Why ETFs
Offering instant diversification, broad investment choice and low‐fees, ETFs make an excellent choice for investors.
“ETF assets close to $10tn after second year of record growth”
What is an ETF?
An ETF is a type of investment fund that’s designed to track the performance of a stockmarket or other financial index.
The iShares S&P 500 ETF, for example, tracks 500 of the biggest US companies including the likes of Apple, Amazon and Tesla, also known as the S&P 500 Index.
ETFs are bought and sold on the stock market like shares, hence their full name of exchange‐traded funds.
Key reasons to invest with ETFs
They’re simple
ETFs let you invest in an entire market, quickly and in a single transaction, by tracking the performance of an index.
Wide investment choice
You can choose to invest globally, across specific regions or in individual stock markets. There are also ETFs for bonds, commodities and themes such as ESG or tech.
They’re diversified
ETFs often hold hundreds of individual shares or bonds, helping reduce risk and making them ideal for a long-term portfolio.
Easily bought and sold
ETFs are bought and sold on the stock market like shares — offering greater flexibility than traditional funds like unit trusts.
They’re low cost
ETFs have some of the lowest investment costs around — as little as 0.05% — so more of what you make goes in your pocket rather than someone else’s.
Zero stamp duty
With most share purchases in the UK, investors have to pay 0.5% stamp duty. But with ETFs there’s no stamp duty.
Most popular ETFs
ETF name
Ticker
iShares Physical Gold
Ticker: SGLN
SGLN
iShares S&P 500
Ticker: IUSA
IUSA
Vanguard S&P 500
Ticker: VUSA
VUSA
Vanguard FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield
Ticker: VHYL
VHYL
Vanguard S&P 500
Ticker: VUAG
VUAG
Vanguard FTSE Developed World
Ticker: VHVG
VHVG
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets IMI
Ticker: EMIM
EMIM
Invesco S&P 500
Ticker: SPXP
SPXP
iShares FTSE 100
Ticker: CUKX
CUKX
iShares MSCI World Small Cap
Ticker: WLDS
WLDS
The world’s biggest ETF providers
Build your own low‑cost portfolio with as little as £100.
