Uncertainty fills the air. Will President Donald Trump's steep tariffs ignite a global trade war? Could the U.S. economy slip into a recession? Will the stock market sink a lot more than it already has?

Retirees looking to better ride out the market waves but have no desire to depart the equity markets (after all, it is the best asset class for building wealth over the long term) may wish to check out the broader basket of Vanguard exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

The Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF ( VGK 2.58%) is the biggest winner year to date with a gain of around 11%. This ETF owns 1,269 stocks, all of which are based in European countries including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.