Updated March 2025 · 9 min read
No fee everyday banking
Set up direct deposit and skip the monthly fee. Free to open, and the Easy plan has no monthly fee. Worth doing if you will actually move your pay or your CRA deposits over, not if the card sits unused. Code BREMO2026.
Vanguard is synonymous with low-cost index investing worldwide, and their Canadian ETF lineup lives up to that reputation. With MERs as low as 0.05%, Vanguard Canada ETFs are among the cheapest available to Canadian investors. Here's a comprehensive breakdown of every major Vanguard Canada ETF in 2025.
The most popular Vanguard Canada products — single-fund portfolios holding thousands of global securities.
| Ticker | Name | Allocation | MER | Approx. Yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VEQT | Vanguard All-Equity ETF Portfolio | 100% equity | 0.24% | ~1.8% |
| VGRO | Vanguard Growth ETF Portfolio | 80% equity / 20% bonds | 0.24% | ~2.0% |
| VBAL | Vanguard Balanced ETF Portfolio | 60% equity / 40% bonds | 0.24% | ~2.2% |
| VCNS | Vanguard Conservative ETF Portfolio | 40% equity / 60% bonds | 0.24% | ~2.5% |
| VCIP | Vanguard Conservative Income ETF Portfolio | 20% equity / 80% bonds | 0.24% | ~2.8% |
VEQT is Vanguard's flagship all-equity ETF, holding four underlying Vanguard ETFs covering Canadian, U.S., international, and emerging market stocks. Geographic allocation as of early 2025: approximately 30% Canadian, 43% U.S., 18% international developed, 9% emerging markets. Holds approximately 13,000+ global stocks through its underlying funds.
VGRO adds a 20% bond allocation to the VEQT equity mix, providing some cushion during market downturns. The bond component uses VAB (Canadian aggregate bonds) and VBLS/VBLS (global bonds). Historically, the 80/20 split reduces annual volatility significantly with only a modest reduction in long-term returns.
| Ticker | Name | Index | MER |
|---|---|---|---|
| VCN | Vanguard FTSE Canada All Cap Index ETF | FTSE Canada All Cap | 0.05% |
| VFV | Vanguard S&P 500 Index ETF | S&P 500 | 0.09% |
| VUN | Vanguard U.S. Total Market Index ETF | CRSP U.S. Total Market | 0.16% |
| VIU | Vanguard FTSE Developed All Cap ex North America Index ETF | FTSE Dev. ex-NA | 0.23% |
| VEE | Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap Index ETF | FTSE Emerging | 0.24% |
| VXC | Vanguard FTSE Global All Cap ex Canada Index ETF | FTSE Global ex-Canada | 0.22% |
| Ticker | Name | MER | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| VAB | Vanguard Canadian Aggregate Bond Index ETF | 0.09% | ~8 yrs |
| VSB | Vanguard Canadian Short-Term Bond Index ETF | 0.11% | ~3 yrs |
| VLB | Vanguard Canadian Long-Term Bond Index ETF | 0.15% | ~16 yrs |
| VGB | Vanguard Canadian Government Bond Index ETF | 0.17% | ~9 yrs |
| VCB | Vanguard Canadian Corporate Bond Index ETF | 0.23% | ~7 yrs |
| Ticker | Name | MER | Yield |
|---|---|---|---|
| VDY | Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF | 0.21% | ~4.5% |
VDY focuses on high-dividend Canadian stocks, heavily weighted toward financials (banks) and energy (pipelines). Good for income investors, but concentrated — top 10 holdings often represent 60%+ of the fund.
| ETF | Best Account | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| VFV (S&P 500) | RRSP | No 15% U.S. dividend withholding in RRSP |
| VEQT / VGRO | TFSA or RRSP | Both work; TFSA gives tax-free growth |
| VCN (Canadian equity) | Non-registered or TFSA | Dividend tax credit available outside registered |
| VAB (bonds) | RRSP | Interest income sheltered from tax |
| VDY (dividends) | TFSA | Dividends fully tax-free in TFSA |
Vanguard Canada ETFs trade on the TSX and can be purchased through any Canadian discount broker:
Stop paying $200-$360/year in bank fees. KOHO's no-fee account frees up money you can redirect into your TFSA or RRSP. Use code BREMO2026 for a sign-up bonus.
Get KOHO Free — Use Code BREMO2026