Use This ETF Guide To Get Started In ETFs

If the statistics are any indication, plenty of investors and financial advisors could use an ETF guide. After all, arguably the most important asset class of the last 30 years (maybe longer) still remains unknown and underutilized by scores of investors. Fortunately, you don’t need to spend a lot of money on an ETF guide. We’ve got a basic, yet potent ETF guide for you right here.

Even a basic ETF guide such as this one can give you a leg up one your own broker or financial planner. For starters, no ETF guide would be complete without ensuring that rookie ETF investors know that ETFs hold myriad advantages over mutual funds. If you take anything away from this ETF guide, know that ETFs are vastly superior to mutual funds when it comes to costs and liquidity. Not to mention, there are tax advantages with ETFs. With mutual funds, there could be punitive tax consequences.

ETF Guide For The Biggest Funds

If you’re looking for the 10 largest equity-based ETFs, this ETF guide will give them to you right here: Vanguard MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (NYSE: VW), SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE: SPY), SPDR Dow Jones (NYSE: DIA), PowerShares QQQ (Nasdaq: QQQ), Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund (NYSE: VTI), iShares S&P 500 Index Fund (NYSE: IVV), iShares Russell 2000 Index Fund (NYSE: IWW), iShares Russell 1000 Value Index Fund (NYSE: IWD), iShares Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund (NYSE: IWF) and the iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund (NYSE: EFA).

When it comes to precious metals, this ETF guide advocates focusing on the SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE: GLD), the iShares Silver Trust (NYSE: SLV) and the ETFS Physical Palladium Shares (NYSE: PALL).

For the purposes of a brief ETF guide, we won’t listen too many bond ETFs because we could be here for days, but here are a few you should know: Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (NYSE: BND), the iShares Barclays 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (NYSE: TLT) and the Pimco Enhanced Short Maturity Strategy ETF (NYSE: MINT).

ETF Guide To Sectors And Emerging Markets

When it comes to emerging markets, any ETF guide should tell you if a you’re new to ETFs, don’t limit your horizons to just Brazil and China or ETFs like the Vanguard MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (NYSE: VWO). There is an expansive universe of emerging markets ETFs out there that offer exposure to countries such as Chile, Colombia, Malaysia, Peru, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam and that’s just to name a few.

Same things goes for sector ETFs. Another important take away from this ETF guide should be don’t put all your eggs in the baskets of financials, technology and consumer staples when there are so many more sectors out there to take advantage of. In other words, let this ETF guide tell you there is something to be said for more obscure sector funds.

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