Are ETFs a good investment?
ETFs are considered to be low-risk investments because they are low-cost and hold a basket of stocks or other securities, increasing diversification. For most individual investors, ETFs represent an ideal type of asset with which to build a diversified portfolio.
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.
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.
ETFs offer advantages over stocks in two situations. First, when the return from stocks in the sector has a narrow dispersion around the mean, an ETF might be the best choice. Second, if you are unable to gain an advantage through knowledge of the company, an ETF is your best choice.
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.
Low Liquidity
If an ETF is thinly traded, there can be problems getting out of the investment, depending on the size of your position relative to the average trading volume. The biggest sign of an illiquid investment is large spreads between the bid and the ask.
Interest rate changes are the primary culprit when bond exchange-traded funds (ETFs) lose value. As interest rates rise, the prices of existing bonds fall, which impacts the value of the ETFs holding these assets.
| ETF | Assets Under Management | Expense Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) | $70 billion | 0.10% |
| VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) | $16.3 billion | 0.35% |
| Invesco S&P MidCap Momentum ETF (XMMO) | $1.6 billion | 0.34% |
| SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF (XHB) | $1.8 billion | 0.35% |
- Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO -0.84%) ...
- Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM 0.84%) ...
- Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ 0.48%) ...
- iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (ITOT -0.78%) ...
- Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP 0.98%)
You expose your portfolio to much higher risk with sector ETFs, so you should use them sparingly, but investing 5% to 10% of your total portfolio assets may be appropriate. If you want to be highly conservative, don't use these at all.
Is it better to hold mutual funds or ETFs?
The choice comes down to what you value most. If you prefer the flexibility of trading intraday and favor lower expense ratios in most instances, go with ETFs. If you worry about the impact of commissions and spreads, go with mutual funds.
| Exchange-traded fund (ticker) | Assets under management | Expenses |
|---|---|---|
| Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG) | $78.2 billion | 0.06% |
| Vanguard U.S. Quality Factor ETF (VFQY) | $324.3 million | 0.13% |
| SPDR Gold MiniShares (GLDM) | $6.8 billion | 0.10% |
| iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF (SHY) | $24.8 billion | 0.15% |
| Symbol | Name | 5-Year Return |
|---|---|---|
| IUS | Invesco RAFI Strategic US ETF | 14.75% |
| OEF | iShares S&P 100 ETF | 14.73% |
| SPHB | Invesco S&P 500® High Beta ETF | 14.58% |
| SPYG | SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF | 14.40% |
Holding period:
If you hold ETF shares for one year or less, then gain is short-term capital gain. If you hold ETF shares for more than one year, then gain is long-term capital gain.
Investors who hold ETFs that are not liquid may have trouble selling them at the price they want or in the time frame necessary. Moreover, if an ETF invests in illiquid shares or uses leverage, the market price of the ETF may fall dramatically below the fund's NAV.
There is no transfer of ownership because investors buy a share of the fund, which owns the shares of the underlying companies. Unlike mutual funds, ETF share prices are determined throughout the day. A mutual fund trades only once a day after market close.
Leveraged ETF prices tend to decay over time, and triple leverage will tend to decay at a faster rate than 2x leverage. As a result, they can tend toward zero.
If Vanguard ever did go bankrupt, the funds would not be affected and would simply hire another firm to provide these services.
An ETF with a low risk rating can still lose money. ETFs do not provide any guarantees of future performance. As with any investment, you might not get back the money you invested.
Q: How does the wash sale rule work? If you sell a security at a loss and buy the same or a substantially identical security within 30 calendar days before or after the sale, you won't be able to take a loss for that security on your current-year tax return.
Do ETFs go down in a recession?
ETFs. Investment funds are a strategic option during a recession because they have built-in diversification, minimizing volatility compared to individual stocks. However, the fees can get expensive for certain types of actively managed funds.
Key Takeaways. Investors looking to weather a recession can use exchange-traded funds (ETFs) as one way to reduce risk through diversification. ETFs that specialize in consumer staples and non-cyclicals outperformed the broader market during the Great Recession and are likely to persevere in future downturns.
| Ticker | Fund | 10-Yr Return |
|---|---|---|
| VGT | Vanguard Information Technology ETF | 19.60% |
| IYW | iShares U.S. Technology ETF | 19.58% |
| IXN | iShares Global Tech ETF | 18.20% |
| IGM | iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF | 17.95% |
Experts agree that for most personal investors, a portfolio comprising 5 to 10 ETFs is perfect in terms of diversification.
| Ticker | Fund | AUM |
|---|---|---|
| SPY | SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust | $363.23B |
| IVV | iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | $300.18B |
| VTI | Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF | $288.78B |
| VOO | Vanguard S&P 500 ETF | $286.59B |
