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ETFs & Index Funds

The simplest way to own the whole market.

Beginner · 5 video lessons · 10 minutes · 4-question video exercise · certificate

What you'll learn

• You'll see exactly what you own when you buy one ETF share.
• You'll find the small fee that can cost you thousands over the years.
• You'll learn the one ETF type beginners should never hold for long.
• And you'll build a simple portfolio, then practice it with paper money.

Lessons

1. What an ETF really is (2 min) — One ticker, a whole basket. What's inside an ETF, how it trades, and how it differs from a mutual fund.
2. What an ETF costs you (2 min) — The expense ratio, the spread and tracking. Small numbers that add up to thousands over the years.
3. Index funds vs active funds (2 min) — Follow the market, or try to beat it? What each approach costs, and what tends to happen over long periods.
4. The ETF menu: which kinds exist (2 min) — Broad market, sectors, bonds, international, commodities, and the leveraged ETFs that surprise beginners.
5. Building a simple ETF portfolio (2 min) — Diversify for real, avoid hidden overlap, set a mix, rebalance, and invest a little at a time. Then practice it.

Exercise and certificate

The course ends with a 4-question video exercise. Submit your answers, see your score and the reasoning instantly, and pass with 80% to earn the ETFs & Index Funds certificate.

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