Start the ETF course by learning about the basics of ETFs, including the advantages and risks.
Consider a basketball team, made up of key players like a point guard, shooting guard, power forward, small forward and center. Together, they can diversify their strengths to win the game. Similarly, an ETF is like a “team” made up of diversified “players” like stocks, bonds and commodities that tracks against the “goal” of matching its performance to an index, such as the S&P 500. In doing so, it potentially provides more predictable returns than other investment choices.
By incorporating ETFs within an investment strategy, investors can benefit from instant diversification. ETFs offer greater diversity than simply buying individual stocks because they pool together different assets, such as stocks, bonds and commodities. Financial professionals can help investors reduce the risk in their portfolios and maximize their potential returns through diversifying their investments.
Generally, ETFs are transparent because they show what the underlying investments in the ETF are. This is not always the case, for example in a mutual fund, where the portfolio manager has the discretion to choose not to reveal the investments in the fund.
ETFs provide access to markets across the globe, ranging from specific countries to an asset class like global bonds – and even commodities like gold. Investing in difficult-to-access markets such as emerging markets becomes much more straight forward by investing in ETFs.
Part of the appeal of ETFs is their liquidity, which provides the flexibility to turn an investment into ready cash quickly, with no loss in value. In most cases, mutual funds can only be bought or sold once a day at a price established at the market close. ETFs, however, act similarly to stocks so they can be bought or sold anytime during market hours.
One common misconception that investors ask is, “Are ETFs more volatile because they are traded throughout the day?” The answer is simple – no, price changes do not make the investment more volatile, just more visible.
Because ETFs have the same trading flexibility as stocks, short-term traders can use ETFs to quickly move in and out of a position. But ETFs are also a cost-efficient way to build a long-term, core portfolio.
The management fees for most ETFs tend to be much lower than mutual funds, which means more money can be put towards a potential return. As an example, iShares Core ETFs average about one-tenth the net expense ratio of most mutual funds.1 The impact of these cost savings can be meaningful, particularly over time or when market returns are low.
All investments come with risk. To put it simply, risk affects the value of an investment. More risk can mean more reward but less certainty around the outcome. Financial professionals should work with their clients to ensure they are aware and comfortable with the levels of risk being taken.
Different types of risks
Liquidity risk
Low liquidity of an ETF can lead to higher trading costs or difficulty in buying or selling the ETF.
Risk cannot be eliminated completely but it can be reduced. Diversification is one of the key ways in doing so, by spreading investments across different sectors, geographies and asset classes. If one sector or asset is not performing well, other investments can balance out any potential loss. When building an investment portfolio, it is important to consider the impact of risk.
Investing in ETFs can offer a range of benefits, including simplicity, low cost, transparency, diversification and flexibility. Consider ETFs as a way of accessing the best of mutual funds and individual stocks.
This concludes the first module of the ETF course. Read the next module, which compares ETFs to other investment options, to continue the course.
1 Source: Morningstar, as of 12/31/15. Comparison is between the average Prospectus Net Expense Ratio for the iShares Core Series ETFs (0.11%) and the average Prospectus Net
2 Morningstar, as of 12/31/18. Comparison is between the average Prospectus Net Expense Ratio for the iShares ETFs (0.34%) and active open-end mutual funds (0.96%).
Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. BlackRock receives commissions for advisory services, as well as commissions for the administration of investment funds, iShares ETFs and collective investment funds (collective investment trusts).
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