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| URL | https://www.merrilledge.com/investor-education/understanding-etfs | |||||||||
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| Meta Title | Guide to Understanding ETFs: What Are Exchange-Traded Funds? | |||||||||
| Meta Description | Explore our guide to ETFs to learn what ETFs are, their potential benefits, and how to choose the right ETFs for your investment portfolio. | |||||||||
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| Boilerpipe Text | Why Merrill
Invest
Plan
Retirement
Learn
Help When You Want It
Understand the basics
What are ETFs?
ETFs are a pool of securities sold in shares that trade throughout the day, like stocks. They are professionally managed, like mutual funds, and can provide portfolio diversification, especially over single stocks. Unlike mutual funds, there are no minimum purchase requirements for ETFs and they are generally more tax-efficient investments than mutual funds.
What are the different types of ETFs I can invest in?
Fixed Income
Fixed income funds are bond funds whose shares are listed on a stock exchange and traded throughout the day. There are funds focusing on corporate, government, municipal, international and global debt. Investors can also purchase bond ETFs that focus on specific ranges of maturity dates.
Commodity
Commodity funds are homogenous goods often traded in bulk on exchanges, such as oil or grain. They are usually sold through futures contracts, which are priced based on supply and demand for that material, or in ETFs, which are more readily available and based on those contracts.
Equity
Equity ETFs are funds that invest in the stocks of U.S. or international companies rather than investing in bonds.
Specialty
Specialty funds, or sector funds, and ETFs that focus on specific industries or markets.
Sustainable
Sustainable funds are funds whose shares use environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) criteria to evaluate investments or assess their social impact.
Common questions about ETFs
If you're looking for more information, check out these responses to some of the common questions investors have about ETFs
Want to learn more about ETFs?
Whether you're looking to understand the basics of ETFs or you're ready to dive into the technicalities, Merrill has the educational resources for you.
Our tools can get you started
Use Merrill's powerful investing tools to get actionable insights and find the best investments for you. Our expertise will help you find ideas, narrow down your options and help you understand individual investments at a glance.
Learn more
about Merrill investing tools
Learn about a full range of investment topics
Build foundational investing skills, learn to identify the right assets for your portfolio and discover tools to help you along the way.
Investing involves risk including the possible loss of principal investment.
Merrill, its affiliates, and financial advisors do not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice. You should consult your legal and/or tax advisors before making any financial decisions.
Diversification and asset allocation do not ensure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets.
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| Readable Markdown | Why Merrill Invest Plan Retirement Learn Help When You Want It Understand the basics What are ETFs? ETFs are a pool of securities sold in shares that trade throughout the day, like stocks. They are professionally managed, like mutual funds, and can provide portfolio diversification, especially over single stocks. Unlike mutual funds, there are no minimum purchase requirements for ETFs and they are generally more tax-efficient investments than mutual funds. What are the different types of ETFs I can invest in? Fixed Income Fixed income funds are bond funds whose shares are listed on a stock exchange and traded throughout the day. There are funds focusing on corporate, government, municipal, international and global debt. Investors can also purchase bond ETFs that focus on specific ranges of maturity dates. Commodity Commodity funds are homogenous goods often traded in bulk on exchanges, such as oil or grain. They are usually sold through futures contracts, which are priced based on supply and demand for that material, or in ETFs, which are more readily available and based on those contracts. Equity Equity ETFs are funds that invest in the stocks of U.S. or international companies rather than investing in bonds. Specialty Specialty funds, or sector funds, and ETFs that focus on specific industries or markets. Sustainable Sustainable funds are funds whose shares use environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) criteria to evaluate investments or assess their social impact. Common questions about ETFs If you're looking for more information, check out these responses to some of the common questions investors have about ETFs Want to learn more about ETFs? Whether you're looking to understand the basics of ETFs or you're ready to dive into the technicalities, Merrill has the educational resources for you.   Our tools can get you started Use Merrill's powerful investing tools to get actionable insights and find the best investments for you. Our expertise will help you find ideas, narrow down your options and help you understand individual investments at a glance. [Learn more about Merrill investing tools](https://www.merrilledge.com/investing/etf) Learn about a full range of investment topics Build foundational investing skills, learn to identify the right assets for your portfolio and discover tools to help you along the way. **Investing involves risk including the possible loss of principal investment.** Merrill, its affiliates, and financial advisors do not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice. You should consult your legal and/or tax advisors before making any financial decisions. Diversification and asset allocation do not ensure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets. MAP8099400-12302026 | |||||||||
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