Why are exchange-traded funds better than mutual funds?
ETFs are often touted as being cheaper than mutual funds, since most of them are index funds with no active manager. Data from the Investment Company Institute shows that the average stock mutual fund has an expense ratio of 0.47% versus 0.16% for the average ETF.
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) take the benefits of mutual fund investing to the next level. ETFs can offer lower operating costs than traditional open-end funds, flexible trading, greater transparency, and better tax efficiency in taxable accounts.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of exchange-traded funds versus mutual funds? Exchange-traded funds can be traded during the day, just as the stocks they represent. They are most tax effective, in that they do not have as many distributions. They have much lower transaction costs.
Since an ETF is listed on an Exchange, costs of distribution are much lower and the reach is wider. These savings in cost are passed on to the investors in the form of lower costs. Further, the structure helps reduce collection, disbursem*nt and other processing charges.
How are ETFs and mutual funds different? How are they managed? While they can be actively or passively managed by fund managers, most ETFs are passive investments pegged to the performance of a particular index. Mutual funds come in both active and indexed varieties, but most are actively managed.
Mutual funds are priced once a day at the net asset value and they're traded after market hours. ETFs are traded throughout the day on stock exchanges just as individual stocks are. ETFs often have lower expense ratios and are generally more tax-efficient due to their more passive nature.
With a mutual fund, you buy and sell based on dollars, not market price or shares. And you can specify any dollar amount you want—down to the penny or as a nice round figure, like $3,000. With an ETF, you buy and sell based on market price—and you can only trade full shares.
Mutual funds are usually actively managed, although passively-managed index funds have become more popular. ETFs are usually passively managed and track a market index or sector sub-index. ETFs can be bought and sold just like stocks, while mutual funds can only be purchased at the end of each trading day.
Low Costs (ETF)
They have lower management fees and expenses than mutual funds. Since they are exchange traded, this enables investors to acquire a diversified portfolio for a single commission.
| ETFs | Mutual Funds | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Determined by market | Net asset value (NAV) |
| Tax Efficiency | Usually tax efficient due to less turnover and fewer capital gains | Not as tax efficient due to more turnover and greater capital gains |
| Automatic Investing | Not available | Yes, for investments and withdrawals |
What is the benefit of choosing an exchange traded fund over an individual?
An exchange-traded fund eliminates more systemic risk than an individual stock. An exchange-traded fund is diversified and therefore carries less risk than an individual stock. An exchange-traded fund will have a higher return than an individual stock.
ETFs are generally considered more tax-efficient than mutual funds, owing to the fact that they typically have fewer capital gains distributions. However, they still have tax implications you must consider, both when creating your portfolio as well as when timing the sale of an ETF you hold.
ETFs or "exchange-traded funds" are exactly as the name implies: funds that trade on exchanges, generally tracking a specific index. When you invest in an ETF, you get a bundle of assets you can buy and sell during market hours—potentially lowering your risk and exposure, while helping to diversify your portfolio.
Lack of liquidity
An investor may have difficulties selling when the ETF is thinly traded, which means it trades at low volume and often high volatility. This can be seen in the difference between what an investor will pay for an ETF (the bid) and the price it can be sold for (the ask).
Exchange-traded funds work like this: The fund provider owns the underlying assets, designs a fund to track their performance and then sells shares in that fund to investors. Shareholders own a portion of an ETF, but they don't own the underlying assets in the fund.
Although similar to mutual funds, equity ETFs are generally more tax-efficient because they tend not to distribute a lot of capital gains.
ETFs are more flexible trading wise, generally lower cost (sometimes substantially), more tax efficient, no 12b1 fees, and can be passive or actively managed funds. Mutual funds on the other hand have loads and 12b1 fees, can only be sold at day end, and can spit off cap gains even during years of losses.
For most individual investors, ETFs represent an ideal type of asset with which to build a diversified portfolio. In addition, ETFs tend to have much lower expense ratios compared to actively managed funds, can be more tax-efficient, and offer the option to immediately reinvest dividends.
In terms of safety, neither the mutual fund nor the ETF is safer than the other due to its structure. Safety is determined by what the fund itself owns. Stocks are usually riskier than bonds, and corporate bonds come with somewhat more risk than U.S. government bonds.
| ETF | Assets under management | Expense ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Invesco QQQ Trust (ticker: QQQ) | $244 billion | 0.2% |
| VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) | $14 billion | 0.35% |
| Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) | $19 billion | 0.09% |
| Global X Uranium ETF (URA) | $3 billion | 0.69% |
Can ETFs be sold short?
ETFs, akin to stocks, can be sold short, allowing investors to profit from anticipated price declines by selling borrowed shares. Combining features of mutual funds and stocks, ETFs pool investor money for diversified exposure to various assets, providing diversification and liquidity.
ETFs have transparent and hidden fees as well—there are simply fewer of them, and they cost less. Mutual funds charge their shareholders for everything that goes on inside the fund, such as transaction fees, distribution charges, and transfer-agent costs.
Unlike mutual funds, an ETF trades like a common stock on a stock exchange. ETFs experience price changes throughout the day as they are bought and sold. *ETFs typically have higher daily liquidity and lower fees than mutual fund shares, making them an attractive alternative for individual investors.
The single biggest risk in ETFs is market risk. Like a mutual fund or a closed-end fund, ETFs are only an investment vehicle—a wrapper for their underlying investment.
| ETFs | Mutual Funds | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Determined by market | Net asset value (NAV) |
| Tax Efficiency | Usually tax efficient due to less turnover and fewer capital gains | Not as tax efficient due to more turnover and greater capital gains |
| Automatic Investing | Not available | Yes, for investments and withdrawals |
