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Disclaimer: Ironclad Research provides educational content only. Nothing on this platform is financial advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Always do your own research and consider professional advice before making financial decisions.

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  1. Home
  2. Glossary
  3. ETF
GlossaryETFs & Index Funds

ETF

Exchange-traded fund — a fund holding a basket of assets that trades on an exchange like a single share, offering instant diversification, usually at low cost.

Appears in these guides

  • ETFs vs Mutual FundsETFs & Index Funds
  • What Is An ETF?ETFs & Index Funds
  • 0DTE & Short-Dated OptionsOptions
  • 401(k)Brokers & Accounts
  • Building WealthGetting Started
  • CL: Crude Oil FuturesFutures

Related terms

Accumulating FundActive ManagementBenchmarkDistributing FundExpense RatioIndexIndex FundMutual FundNAVPassive Investing

Related lessons

beginnerETFs & Index Funds

Expense Ratios & Fund Costs

The fee is the one thing you can control, and over decades it is enormous. What the expense ratio (OCF/TER) is, the brutal arithmetic of how a 1% fee compounds against you over 30 years, the hidden costs beyond the headline figure, and how to compare funds on what really matters.

beginnerETFs & Index Funds

Index Funds & Passive Investing

Arguably the most important idea in investing for ordinary people: owning the whole market cheaply instead of trying to beat it. What an index is, how index funds replicate it, why passive investing beats most active management after costs, and how regular investing turns it into a wealth-building habit.

Ironclad Research provides educational content only. Nothing on this platform is financial advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Always do your own research and consider professional advice before making financial decisions.