An exchange-traded fund (ETF) is a type of investment fund that consists of a basket of investments, such as stocks, bonds and commodities.
ETFs allow investors to gain exposure to the entire market with one purchase, making it easier to achieve diversification than buying individual stocks or securities.
One of the best exchange traded funds to buy now are ones that mirror the S&P 500. The S&P 500 is considered to be a good benchmark for the general health of the U.S. stock market even though it only represents 500 or so companies.
Best Exchange Traded Funds To Buy Now
Here are 6 of the best exchange traded funds to buy now according to Forbes.
» You can get started investing in ETFs with the Acorns Investing Platform.
1. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
The SPDR S&P 500 ETF was one of the first Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) to become popular and has since amassed hundreds of billions in assets. The SPY tracks the S&P 500 index and allows investors to gain exposure to a wide range of securities within this benchmark without having to purchase individual stocks.
2. Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO)
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF is one of the largest funds and provides an easy way to invest in the S&P 500 index. The ETF is technically part of a larger Vanguard portfolio that includes S&P 500 mutual fund share classes, an arrangement with little to no practical impact on VOO investors. For those seeking to create a diversified portfolio at a low cost the VOO meets expectations.
3. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV)
The IVV tracks a market cap-weighted index of US large- and mid-cap stocks selected by the S&P Committee. The fund is sponsored by Blackrock, one of the largest fund companies.
4. Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (RSP)
The RSP tracks an equal-weighted index of S&P 500 companies which results in a fund that’s more balanced to mid-cap stocks. This can give it a leg up when markets are rising. The RSP is rebalanced quarterly to account for market gains and losses.
5. SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (SPLG)
SPLG tracks a market cap-weighted index of 500 large- and mid-cap US companies. This Fund is rebalanced quarterly.
6. iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF (IVW)
The iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF focuses on the S&P 500 Growth Index—a sub-index that tracks the approximate half of the S&P 500 tilted most heavily towards technology, while industrials, health care, and consumer goods receive equal weightings. It tends to generate somewhat better returns in markets that favor a growth investing strategy.
» Learn the basics of investing and how to get started.
5 Advantages of Investing in Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are becoming an increasingly popular way for investors to access the stock market. Compared to traditional mutual funds, ETFs offer important advantages such as lower fees and higher diversification potential—allowing you to get more bang for your buck.
Diversification and Low Fees.
ETFs offer arguably the biggest advantages when it comes to diversification and fees. Investors can use ETFs to build broadly diversified portfolios at an extremely low cost, since most ETFs have very low expense ratios—often much lower than what is charged by traditional mutual funds. Additionally, many ETFs track an index composed of different stocks from various sectors, so you get greater exposure and a better overall balance in your portfolio.
Easy Trading and Liquidity.
Exchange-traded funds can be traded just like stocks, allowing you to buy and sell shares throughout the day. As long as there is trading activity in a particular ETF, it can be liquidated quickly and at minimal cost. This makes them highly attractive for investors looking for easy access to the markets with little hassle or expense. Compared to other actively managed investments, ranked funds offer greater liquidity since their underlying assets are constantly traded on exchanges.
Tax Efficiency and Flexibility of Use.
ETFs offer tax advantages over traditional mutual funds since you only pay taxes on dividends and capital gains when you actually realize those profits. Additionally, because ETFs are traded in real-time on exchanges, you can use various strategies, such as limit orders, to make sure your trades are executed exactly how you want them. This gives investors greater flexibility when it comes to timing their buys or sells.
Transparency of Holdings and Lower Operating Costs.
Exchange-traded funds provide investors with a high degree of transparency because ETFs must disclose the composition of their holdings on a daily basis. Knowing exactly what an ETF is investing in helps investors more accurately manage the entire portfolio. Additionally, ETFs also tend to have lower operating costs than traditionally managed mutual funds because they do not require skilled money managers and other expensive experts to assess investments or perform research. As such, fees associated with owning and managing an ETF are much lower than those associated with most traditional mutual funds.
Access to Different Asset Classes and Risks Tolerances Options.
Exchange-traded funds offer investors access to different asset classes and risk/return profiles. You can diversify your investment across a variety of asset classes and use ETFs to manage the risk/return trade-off in your portfolio. ETFs also allow you to easily gain exposure to new markets, such as commodities or foreign markets, which would otherwise be inaccessible without a large amount of capital. This means that you can benefit from the potential returns provided by those markets without having to extensively research them first.
[popup_anything id=”9768″]
[spbtbl_sc id=40][spbtbl_sc id=41]
