Are you tired of picking out stocks and seeing your investments fail? You should try out Index fund investing. Index funds are a low-cost and easy way to build wealth over time.
You must have heard about Warren Buffet. He is one of the most successful investors of all time with a net worth of approximately $118 billion. While most of us don’t have the kind of money Mr Buffet does, we can still follow his pieces of advice when it comes to investing.
According to Warren Buffet, low-cost index fund investing is one of the smartest choices people can make.
While the stock market is considered risky and volatile by a majority of the population, there are still many easy ways to invest that yield amazing results. As a matter of fact, a survey from Ally Invest found that 65% of adults find the stock market scary or intimidating. Whether it is a fear of incurring losses or making bad investment choices, in the end, fear is what holding you back.
However, the good news is that index funds are one of the easiest ways to invest in the stock market with a proven track record. How to invest in index funds? You ask. Fret not, in this blog we will discuss how to buy index funds, the best index funds to invest in, and what are the benefits of investing in index funds.
What are Index Funds?
An index fund is a group of stocks that aim to mimic the performance of an existing stock market index like the S&P 500 or the Dow Jones Industrial Average as closely as possible. The index is made up of companies that represent a part of the financial market and offer insights into the health of the economy.
Typically, an index fund is made up of the same types of investments that make up the market index it tracks. Due to this, the performance of the index fund closely mirrors that of the index without any management.
However, many investors are still unsure about how to buy index funds. You can buy index funds through a brokerage account or by directly approaching an index-fund provider like Fidelity.
When you buy an index fund, you get a diversified selection of investments in a single low-cost investment vehicle. In fact, some index funds provide exposure to thousands of securities in a single fund, offering diversification and minimizing the overall risk. You can achieve diversification and your desired asset allocation by investing in several index funds tracking different indexes.
How Do Index Funds Work?
Contrary to other investment vehicles, index funds don’t aim to beat the market or earn higher returns relative to the market average. Instead index fund investing tries to mimic the market(index) by buying stocks of every firm listed on the index to closely match the performance of the index.
Due to this passive approach, index funds are often considered a passive investment vehicle. This means that investors don’t actually need to actively choose which stocks or funds to buy. They are one of the safest investment options and are often used to minimize the risk to a portfolio, as market volatility tends to be less across an index compared to individual stocks.
How to Invest in Index Funds? Step-by-Step Guide
By now you must be intrigued by the potential of index funds and wondering how to invest in index funds. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started-
Create a Goal for Your Index Funds
Before you start investing in index funds or any other investment vehicle, you should have a proper well-thought-out goal about what you want your money to do. If you are trying to make a fortune in less time and have a high-risk tolerance, you will be better off investing in cryptocurrencies or individual stocks.
However, if you are planning to let your money grow gradually over time, or save for retirement, index fund investing is a great option for your portfolio.
Research the Suitable Index Funds
Once you have decided which index you want to mimic, you will need to look at actual index funds that you have to invest in. Different index funds mimic different indexes and there are thousands of stock market indexes. However, popular indexes like the S&P 500 or the NASDAQ composite generally have many index funds that mimic their performance. After selecting an index, there are several factors that you need to consider-
Company Size and Capitalization: Index funds track small, medium-sized, and large enterprises. These funds are also known as small-, medium-, or large-cap indexes.
Geography: Some index funds focus on stocks that specifically trade on foreign exchanges or a combination of international exchanges.
Sector or Industry: Some indexes focus solely on a specific sector or industry. You can explore funds that focus on technology, healthcare, retail, energy, and many other sectors.
Asset Type: Some index funds track particular assets like cash, bonds, stocks, or commodities.
Market Opportunities: These funds examine emerging markets or other growing sectors for investment.
Despite having multiple choices, you only need to invest in a particular index fund. An average investor should invest in a single broad market index to be properly diversified.
Choose the Index Funds
Now it's time to pick the index fund that you are interested in. More often than not, the choice ultimately boils down to the cost of the fund.
One of the biggest USPs of index funds is the low cost. They’re often cheap as they are automated to mimic an index and follow the shifts in value. However, this doesn’t mean that all index funds are affordable. Index funds carry administrative costs, which are subtracted from each fund shareholder’s return as a percentage of their total investment.
Two index funds may mimic the same index like the NASDAQ Composite but their administrative costs may vary wildly. The fractions of the percentage point may seem like peanuts, but even the smallest fee inflation can massively impact your long-term returns. Generally, the bigger the fund, the lower the fees.
Decide the Brokerage to Buy Index Funds
Index funds can be bought by a brokerage or directly from a mutual fund company. However, there are some factors to consider when deciding on a brokerage to buy index funds-
Selection of Funds: Stuck between a brokerage or mutual fund company? Many big mutual fund companies also carry some of their competitor’s funds. However, the selection may still be limited to what’s available in a brokerage’s offerings.
