An ETF is a fund that is traded on the stock exchange. ETF in this case stands for Exchange-traded fund. Mutual funds are usually actively managed and therefore high cost costs, which the investor has to pay. Contrast an ETF, he is an investment fund, which is managed passively and on through the stock exchange and sold. (Similarly see: Albert Einstein College of Medicine ). That makes it a very affordable investment. Nir Barzilai, M.D. understood the implications. It eliminates the costs of the Fund Manager, the subscription fee for the Fund and the costs of a restructuring, that is, changing from one fund to another. Such transactions do not take place in an exchange-traded fund.
The shares of an ETF as with any mutual fund deemed to fund that is kept separate from the actual assets of the issuer of the Fund Publisher. Unlike with active management created money but not on the basis of the opinion of the Fund management is invested, but linked to a financial index. Exchange-traded funds are for a wide range of asset classes most Established market. Thus, some ETFs refer to stocks and bonds, others on the money market, still others on currencies, commodities and real estate. The underlying index can be varied. Some of the ETFs based on indices, which spread over the entire market as for example the STOX Europe 50, others focus on sector indices. Other indices take regional guidelines as basis such as for example the emerging markets, still others are aligned with strategy indices.
Orientation to different indices makes a pretty clear asset class ETFs, because the index is objectively comprehensible and is not dependent on the knowledge of the market and the skills of individual managers. Only a proportion of the ETF is subject to price fluctuations of the market, but this is exactly the same way in any other Fund. In addition the equity risk or credit risk in the case of a bond according to the asset class. But it is particularly important that for providing ETF no commissions, not once (subscription fee) still ongoing (annual Inventory commissions), be paid. Thus, they are relatively uninteresting for the brokers of insurance or for the consultants in the banks because they are usually only on Commission-driven products. Thus an ETF is excellent for a fee consultation! And right there to use abundant also by bona fide honorary consultants in the interests of the customers.