Serious money continues to flow into two of the ASX’s most popular Vanguard exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS) and Vanguard MSCI International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS) now collectively manage rougly $40 billion in funds under management.

These two ASX ETFs form the backbone of countless long-term portfolios, offering broad exposure to Australia, global markets and the world’s largest economy.

But after gains and shifting global conditions, investors may be asking whether they still deserve a place in a modern portfolio.

Aussie classic

The Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF remains the core domestic building block for many investors, tracking the performance of the 300 ASX’s largest companies.

The popular Vanguard ETF has delivered around 5% in 2026 and 2% over the past 12 months, reflecting steady but modest growth compared to global markets.

Two of its largest holdings include Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP), giving investors exposure to both financials and resources.

The strength of VAS lies in its diversification across Australia’s leading companies and its consistent dividend income stream. Many Australian shares pay dividends, and the VAS ETF passes those distributions on to its investors.

However, risks remain, particularly its heavy concentration in banks and resources, which can make returns heavily dependent on domestic economic conditions and commodity cycles.

True global reach

The Vanguard MSCI International Shares ETF provides broad global diversification outside Australia and has returned around 8% over the past year.

This Vanguard ETF invests across developed markets, reducing reliance on the Australian economy and offering exposure to a wide range of industries and geographies.

Two of its largest holdings are Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) and NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ: NVDA), giving investors exposure to both established tech leaders and the high-growth semiconductor sector.

VGS is often viewed as a long-term portfolio stabiliser due to its global reach. However, it still carries risks associated with international market cycles, geopolitical uncertainty, and currency movements, all of which can affect returns for Australian investors.

Foolish takeaway

Despite decent recent performance across the two funds, these Vanguard ETFs continue to play distinct and complementary roles in long-term portfolios. VAS offers domestic stability and dividends and VGS delivers global diversification.

For many investors, the combination remains a powerful foundation for building wealth over time. With a single purchase, an investor can gain exposure to a broad portfolio of established Australian and international businesses, then keep investing and let those companies compound over time.

But understanding each ETF’s risks and exposures is essential in deciding whether they still deserve a place in your portfolio today.

The post Are these 2 top Vanguard ETFs still worth buying today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Marc Van Dinther has positions in BHP Group. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Apple and Nvidia. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Apple, BHP Group, Nvidia, and Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

Australia’s cost-of-living debate lives almost entirely in the present tense. 

Grocery bills. Energy prices. Mortgage repayments. Rent dues.

Retirement planning often needs the opposite treatment. Targets are set using today’s prices, even though the money may not be needed for another 10, 15 or 20 years.

That is why some of the most damaging superannuation mistakes do not look dramatic. They are small assumptions that quietly compound in the wrong direction.

1. Treating a benchmark as a personal plan

The latest ASFA Retirement Standard estimates that a comfortable retirement costs around $55,923 a year for a single person and $78,566 for a couple.

These figures are useful starting points, but they are not personal forecasts.

Housing, travel, healthcare and family commitments can produce very different outcomes. ASFA’s related lump-sum estimates also assume retirees own their home, draw down their capital and receive some Age Pension support.

A benchmark can tell you what an average retirement might cost today. It cannot decide what your retirement will look like.

2. Planning entirely in today’s dollars

Suppose you want retirement income of $6,000 a month, or $72,000 a year, in today’s dollars.

If retirement is 15 years away and inflation averages 3.5% (in line with the latest figure), funding the same lifestyle would require approximately $120,625 a year. That is more than $10,000 a month.

This is a stress test rather than an inflation forecast. The Reserve Bank of Australia targets inflation of 2% to 3%.

Even at the midpoint of 2.5%, however, the equivalent income rises to approximately $104,277. That is more than $32,000 above the original nominal target.

Inflation does not merely increase the required balance. It moves the destination while you are still travelling towards it.

3. Becoming defensive too early

Reaching retirement does not mean an investment horizon suddenly falls to zero. A portfolio may still need to fund 20 or 30 years of spending.

Growth assets carry real volatility. The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has endured plenty of difficult years, and another downturn will eventually arrive.

However, removing too much growth exposure too early can create a different risk: a portfolio that struggles to keep pace with inflation.

The appropriate balance will differ for every investor. The important point is that market volatility and lost purchasing power are both risks.

4. Ignoring a small fee difference

Superannuation fees rarely feel urgent because they are deducted gradually. Compounding makes them expensive.

