Imagine setting up your investments once—and never stressing about them again. No constant rebalancing, no second-guessing, no endless research. Sounds great, right?
That’s exactly what All-In-One ETFs offer.
In this video, I’ll show you how they work, who they’re best for, how to choose the right one for you, and how to invest step by step. And at the end, I’ll cover common mistakes to avoid so you don’t trip up along the way.
What Are All-In-One ETFs?
All-In-One ETFs, also known as Asset Allocation ETFs, simplify investing by bundling multiple ETFs into one.
They provide instant diversification across stocks, bonds, and global markets—without the hassle of picking individual investments.
What Do They Invest In?
Let’s take Vanguard VGRO as an example. With over $6 billion in assets under management, VGRO is one of the most trusted All-In-One ETFs in Canada.
VGRO provides exposure to a broad range of global stocks and bonds, giving investors an instantly diversified portfolio.
🔹 Stocks (80%) – A mix of Canadian, U.S., international, and emerging market stocks, offering access to over 13,000 companies worldwide.
🔹 Bonds (20%) – A blend of Canadian and global bonds, helping to stabilize the portfolio during market downturns.
🔹 Diversification – Instead of relying on a single market or sector, VGRO spreads investments across different countries, industries, and asset classes to reduce risk and enhance returns, all at a low fee of 0.24% MER.
The top 10 holdings in this All-In-One ETF include some of the biggest names in both the U.S. and Canadian markets, like Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, RBC, and Shopify.
Think of an All-In-One ETF as a “Financial Smoothie”—instead of picking and measuring each ingredient (stocks and bonds), you get a perfectly blended mix that’s ready to fuel your financial health.
How Has VGRO Performed?
If you had invested $10,000 into VGRO from the 5-year time period of Jan 31, 2020 to Jan 31, 2025, your investment would be worth about $16,000 today.
That’s the power of a globally diversified, low-cost portfolio working for you over time.
Benefits of All-In-One ETFs
Why Investors Love Them
✔️ Low-Cost Alternative to Mutual Funds – One of the biggest advantages of All-In-One ETFs is their low fees, especially compared to traditional mutual funds.
- Mutual funds: Typically charge 2%+ MER (which eats into your returns) – You can see here on RBCs site, that many of the mutual funds they have charge around 2%.
- All-In-One ETFs: Usually around 0.2%–0.25% MER (much lower and more cost-effective).
✔️ Auto-Rebalancing Keeps Your Portfolio on Track – No need to manually adjust your asset mix. The ETF automatically buys and sells within itself to maintain the right stock-to-bond ratio.
✔️ Perfect for Small Accounts – If you’re just starting out with a TFSA, RRSP, or investment account, one ETF gives you instant diversification without needing to spread money across multiple funds.
✔️ Diversification and time-saving – Instead of researching and buying dozens of stocks and bonds, you get a professionally managed portfolio with exposure to thousands of investments worldwide.
Some people might call All-In-One ETFs “boring” investing—but that’s exactly the point. As Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Samuelson put it:
“Investing should be more like watching paint dry or watching grass grow. If you want excitement, take $800 and go to Las Vegas.”
Who Should Use All-In-One ETFs?
Here are some common scenarios where all-in-one ETFs make the most sense:
📌 Beginners Who Want a Simple, Low-Maintenance Portfolio
If you’re new to investing and don’t want to worry about picking stocks or rebalancing your portfolio, an All-In-One ETF does everything for you—just invest and let it grow.
📌 Busy Professionals Who Don’t Have Time to Manage Investments
If you have a demanding career or business and don’t want to spend hours researching investments, an All-In-One ETF keeps your money working in the background without requiring constant adjustments. For me, this is where I land. I love picking stocks, but sometimes don’t have enough time to analyze them due to my busy work schedule.
📌 Parents Investing for Their Kids’ Future
If you’re investing in an RESP or another long-term savings account for your child’s education, an All-In-One ETF provides instant diversification and requires little maintenance.
📌 Small Account Investors (TFSA, RRSP, or RESP Holders)
If you’re starting with a small account (like a TFSA or RRSP) and want diversification from day one, a single All-In-One ETF is perfect. It gives you exposure to thousands of stocks and bonds without needing multiple purchases.
Speaking of TFSAs, if you’re serious about growing it, check out my free guide on the 5 steps to building a $1 million TFSA.
📩 Get your free guide — link is here:
https://blueprintfinancial.ca/1-million-tfsa-blueprint-download
Which All-In-One ETF Should You Invest In?
With so many options available, it’s easy to get overwhelmed when choosing an All-In-One ETF. But here’s the good news: the company itself isn’t as important as picking the right asset allocation for your risk tolerance and investment goals.
The Canadian ETF Landscape
Canada has several major providers offering high-quality All-In-One ETFs. My top picks are from:
- iShares (BlackRock) – Known for XGRO, XBAL, XEQT, etc.
- Vanguard – Offers VGRO, VBAL, VEQT, among others.
- BMO – Has ZGRO, ZBAL, ZEQT, with strong diversification and a big bank brand.