Convenience: it is crucial to find a single provider that can accommodate all your needs. If you are going to invest only in mutual funds, a mutual fund company may be the best option for you. However, if you also want to invest in other securities and want stock research and filtering tools, you will be better off with a brokerage that also provides index funds.
Trading Costs: If the commission or brokerage fee isn’t waived, it is important to consider how much a broker or mutual fund company charges to buy or sell an index fund. Mutual fund commissions are generally higher than individual stocks. Compare the commission with less than $10 a trade for stocks and ETFs.
Impact Investing: If you are an environmentalist or social activist, you can also find index funds that target companies with a special focus on environmental or social causes.
Commission-free options: It is crucial to determine whether the mutual fund company or discount broker offers no transaction fee mutual fund or commission-free ETFs. This is an important metric that is used to compare and select brokers.
Buy Index Funds
An investment or trading account is required to buy shares of index funds. Individual retirement accounts(IRA), Roth IRA, or a typical brokerage account are good enough for index fund investing. You can use them to buy the funds.
You can buy index funds according to a fixed dollar amount or by the number of shares. Your budget and the share price of the index fund determine how much you can buy and are willing to spend. For example- if you have $1500 and the index fund you want to buy is $100 a share, you can buy 15 shares of that fund.
Monitor and Track Your Investments
Passive investing doesn’t mean you shouldn’t track your investments. There are a plethora of benefits of index funds due to their ease of use and the diversification they provide. Here are some things to monitor after index fund investing-
Is the index fund performing?: Typically, your index fund should mirror the performance of the index it tracks. You can check that by looking at your index fund’s returns and comparing them with the performance of the benchmark index. If the results are exactly identical, there is no reason to panic as investment costs also affect the results. However, if there is a drastic difference between the index’s and the fund’s performance, you should try to look into other options.
Is the index fund way too expensive: If the investment fee or commissions keep stacking over time, you may want to reevaluate your index fund.
Looking for stocks instead?: If you want to actively manage and be hands-on with your investments, you may want to invest in individual stocks.
Read Also:- A Complete Guide on Roth IRA
Benefits of Index Funds
Index funds are one of the best investment vehicles to build wealth gradually. Here are some of the benefits of index funds.
Low Fees
One of the major benefits of index funds is their low fee and commissions. Unlike index funds, actively managed individual stocks often have much higher fees and lower returns. This is because an index manager simply has to buy the stocks in an index without any selective filtering.
Suitable for Beginners
Index funds are suitable for beginners as they don’t require picking out individual stocks to invest. You don’t require any investment knowledge or stock picking to invest in index funds, making them the perfect investment vehicle for beginner investors.
Wide Variety of Investments
Index funds come in various investment types. Two of the most popular investment strategies are stock index funds and bond index funds. Moreover, you can also buy other types of index funds that target specific financial market areas.
Time-Saving
Another major benefit of index funds is time-saving. As you don’t have to actively select individual stocks, you only need to spend a few minutes or hours tops. You simply need to identify the index fund that mimics the index that you want to replicate.
Tax-Exemption
Index funds also offer tax benefits. You get the advantage of no long-term capital gains as you don’t need to buy or sell your investments.
Best Index Funds to Invest In
Here are some of the best index funds to invest in that track the S&P 500.
| Index Fund | Minimum Investment | Expense Ratio |
| Vanguard 500 Index Fund(Admiral Shares) VFIAX | $3,000 | 0.04% |
| Schwab S&P 500 Index(SWPPX) | No minimum | 0.02% |
| Fidelity 500 Index(FXAIX) | No minimum | 0.015% |
| Fidelity Zero Large Cap Index(FNILX) | No minimum | 0.0% |
| T Rowe Price Equity Index 500 Fund(PREIX) | $2,500 | 0.20% |
Bottom Line
Investing in index funds has various advantages but also some drawbacks that should be considered. These funds are categorized as passive investments that don’t require investors to actively select and manage their funds. These funds are almost automated using a robo-advisor, which is another great option for people looking for low-cost investment options. However, it is important to learn what an index fund is, how to invest in index funds, and how to compare other investments to reap the full benefits of these passive investment vehicles.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
Ans. No investment is perfect and each of them has its drawbacks. In the case of index funds, one major drawback is that it is tied to the market, if the market falls, so does your investment. Another drawback is diversification, which is a double-edged sword, it may lessen the risk but also limit the upside in the process.
Ans. If you are a beginner investor with minimal knowledge of the investment world, index funds are a great option to get you started as they require little to no effort on the investor’s part. Moreover, if you are looking for long-term gains, like saving for retirement, index funds are the perfect investment option for you.
Ans. No matter the market condition, if you are investing for the long term in a well-diversified portfolio, you can invest in index funds at any time. Also, if the market is down, think of it as a sale and buy the index funds at a cheaper price.