Consider a $400,000 balance invested for 15 years with no additional contributions. At a net annual return of 6.5%, it would grow to approximately $1.03 million.

Reduce that net return to 6%, with everything else unchanged, and the ending balance falls to roughly $958,600.

That half-percentage-point difference costs approximately $70,000 before allowing for tax, insurance premiums or changing market returns.

Put more bluntly: small recurring costs deserve investors’ attention because the compounding effect can be destructive to your capital.

5. Assuming every contribution has arrived

The final mistake is the least glamorous. Many employees rarely check whether their superannuation has actually been paid.

The ATO’s estimate puts the net super guarantee gap at approximately $6.25 billion for 2022–23, equal to 6% of the super employers were expected to pay.

Payday super, which began on 1 July 2026, should make missing contributions easier to identify. Employer contributions must generally reach an employee’s super fund within seven business days of payday rather than being paid quarterly.

That improves visibility, but it does not remove the need to check. Comparing payslips with a super account can reveal missing or incorrect payments before years of potential returns are lost.

Foolish takeaway

None of these mistakes announces itself with a market crash or frightening headline.

Instead, there is a benchmark treated as a plan, an inflation assumption that proves too optimistic, a portfolio that becomes cautious too soon, fees that look harmless and contributions that nobody checks.

Each gap can appear small in isolation. Over 15 years, the arithmetic becomes much less forgiving.

Markets will always remain uncertain. However, assumptions, fees, asset allocation and whether contributions arrive are variables investors can still monitor.

That may be considerably more valuable than chasing a perfect retirement number.

The post 5 superannuation mistakes that could shrink your nest egg appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Leigh Gant has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares rose 0.37% last week and are up 4.2% in the calendar year to date (YTD).

Today is the final day of earnings season.

We will hear from Michael Hill International Ltd (ASX: MHJ) and Monash IVF Group Ltd (ASX: MVF) today.

Meanwhile, if you’re keeping an eye on dividend opportunities, there are 37 ASX shares going ex-dividend this week.

Let’s start the day with some new ratings from the experts (courtesy The Bull). 

CSL Ltd (ASX: CSL)

CSL shares rose 2.39% to $172.32 apiece last week, and are up 0.2% in the YTD.

Damien Nguyen from Morgans has a buy rating on this ASX 200 healthcare share. 

Nguyen said: 

CSL is a global healthcare leader with strong competitive advantages across plasma therapies, vaccines and specialty medicines.

Demand for its products remain largely independent of economic conditions.

In our view, the latest full year result in 2026 is generating confidence that repeated earnings downgrades are behind CSL.

With defensive earnings, global market leadership and attractive long term growth prospects, we view CSL as an appealing investment opportunity.

Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)

The Goodman Group share price rose 2.38% to $27.92 last week, and is down 9% for the YTD.

Jonathan Tacadena from MPC Markets has a hold rating on this ASX 200 property share. 

Tacadena said: 

Goodman Group is a global industrial property and data centre developer. It delivered an operating profit of $2.675 billion in full year 2026, up 15.7 per cent on the prior corresponding period.

Data centres drove work in progress to $19.7 billion across 50 projects in 12 countries.

Property investment income of $722.1 million was up 7 per cent. Occupancy remained high at 95.6 per cent.

The company is targeting earnings per share growth of 9 per cent in full year 2027.

Earnings momentum and management quality justify holding the position.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA)

The CBA share price fell 0.47% to $157.25 last week, and is down 2% for the YTD.

Nguyen has a sell rating on this ASX 200 bank share, and said:

The CBA continues to deliver resilient earnings, strong capital levels and industry leading returns, reinforcing its position as Australia’s premier banking franchise.

However, the earnings growth outlook remains relatively modest as intense competition and margin pressure possibly weigh on profitability.

Despite these headwinds, the stock trades at a significant premium to its peers and historical valuations.

With limited scope for earnings upgrades, we believe the share price leaves little room for disappointment.

The post Buy, hold, sell: Commonwealth Bank, Goodman Group, CSL shares appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

• Experts name 2 ASX 200 blue chip shares to buy this week
• Are these 2 top Vanguard ETFs still worth buying today?
• The 2 top yielding ASX 200 bank stocks revealed (Hint: Not CBA shares)
• Are ASX bank shares a buy in September?
• How to build an ASX portfolio you do not need to check every day

Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended CSL and Goodman Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended CSL and Goodman Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.