ETFs offer liquidity and a convenient way to get involved in equity investing. ETFs can only be traded in a DMAT account. However, they are more diverse than stocks and offer a wider range of stocks. ETFs can be used by those who are able to manage their investments and have an understanding of the financial market.
ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) are gaining popularity among retail investors over the past decade for many reasons. Before you invest in an ETF, you need to evaluate its suitability in relation to your overall portfolio. ETFs offer low-cost and low-risk exposure to the stock exchange. ETFs offer liquidity and real time settlement because they are listed on an exchange and can trade like stocks.
ETFs offer diversification and a lower risk option than direct equity investing, which is investing in stocks. An index, which is an accurate representation of a market, includes market leaders from different sectors and industries. These bluechip stocks can be a good choice for your portfolio if you are lucky enough to pick the right stocks at the right time. However, they may lose popularity over the long-term for a variety of reasons. There are many factors that can affect the value of your stock portfolio. Management teams may change, business models shift, and new industries develop in an economy. If you aren’t keeping up with changing times, your stock portfolio will begin to perform poorly.
An ETF mirrors an index, holding the same stocks as the index. ETFs automatically help you keep up with the index, and offer a greater return over a longer time period.
ETFs don’t need active management, so they have lower management costs. ETFs have lower capital gains and transaction taxes than mutual funds. Mutual funds must pay taxes on the gains they make from their portfolio due to regular buying and selling securities.
ETFs allow you to trade in any way that suits your needs, such as selling short or buying on margin. ETFs offer access to many other investment options, including commodities, foreign currencies, international securities, and many other alternative investment options. Options and futures can be used to hedge your position, which is not possible with mutual fund investing.
An ETF might not be right for everyone investor. However, an index fund may be a better choice for investors who are new to equity investing and want to enjoy the benefits of long-term equity investing with a low risk option. Index funds mimic ETFs but function just like any other mutual funds. The benefits of index funds include dividend reinvestment as well as SIPs. These are both great features for equity mutual funds investing that aims to achieve long-term goals such retirement planning.
The right ETF will require a greater understanding of the financial markets than most retail investors. To manage your ETF investments, you will need to have a hands-on approach. ETF investing can provide a greater return over the medium to short term, i.e. within the next 1-3 years. However, actively managed mutual funds will likely produce a higher long-term return. Actively managed funds are able to show higher returns over longer time periods because they have the flexibility of choosing value stocks that may not be included in the index, but could still offer growth potential.
An index fund that replicates a popular index is a good option for someone who wants to invest with low risk and limited knowledge. The fund will still hold the same stocks that the underlying index holds, but it won’t give you the same returns. This is because both ETFs as well as Index Funds have some tracking errors. They bear some costs and rebalance their portfolios to match the benchmark index. An ETF will have a lower tracking error than ETF funds. If cost is your primary concern, then an ETF might be the best option. If long term investment your goal, an Index Fund can be used to start a SIP and reap the benefits of compounding.