- Horizons – Unique swap-based ETFs for tax efficiency.
These providers all offer low-cost, diversified, and auto-rebalancing ETFs that simplify investing.
How to Choose the Right One for You
Instead of focusing on the ETF brand, ask yourself: How much risk am I comfortable with? (I’ll go over this in more detail in the next section how you can figure this out!)
- High risk, higher returns? → VEQT, XEQT, or ZEQT (100% stocks, 0% bonds)
- Balanced approach? → VGRO, XGRO, or ZGRO (80% stocks, 20% bonds)
- Lower risk, steady growth? → VBAL, XBAL, or ZBAL (60% stocks, 40% bonds)
- Conservative, more stability? → VCNS, XCNS, or ZCON (40% stocks, 60% bonds)
Your risk tolerance and investment goals should drive your decision—not the ETF provider. Pick the one that matches your comfort level and let it do the work for you!
How to Invest in All-In-One ETFs (Step by Step)
Investing in an All-In-One ETF is one of the easiest ways to start building wealth. Here’s exactly how to do it, step by step:
1. Determine Your Risk Tolerance
Before buying anything, you need to figure out how much risk you’re comfortable with. This helps you choose between a more aggressive ETF (like VEQT) or a balanced one (like VBAL).
A quick way to assess your risk tolerance is by using free tools like the Vanguard Investor Questionnaire. It asks questions about your comfort with market swings, investment time horizon, and financial goals, helping you find the right mix of stocks and bonds.
2. Choose a Brokerage
Next, you’ll need a brokerage account to buy your ETF. Some of the best options in Canada include:
- Wealthsimple Trade – Zero-commission fees, great for beginners.
- Questrade – Low fees and free ETF purchases.
- TD Direct Investing / RBC Direct Investing – Good for those who prefer big-bank platforms.
Make sure to open the right type of account (TFSA, RRSP, or non-registered) based on your investing goals.
3. Buy the ETF (Demo Walkthrough)
Once your account is set up, it’s time to buy your first All-In-One ETF:
- Log in to your brokerage account.
- Search for the ETF (e.g., VGRO, XGRO, ZBAL).
- Enter the number of shares you want to buy.
- Choose a market order (buys immediately) or a limit order (sets a price you’re willing to pay).
- Confirm the purchase.
And that’s it—you’re officially an investor!
4. (Optional) Set Up DRIP (Automatic Reinvestment of Dividends)
Pro tip: To maximize your returns, set up a Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRIP). This means any dividends paid by your ETF will automatically be used to buy more shares instead of sitting in cash.
Most brokerages let you enable DRIP in the settings, or you can call customer support to set it up. This helps compound your growth over time without any extra effort.
Is One Fund Enough?
Yes! All-In-One ETFs are meant to be standalone investments per each account—you don’t need to mix them with other ETFs. In fact, adding more funds can mess with the carefully designed balance. Each one is built to match a specific risk level, whether you’re aggressive (VEQT), balanced (VBAL), or growth-focused (VGRO). If you start mixing and matching, you might throw off your asset allocation and accidentally take on more risk (or less) than you intended.
When It Makes Sense to Use More Than One Fund
If you want to experiment beyond an All-In-One ETF, you can use separate accounts for different strategies. For example:
✔️ TFSA → Keep it simple with a single All-In-One ETF (like VGRO) for long-term, tax-free growth.
✔️ RRSP → Build your own stock portfolio if you want to pick individual stocks while keeping a portion of your portfolio passively managed.
✔️ Non-registered account → Focus on tax-efficient ETFs like Horizons swap-based ETFs to minimize taxes on dividends.
You can always use other accounts to diversify, if you want to try to build your own stock portfolio for example, can use rrsp, and use tfsa as just one all in one.
Common All-In-One ETF Mistakes to Avoid
Even though All-In-One ETFs are designed to make investing easy, people still make mistakes that can hurt their returns. Here are the biggest ones to watch out for:
🚨 Buying Too Many ETFs in the same account – These funds are meant to be a one-stop solution. Some investors mistakenly buy multiple All-In-One ETFs, thinking they need extra diversification. But all that does is mess up the built-in balance and make things more complicated than necessary. Pick one that fits your risk tolerance and stick with it.
🚨 Filling Out the Investor Questionnaire Wrong – If you don’t answer honestly, you could end up in the wrong ETF. Too conservative? You might not get enough growth. Too aggressive? You could panic in a downturn and sell at the wrong time. Take the questionnaire seriously to match your actual comfort level.
🚨 Getting Bored & Tweaking Too Much – The biggest advantage of All-In-One ETFs is their “set it and forget it” approach. But some investors can’t help checking their accounts too often and making unnecessary changes. Constantly tweaking your investments or selling because of market swings can hurt long-term returns. Patience pays off!
Conclusion: Should You DIY or Get Help?
All-In-One ETFs are a simple, low-cost, hands-off way to invest. But I see common mistakes all the time with our clients—picking the wrong risk level, overcomplicating things, or panicking during market dips—that can cost you in the long run.
For a personalized financial plan and Canadian investing tips, see our services at Blueprint Financial.
