Web-Seminar: Was sind ETFs? (2024)

FAQs

What does ETF mean? ›

ETFs or "exchange-traded funds" are exactly as the name implies: funds that trade on exchanges, generally tracking a specific index.

Passive, or index, ETFs generally track and aim to outperform a benchmark index. They provide access to many companies or investments in one trade, whereas individual stocks provide exposure to a single firm. As such, ETFs remove single-stock risk, or the risk inherent in being exposed to just one company.

An exchange-traded fund, or ETF, allows investors to buy many stocks or bonds at once. Investors buy shares of ETFs, and the money is used to invest according to a certain objective. For example, if you buy an S&P 500 ETF, your money will be invested in the 500 companies in that index.

ETFs can be a great investment for long-term investors and those with shorter-term time horizons. They can be especially valuable to beginning investors. That's because they won't require the time, effort, and experience needed to research individual stocks.

The low investment threshold for most ETFs makes it easy for a beginner to implement a basic asset allocation strategy that matches their investment time horizon and risk tolerance. For example, young investors might be 100% invested in equity ETFs when they are in their 20s.

Most ETF income is generated by the fund's underlying holdings. Typically, that means dividends from stocks or interest (coupons) from bonds. Dividends: These are a portion of the company's earnings paid out in cash or shares to stockholders on a per-share basis, sometimes to attract investors to buy the stock.

Stock-picking offers an advantage over exchange-traded funds (ETFs) when there is a wide dispersion of returns from the mean. Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) offer advantages over stocks when the return from stocks in the sector has a narrow dispersion around the mean.

Are ETFs Safer Than Stocks? ETFs are baskets of stocks or securities, but although this means that they are generally well diversified, some ETFs invest in very risky sectors or employ higher-risk strategies, such as leverage.

You can't beat the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF's low cost

Though they are all extremely similar (as they are designed to track the same index), I prefer the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF mainly because of its low cost. It has a 0.03% expense ratio, which works out to total annual fees of $0.30 per $1,000 invested.

For instance, some ETFs may come with fees, others might stray from the value of the underlying asset, ETFs are not always optimized for taxes, and of course — like any investment — ETFs also come with risk.

What is the most famous ETF? ›

A cross between an index fund and a stock, they're transparent, easy to trade, and tax-efficient. They're also enticing because they consist of a bundle of assets (such as an index, sector, or commodity), so diversifying your portfolio is easy. You might have even seen them offered in your 401(k) or 529 college plan.

Profits from ETF holdings of over 3 years are categorised as long-term capital gains. The ETF tax rate for these gains is 20% (with the benefit of indexation). The profits, if any, from these ETFs are always considered to be short-term capital gains. They are taxed at the applicable income tax slab rate.

ETFs can be more tax-efficient than actively managed funds due to their lower turnover and fewer transactions that produce capital gains. ETFs are bought and sold on an exchange throughout the day while mutual funds can be bought or sold only once a day at the latest closing price.

ETFs can be safe investments if used correctly, offering diversification and flexibility. Indexed ETFs, tracking specific indexes like the S&P 500, are generally safe and tend to gain value over time. Leveraged ETFs can be used to amplify returns, but they can be riskier due to increased volatility.

While they can be actively or passively managed by fund managers, most ETFs are passive investments pegged to the performance of a particular index. Mutual funds come in both active and indexed varieties, but most are actively managed. Active mutual funds are managed by fund managers.

One of the ways that investors make money from exchange traded funds (ETFs) is through dividends that are paid to the ETF issuer and then paid on to their investors in proportion to the number of shares each holds.