float Adjusted Index20070.08%
Vanguard Total Bond Market ETFIntermediate-Term Bond+4.24% Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Float Adjusted Index20070.04%
iShares Interm Government/Credit BdIntermediate-Term Bond+3.67%Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Intermediate Government/Credit Bond Index20070.20%
iShares MBSIntermediate-Term Bond+3.81%Bloomberg Barclays U.S. MBS Index20070.25%
Vanguard Mortgage-Backed Secs ETFIntermediate-Term Bond+2.84%Bloomberg Barclays U.S. MBS Float Adjusted Index20090.05%
iShares MSCI Japan ETFJapan Stock+0.08%MSCI Japan Index19960.48%
iShares Core S&P 500 ETFLarge Blend+4.60%S&P 50020000.04%
iShares Russell 1000 ETFLarge Blend+4.79%
Russell 1000® Index20000.15%
iShares Russell 3000 ETFLarge Blend+5.18%Russell 3000® Index20000.20%
iShares S&P 100 ETFLarge Blend+3.90%
S&P 10020000.20%
Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund ETF SharesLarge Blend+7.35%NASDAQ US Dividend Achievers Select Index20060.08%
Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF SharesLarge Blend+6.54%CRSP US Total Market Index20010.04%
iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETFLarge Growth+2.89%Russell 1000® Growth Index20000.20%
Vanguard Mega Cap Growth Index Fund ETF SharesLarge Growth+7.73%CRSP US Mega Cap Growth Index20070.06%
Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF SharesLarge Growth+7.60%CRSP US Large Cap Growth Index20040.07%
iShares S&P 500 Value ETFLarge Value+5.48%S&P 500 Value IndexTM20000.18%
iShares Russell 1000 Value ETFLarge Value+6.61%Russell 1000® Value Index20000.20%
Vanguard Value Index Fund ETF SharesLarge Value+7.71%CRSP US Large Cap Value Index20040.07%
Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund ETF SharesLarge Value+7.43%FTSE High Dividend Yield Index20060.07%
iShares MSCI Brazil Capped ETFLatin America Stock+6.08%MSCI Brazil 25/50 Index20000.63%
iShares Latin America 40 ETFLatin America Stock+10.63%S&P Latin America 40TM20010.49%
Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury Index Fund ETF SharesLong Government+8.13%Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Treasury STRIPS 20-30 Year Equal Par Bond Index20070.06%
iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETFLong Government+6.58%ICE U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index20020.15%
Vanguard Long-Term Government Bond Index Fund ETF SharesLong Government+6.10%Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Long Government Float Adjusted Index20090.05%
Vanguard Long-Term Bond Index Fund ETF SharesNYSE Long-Term Bond+6.94%Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Long Government/Credit Float Adjusted Index20070.08%
iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETFMid-Cap Blend+9.34%S&P MidCap 40020000.07%
Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund ETF SharesMid-Cap Blend+9.21%CRSP US Mid Cap Index20040.06%
Vanguard Extended Market Index Fund ETF SharesMid-Cap Blend+9.31%
S&P Completion Index20010.07%
iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETFMid-Cap Growth+7.37%
Russell Midcap Growth Index20010.25%
Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Index Fund ETF SharesMid-Cap Growth+7.86%CRSP US Mid Cap Growth Index20060.06%
iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETFMid-Cap Value+9.74%Russell Midcap Value Index20010.25%
Vanguard Mid-Cap Value Index Fund ETF SharesMid-Cap Value+8.56%CRSP US Mid Cap Value Index20060.06%
iShares MSCI Australia ETFRegional+7.57%MSCI Australia Index19960.48%
iShares MSCI Canada ETFRegional+8.02%MSCI Canada Index19960.48%
iShares MSCI Germany ETFRegional+5.77%MSCI Germany Index19960.48%
iShares MSCI Italy Capped ETFRegional+3.28%MSCI Italy 25/50 Index19960.48%
iShares MSCI Spain Capped ETFRegional+7.15%MSCI Spain 25/50 Index19960.48%
iShares MSCI France ETFRegional+5.91%MSCI France Index19960.48%
iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETFRegional+4.86%MSCI United Kingdom Index19960.48%
SPDR® S&P Emerging Europe ETFRegional-4.44%S&P European Emerging Capped BMI Index20070.48%
VanEck Vectors Russia ETFRegional-4.08%MVISä Russia Index20070.48%
iShares MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan ETFPacific/Asia ex-Japan Stk+2.97%MSCI AC Asia ex Japan Index20080.71%
SPDR® Dow Jones REIT ETFReal Estate+10.85%Dow Jones U.S. Select REIT Index20010.25%
Vanguard REIT Index Fund ETF SharesReal Estate+9.22%MSCI US REIT Index20040.11%
iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETFShort Government+2.09%ICE U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Bond Index20020.15%
Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF SharesShort-Term Bond+2.89%Bloomberg Barclays U.S. 1-5 Year Government/Credit Float Adjusted Index20070.08%
iShares 1-3 Year Credit Bond ETFShort-Term Bond+2.81%Bloomberg Barclays U.S. 1-3 Year Credit Bond Index20070.20%
Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund ETF SharesShort-Term Bond+2.98%Bloomberg Barclays U.S. 1-5 Year Corporate Bond Index20090.06%
iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETFSmall Blend
+10.52%S&P SmallCap 60020000.07%
Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund ETF SharesSmall Blend
+9.04%CRSP US Small Cap Index20040.06%
iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETFSmall Growth+4.63%Russell 2000 Growth Index20000.25%
Vanguard Small-Cap Growth Index Fund ETF SharesSmall Growth+8.47%CRSP US Small Cap Growth Index20040.06%
iShares S&P Small-Cap 600 Value ETFSmall Value+10.44%S&P SmallCap 600 Value IndexTM20000.25%
iShares Russell 2000 Value ETFSmall Value+9.90%Russell 2000 Value Index20000.25%
Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund ETF SharesSmall Value+9.26%CRSP US Small Cap Value Index20040.06%
SPDR® Bloomberg Barclays International Treasury Bond ETFWorld Bond+1.66%Bloomberg Barclays Global Treasury Ex-US Capped Index20070.50%
SPDR® Citi International Government Inflation-Protected Bond ETFWorld Bond+0.48%Citi International Inflation-Linked Securities Select Index20080.50%
iShares MSCI ACWI ETFWorld Stock+3.98%MSCI ACWI20080.33%
iShares Global 100 ETFWorld Stock+2.67%S&P Global 100TM20000.40%
Vanguard Total World Stock Index Fund ETF SharesWorld Stock+4.68%FTSE Global All Cap Index20080.09%
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Let me know if this 1 page table summary is useful to you to start investing in ETFs