The Beauty of Exchange-Traded Funds with Deirdre Gibson

Exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, are rapidly growing in popularity, and for good reason. 

ETFs offer investors an easy, cost-efficient way to diversify their portfolios. But what are they, and what advantages do they offer over other investments? Deirdre Gibson joins us today to talk about ETFs and why you should consider putting some in your portfolio.

What Is an ETF—and How Does It Differ from a Mutual Fund?

Think of an ETF as a basket of investments—stocks, bonds, or even commodities—that trades on an exchange like a stock. Unlike mutual funds, which process trades at the end of the day, ETFs allow you to buy and sell shares throughout the day. This provides investors with more flexibility, especially during volatile market conditions.

ETFs are also more tax-efficient than mutual funds. Mutual fund transactions often trigger taxable events for all shareholders, whereas ETFs, due to their structure, generally limit capital gains taxes.

Like mutual funds, ETFs offer built-in diversification by holding a variety of assets. This helps reduce risk—if one stock in the fund dips, others can offset the loss. It’s also advised to avoid trading ETFs during the first and last 10 minutes of the market day, when prices are more volatile and spreads are wider.

While some ETFs are straightforward, others are complex. For example, oil futures ETFs don’t always track the price of oil as expected, making them riskier for everyday investors. Thankfully, ETF issuers are required to disclose all holdings and strategies on their websites, empowering investors to make informed decisions.