Is ETF passive investing?
As the ETF market has evolved, different types of ETFs have been developed. They can be passively managed or actively managed. Passively managed ETFs attempt to closely track a benchmark (such as a broad stock market index, like the S&P 500), whereas actively managed ETFs intend to outperform a benchmark.
Passive ETFs tend to follow buy-and-hold strategies to try to track a particular benchmark. Active ETFs utilize a portfolio manager's investment strategy to try outperform a benchmark. Passive ETFs tend to be lower-cost and more transparent than active ETFs, but do not provide any room for outperformance (alpha).
You'll also get some excellent income starting from day one. The Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF pays out 3.0% annually, or more than double the 1.4% yield you would get from an S&P 500 index fund. So invest $5,000 in the ETF, for example, and you can expect $150 per year of passive income.
Both ETFs and index mutual funds are pooled investment vehicles that are passively managed. The key difference between them (discussed below) is that ETFs can be bought and sold on the stock exchange (just like individual stocks)—and index mutual funds cannot.
For instance, some ETFs may come with fees, others might stray from the value of the underlying asset, ETFs are not always optimized for taxes, and of course — like any investment — ETFs also come with risk.
| Income ETF | Expense ratio | Trailing-12-month yield* |
|---|---|---|
| Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) | 0.06% | 3.4% |
| SPDR S&P Dividend ETF (SDY) | 0.35% | 2.6% |
| Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM) | 0.06% | 3% |
| WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth Fund (DGRW) | 0.28% | 1.7% |
Vanguard is well-known for its pioneering work in creating and marketing index mutual funds and ETFs to investors. Indexing is a passive investment strategy that seeks to replicate, rather than beat, the performance of some benchmark index such as the S&P 500 or Nasdaq 100.
Key Takeaways. ETFs are considered to be low-risk investments because they are low-cost and hold a basket of stocks or other securities, increasing diversification. For most individual investors, ETFs represent an ideal type of asset with which to build a diversified portfolio.
You can make money from ETFs by trading them. And some ETFs pay out the money the ETF makes to investors. These payments are called distributions.
If you don't want to put a lot of effort into managing your investments, then S&P 500 ETFs are a good solution. But if you're willing to do the work, then you might do even better in the long run with a portfolio of hand-picked stocks (although, the odds are against you).
Do you pay taxes on ETF if you don't sell?
At least once a year, funds must pass on any net gains they've realized. As a fund shareholder, you could be on the hook for taxes on gains even if you haven't sold any of your shares.
For example, the most popular ETF is the S&P 500 “Spyder” ETF. Investors in this ETF make money when the S&P 500 rises, and lose when it falls. This is passive management, which avoids investing in only a limited number of stocks, bonds, or other securities within a market.
ETFs and index mutual funds tend to be generally more tax efficient than actively managed funds. And, in general, ETFs tend to be more tax efficient than index mutual funds. You want niche exposure. Specific ETFs focused on particular industries or commodities can give you exposure to market niches.
It is unlikely for its asset to go up 100% in a single day and so, an ETF can't become zero. An ETF follows a particular index and the securities are present at the same weight in it. So, it can be zero when all the securities go to zero.
ETFs may close due to lack of investor interest or poor returns. For investors, the easiest way to exit an ETF investment is to sell it on the open market. Liquidation of ETFs is strictly regulated; when an ETF closes, any remaining shareholders will receive a payout based on what they had invested in the ETF.
In theory, if Vanguard went bankrupt, your assets within the ETF should be safe, as they're technically yours held in trust by Vanguard. So if Vanguard collapsed, then what would likely happen would be that another manager would take over the ETF, or the assets would be sold off and you'd be paid out.
| Symbol | Name | 5-Year Return |
|---|---|---|
| FNGO | MicroSectors FANG+ Index 2X Leveraged ETNs | 43.94% |
| TECL | Direxion Daily Technology Bull 3X Shares | 34.92% |
| SMH | VanEck Semiconductor ETF | 30.83% |
| ROM | ProShares Ultra Technology | 29.51% |
| Symbol | Name | Dividend Yield |
|---|---|---|
| SURI | Simplify Propel Opportunities ETF | 12.19% |
| SDIV | Global X SuperDividend ETF | 12.12% |
| SPYI | NEOS S&P 500 High Income ETF | 12.07% |
| TYLG | Global X Information Technology Covered Call & Growth ETF | 12.02% |
Investing in dividend ETFs. Dividend ETFs are another option for investors to seek consistent income. A dividend stock aims to pay a portion of the company's earnings to its shareholders on a regular basis, typically quarterly. Dividends are usually distributed as cash or additional shares of stock.
When the market cratered, investors withdrew $16.4 billion from Vanguard's index mutual funds. What accounts for remaining index mutual fund outflows? Johnson says it could be clients pulling out money because they're retiring, or because they're negatively affected by the pandemic.
Is there a required holding period for ETFs?
For most ETFs, selling after less than a year is taxed as a short-term capital gain. ETFs held for longer than a year are taxed as long-term gains. If you sell an ETF, and buy the same (or a substantially similar) ETF after less than 30 days, you may be subject to the wash sale rule.
Passively managed funds don't have a fund manager to update the portfolio or tell you when market conditions change. Passive investment funds are relatively tax-efficient due to their 'buy and hold' strategy, which means you'll incur less capital gains tax than those who actively invest.
Market risk
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. So if you buy an S&P 500 ETF and the S&P 500 goes down 50%, nothing about how cheap, tax efficient, or transparent an ETF is will help you.
Hold ETFs throughout your working life. Hold ETFs as long as you can, give compound interest time to work for you. Sell ETFs to fund your retirement. Don't sell ETFs during a market crash.
SPY, VOO and IVV are among the most popular S&P 500 ETFs. These three S&P 500 ETFs are quite similar, but may sometimes diverge in terms of costs or daily returns. Investors generally only need one S&P 500 ETF.
