Investing ETF exchange traded funds for beginners - Economics Learning (2024)

ETFs, or exchange-traded funds, became available; they've served as an incredibly simple, readily accessible tool for regular people to build wealth. ETFs offer a wide range of benefits that cater to both novice investors looking to begin with their first few dollars and the wealthy, savvy ones.

Let's take a look at the basics of ETFs and how you can use them to become incredibly wealthy.

What is an ETF (Exchange Traded Fund)?

An Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) is a type of investment fund and exchange-traded product, which is traded on stock exchanges. ETFs are similar to mutual funds in that they pool together money from many investors to buy a diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds, or other assets. However, ETFs have some distinct features that set them apart:

An ETF, or exchange-traded fund, is a type of investment fund comprising a collection of securities, most commonly stocks. Unlike traditional mutual funds, ETFs trade on stock exchanges, meaning they're easily purchased using simple apps such as Robin Hood, providing small investors with the flexibility to buy and sell shares throughout the trading day with just a few taps on the screen, whether you have an extra $5 or $55,000 to pile into investments. This can be easily and quickly completed, most often with no trading fees. This liquidity in real-time trading makes ETFs a convenient option for investors looking for flexibility in managing their portfolios.

One of the key attractions of ETFs is the ease of use they offer to investors. Buying and selling ETF shares is as simple as trading individual stocks, requiring only a brokerage account. They can also be purchased within a retirement account like an IRA or Roth IRA. This accessibility eliminates the outdated need for complex investment processes involving making a phone call to an actual person who had traditionally brokered the deal for you, which is overwhelming for the inexperienced investor who's only beginning with a few dollars. However, those who have been around a while might remember how difficult and costly it used to be for an everyday person to invest in the stock market.

Unlike actively managed mutual funds where fund managers make investment choices to outperform the market, ETFs follow a passive strategy. Instead of relying on active fund managers to select and trade individual stocks, ETFs replicate the performance of a specific market index, such as the S&P 500. The passive management style of ETFs translates to lower operating costs since there's less need for constant decision-making and analysis by fund managers. ETFs incur fewer expenses, and these reduced costs contribute significantly to the overall appeal of ETFs, as investors don't bear the burden of hefty fees associated with active management.

While you might think an actively managed fund would outperform the market, as fund managers frequently buy and sell stocks, various studies show that this is nearly impossible for fund managers to do. With their hefty costs, investors are actually better off investing in an inexpensive, more passive fund. If it might not seem like much, but the difference between a 5% expense ratio and a 0.5% expense ratio will heavily impact the value of your portfolio over time. Since the fee is the annual cost you'll incur on the entire value of your investment, for example, $1 million invested into a fund with an expense ratio of 0.5% is paying $5,000 per year in fees. That's almost like maxing out a Roth IRA every year.

Investors looking to build a successful portfolio on a budget find ETFs to be a compelling choice due to their cost efficiency. The lower expense ratios resulting from the passive management style mean you no longer need to be a multi-millionaire to make it worth your while. Even those with just a little bit of spare change can begin investing and seeing their money grow. ETFs have the potential to make average people incredibly wealthy by providing profitable returns over long periods.

They're generally not the most exciting investment, and they usually don't provide insane returns overnight. But that doesn't mean you should overlook their potential. For example, investing in a fund generating an average return of 10% per year can really snowball and grow your investment, especially when the costs are little to nothing. While you might be tempted by more seemingly profitable options, there really is no need for this if your goal is to build stable long-term wealth.

ETFs can also anchor your portfolio and create a foundation for a long-term investment strategy. Investors can allocate the majority of their portfolio to broad market funds, such as an S&P 500 ETF, and reserve, say, 10% or 20% for more exciting ETF versions or single stocks. Exchange-traded funds offer an incredible range of options to cater to a wide range of investment styles, making them an exceptionally versatile choice for investors, whether you prefer a conservative or aggressive approach.

There's an ETF tailored to meet your specific needs. For instance, investors looking for stability and consistent returns can opt for an ETF that tracks the S&P 500, providing them with average index returns. On the other hand, those seeking a higher risk and higher reward scenario can explore leveraged S&P 500 ETFs, which magnify the ups and downs of the market for a more exciting yet risky investment experience.

If your focus is on growth and outpacing the market, there are ETFs designed for precisely that purpose, albeit with higher associated risks. For individuals aiming for regular, reliable income with lower levels of capital appreciation, dividend ETFs are an attractive option. These ETFs specifically target companies with a history of paying dividends, offering a steady income stream.

If you want to invest like Warren Buffett, you can purchase a value-oriented ETF, which holds stocks that trade at a low price relative to its fundamentals. Moreover, investors can fine-tune their portfolios by choosing sector-specific ETFs. Whether you're interested in technology, energy, consumer cyclical, or consumer staples, there's an ETF dedicated to that sector. This allows investors to align their investment strategy with their specific sector preferences or expectations for market trends.

The options are seemingly endless. The beauty of ETFs lies in their ability to offer investors a somewhat diversified portfolio immediately. Whether you choose to put your money in technology, energy, or any other sector, ETFs ensure you're diversified, at least to some extent. Of course, if you put all your eggs in a technology ETF, you're banking on that industry outperforming. And if it doesn't work out, you could be in trouble. The same is true for all other specific ETFs. But the risk is more spread out than if you were to put all your money in Apple stock, for example.

Unlike the potential pitfalls associated with putting all your financial eggs into the basket of a single stock, ETFs spread your investment across a myriad of companies, reducing the vulnerability to the performance of any single asset. This doesn't mean that ETFs are devoid of risk. As with any investment, risks are always present. However, the great thing about ETFs lies in spreading that risk across many companies, mitigating the impact of adverse events in one particular sector or business.

If you don't have much experience when it comes to investing, are overwhelmed by the options, or are excited by the thought of a risky yet rewarding option, something to carefully consider is an ETF that mirrors the S&P 500. The S&P 500, made up of about 500 companies, as the name suggests, provides diversification across many sectors of the market. It is more heavily allocated towards certain stocks, such as Microsoft, Apple, Tesla, and Amazon, and the technology and consumer discretionary sectors. But investors are still spreading their money out compared to other choices. An average annual return of approximately 10% provides a solid starting point, striking a balance that initiates progress without diving into excessive risk.

This helps investors avoid the pitfalls of overthinking or engaging in speculative ventures that could lead to significant and avoidable losses. These advantages, in addition to others, make an S&P 500 ETF suitable for even a million-dollar-plus portfolio. ETFs and other low-cost funds have completely changed the world of investing for the better by providing investors with an easy, straightforward, and cost-effective means of gaining exposure to a diverse range of assets. Their ease of use, low cost, profitability, and diverse variations make them an attractive option for investors looking to grow their money with personalization, flexibility, and convenience.