How to Choose Between Index Funds and ETFs

How to Choose Between Index Funds and ETFs
Index funds and ETFs are two good investments. You need learn their differences and then choose the right one for you. Chayjitti Hongmanee/ShutterStock
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When you’re fairly new to investing in the stock market, you’ll need to put some effort into learning some key terminology. Let’s assume you’re a retail investor, not an institutional investor, so you’ll want to determine your best bet for long-term results in your investments. Here are some useful guidelines for how to choose between index funds and ETFs.

If you’re planning on investing to make money on a day-to-day basis, that’s a lot more complicated. But for the more common purpose, a vast majority of us are investing for retirement. When creating your investment portfolio, you might build much of it from index funds or ETFs.

What Is an Index Fund

An index fund is meant to be a representation of a segment of the entire stock market. It’s actually a mutual fund that tracks a stock market index.
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