Short Description
Exchange-Traded Funds, or ETFs, are popular worldwide, and India is also starting to catch on to the trend. How does it fit into the way you’ve built your portfolio?
ETF is a type of investment that trades on the exchange like stocks. They operate similarly to an index fund, but because they are listed on stock exchanges, you can buy and sell them directly on the exchange during a trading session.
ETFs are typically more tax-efficient than mutual funds, and their management costs are moderate. Although ETFs have been available for more than 20 years, their interest has only recently started to pick up. According to the Investment Company Institute, a trade association for investment funds, the global value of assets held in ETFs has surged more than tenfold since 2008 to more than $5 trillion in January 2021.
Exchange-traded funds are adaptable, flexible, and generally have low internal costs, but they’re not for everyone. Check to see if ETFs are a good fit for you.
Before making an ETF investment, investors should take the following into account:
Research about the ETF and its Assets
It’s always better to do some basic research on your chosen ETF and all of its underlying holdings. As ETFs are investment vehicles that provide exposure to an underlying theme, as an investor you will first need to define your own broad geographic, market, or sector preferences based on your level of risk appetite and tolerance levels. Before investing, it is also appropriate to investigate what kind of assets are being held in the ETF. For instance, certain ETFs carry several hundred securities of technology businesses, while others may hold fewer.
Understand the Different Costs
You would require a Demat account and an equities trading account to purchase ETFs directly from the market, so trading fees are additional costs associated with buying ETFs. However, even after accounting for trading costs, buying ETFs is generally less expensive than investing in any particular mutual fund or building a portfolio of individual stocks. It is also a superior method of spreading out the underlying risk associated with investing in any specific asset class. ETFs are generally cost-effective investments, but you should compare their fees to mutual funds, index funds, and other alternatives. Furthermore, commission-free ETF trading is now available on several online brokerage platforms that further helps in reducing costs.
Due to their close-ended nature, some ETFs have higher management fees or expense ratios. Additionally, if you are actively trading ETFs, including commissions in your cost estimates, you still need to be mindful of the bid-ask spread even when trading is commission-free. Before buying an ETF, consider all associated costs.
Tax Implications
What impact might buying or selling an ETF have on your tax return? Foreign ETFs might not be tax-friendly and less cost-effective than U.S.-based ETFs, which offer significant tax benefits; the effects on taxes differ by area. However, just like with other investments, you can still be required to pay tax on the gains on your ETF investments.
ETFs are excellent since they are simple to buy and sell. All you need to purchase an ETF is an online broker. Most of the time, ETFs are liquid and actively traded during market hours.
Pay Attention To Underlying Risks
If you invest in passively managed index ETFs, you should know the fund’s objectives and the investments it will make. Do not believe that all ETFs are secure and have low volatility. Recognize the political and economic climate of the region you are considering while investing in international stock ETFs.
Similarly, some funds select companies from the established indices based on the stock’s fundamentals, quality, and volatility. Before you invest any money, ensure they have a solid track record of performance.
Investment Goals
Depending on the duration of your investing horizon, ETFs have various benefits and drawbacks. For instance, ETFs enable easy liquidity, allowing investors to purchase and sell their shares whenever they want. Investors who wish to capitalize on the gains that they may have made from their investment in an ETF are likely to find this simplicity of trading to their advantage.
ETFs monitor an underlying index, though, so investors will probably see a higher return on their investment over a more extended period.
Takeaway
It is essential to start by carefully considering your goals and risk tolerance to determine the ideal target asset allocation, regardless of whether you want to create your portfolio using ETFs, mutual funds, or individual stocks and bonds. After that, you can decide if ETFs suit your specific requirements.
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