What are you buying when you buy an index fund?
Index funds are investment funds that follow a benchmark index, such as the S&P 500 or the Nasdaq 100. When you put money in an index fund, that cash is then used to invest in all the companies that make up the particular index, which gives you a more diverse portfolio than if you were buying individual stocks.
Index mutual funds pool money to buy a portfolio of stocks or bonds. Investors buy shares directly from the mutual fund company at the net asset value (NAV) price, which is calculated at the end of each trading day.
An index fund is an investment that tracks a market index, typically comprising stocks or bonds. Index funds generally invest in all the components of the index they track and have fund managers whose job is to make sure that the index fund performs the same as the index.
When you buy an index fund, you get a diversified selection of securities in one easy, low-cost investment. Some index funds provide exposure to thousands of securities in a single fund, which helps lower your overall risk through broad diversification.
Instead, these funds try to be the market — by buying stocks of every firm listed on a market index to match the performance of the index as a whole. Because of this, index funds are considered a passive management strategy. That means they don't need to actively decide which investments to buy or sell.
Investing in Index Funds
In effect, buying shares of an index fund means you indirectly own stock in dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of different companies.
- Review your finances and goals. Before investing, it's important to get clear on your personal situation and life goals. ...
- Choose an index. ...
- Decide which index funds to invest in. ...
- Open a brokerage account and buy index fund shares. ...
- Continue to manage your investments.
As with other mutual funds, when you buy shares in an index fund you're pooling your money with other investors. The pool of money is used to purchase a portfolio of assets that duplicates the performance of the target index. Dividends, interest and capital gains are paid out to investors regularly.
Index funds are investment funds that follow a benchmark index, such as the S&P 500 or the Nasdaq 100. When you put money in an index fund, that cash is then used to invest in all the companies that make up the particular index, which gives you a more diverse portfolio than if you were buying individual stocks.
For beginners, the vast array of index funds options can be overwhelming. We recommend Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) (minimum investment: $1; expense Ratio: 0.03%); Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ) (minimum investment: NA; expense Ratio: 0.2%); and SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA).
Is there a downside to index funds?
While indexes may be low cost and diversified, they prevent seizing opportunities elsewhere. Moreover, indexes do not provide protection from market corrections and crashes when an investor has a lot of exposure to stock index funds.
Tracking error may occur in an index fund due to liquidity provisions, index constituent changes, corporate actions etc. This is a major risk in index funds. Index funds do lose out on the expertise of the fund manager and the structured investment approach that an active fund manager brings.
There are many ways to start investing, but one that's worked for billionaires like Warren Buffett is investing in low-cost index funds.
If you're new to investing, you can absolutely start off by buying index funds alone as you learn more about how to choose the right stocks. But as your knowledge grows, you may want to branch out and add different companies to your portfolio that you feel align well with your personal risk tolerance and goals.
An index fund tracks the performance of a market index, such as the S&P 500 or the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Index funds aim to replicate the performance of the index they track instead of trying to outperform the market through individual stock selection.
The average stock market return is about 10% per year, as measured by the S&P 500 index, but that 10% average rate is reduced by inflation.
Ideally, you should stay invested in equity index funds for the long run, i.e., at least 7 years. That is because investing in any equity instrument for the short-term is fraught with risks. And as we saw, the chances of getting positive returns improve when you give time to your investments.
Lower risk: Because they're diversified, investing in an index fund is lower risk than owning a few individual stocks. That doesn't mean you can't lose money or that they're as safe as a CD, for example, but the index will usually fluctuate a lot less than an individual stock.
The answer is yes; however, there are certain things to keep in mind while withdrawing your mutual funds.
Start small and steadily grow your wealth using products and services like fractional shares, index funds, ETFs, retirement plans, brokerage accounts and robo-advisors. Alieza Durana joined NerdWallet as an investing basics writer in 2022.
What are the pros and cons of index funds?
The benefits of index investing include low cost, requires little financial knowledge, convenience, and provides diversification. Disadvantages include the lack of downside protection, no choice in index composition, and it cannot beat the market (by definition).
Most index funds pay dividends to their shareholders. Since the index fund tracks a specific index in the market (like the S&P 500), the index fund will also contain a proportionate amount of investments in stocks. For index funds that distribute dividends, many pay them out quarterly or annually.
Index funds pay dividends monthly, quarterly or annually. It may vary depending on the securities held.
| Fund | Dividend Yield | Expense Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Invesco S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (NYSEMKT:SPHD) | 4.31% | 0.30% |
| iShares Core High Dividend ETF (NYSEMKT:HDV) | 3.39% | 0.08% |
| ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NYSEMKT:NOBL) | 2.04% | 0.35% |
| Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (NYSEMKT:SCHD) | 3.38% | 0.06% |
- Representative: The fund should provide the full range of opportunities available to its actively managed fund peers.
- Diversified: A wide array of holdings should be on offer.
- Investable: It should invest in liquid securities that are easy to track.
