A seemingly unstoppable flood of money has Vanguard Group Inc. on the brink of claiming a crown that State Street Corp. has held for decades.

Distinct differences The simplest way to understand the differences between the Vanguard Growth ETF and the Vanguard Value ETF is to know what each fund comprises and how that composition stacks up against the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO),

But there's a small problem that might bother some investors. The average price-to-earnings ratio and price-to-book value ratio of Vanguard S&P 500 ETF are 27.7 and 4.9, respectively. For Vanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF, those figures are 34.6 and 9.4, respectively. The growth-focused version of the S&P 500 is looking really expensive right now.

Vanguard exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are a fantastic choice for retired investors looking to play the long game with their portfolios. Undoubtedly, Vanguard is a name that passive investors can put their trust in.

An investigation by the S.E.C. and several states found that the company had failed to notify investors of changes in the terms of some funds, leading to higher capital gains taxes.

Here are my three favorite Vanguard ETFs to buy and hold for decades. Warren Buffett doesn't give a seal of approval to ETFs like Good Housekeeping does with consumer products. If he did, though, I suspect the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) would be the first to receive such a distinction from the legendary investor.