ETF Drawbacks - Fidelity (2024)

Be sure to look at both the advantages and disadvantages of ETFs.

WILEY GLOBAL FINANCE

While ETFs offer a number of benefits, the low-cost and myriad investment options available through ETFs can lead investors to make unwise decisions. In addition, not all ETFs are alike. Execution prices and tracking discrepancies can cause unpleasant surprises for investors.

Buying high and selling low

ETFs have two prices, a bid and an ask. Investors should be aware of the spread between the price they will pay for shares (ask) and the price a share could be sold for (bid). In addition, it helps to know the intraday value of the fund when you are ready to execute a trade.

At any given time, the spread on an ETF may be high, and the market price of shares may not correspond to the intraday value of the underlying securities. Those are not good times to transact business. Make sure you know what an ETF’s current intraday value is as well as the market price of the shares before you buy.

ETF Drawbacks - Fidelity (1)

Sign up for Fidelity Viewpoints weekly email for our latest insights.


Subscribe now

Tracking error

ETF managers are supposed to keep their funds’ investment performance in line with the indexes they track. That mission is not as easy as it sounds. There are many ways an ETF can stray from its intended index. That tracking error can be a cost to investors.

Indexes do not hold cash but ETFs do, so a certain amount of tracking error in an ETF is expected. Fund managers generally hold some cash in a fund to pay administrative expenses and management fees. In addition, the timing of dividends is difficult because stocks go ex-dividend one day and pay the dividend on some other day while the indexes’ providers assume the dividend is reinvested on the same day the company went ex-dividend. This is a special problem for ETFs that are organized as unit investment trusts (UITs), which, by law, cannot reinvest dividends in more securities and must hold the cash until a dividend is paid to UIT shareholders. ETFs that are organized as investment companies under the Investment Company Act of 1940 may deviate from the holdings of the index at the discretion of the fund manager. Some indexes hold illiquid securities that the fund manager cannot buy. In that case the fund manager will modify a portfolio by sampling liquid securities from an index that can be purchased. The idea is to create a portfolio that has the look and feel of the index and, it is hoped, perform like the index. Nonetheless, ETF managers who deviate from the securities in an index often see the performance of the fund deviate as well.

Several indexes hold one or two dominant positions that the ETF manager cannot replicate because of SEC restrictions on non-diversified funds. In an effort to create a more diversified sector ETF and avoid the problem of concentrated securities, some companies have targeted indexes that use an equal weighting methodology. Equal weighting solves the problem of concentrated positions, but it creates other problems, including higher portfolio turnover and increased costs.

ETF Drawbacks - Fidelity (2024)

FAQs

What is a potential drawback of investing in an ETF? ›

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.

What is the primary disadvantage of an ETF? ›

ETF trading risk

Spreads can vary over time as well, being small one day and wide the next. What's worse, an ETF's liquidity can be superficial: The ETF may trade one penny wide for the first 100 shares, but to sell 10,000 shares quickly, you might have to pay a quarter spread.

Why does Dave Ramsey say not to invest in ETFs? ›

One of the biggest reasons Ramsey cautions investors about ETFs is that they are so easy to move in and out of. Unlike traditional mutual funds, which can only be bought or sold once per day, you can buy or sell an ETF on the open market just like an individual stock at any time the market is open.

Is Fidelity good for ETF? ›

Fidelity's actively managed ETFs seek better investing outcomes* and offer trading flexibility along with potential tax efficiency. *While active ETFs offer the potential to outperform an index, these products may more significantly trail an index as compared with passive ETFs.

Are there any disadvantages of ETFs compared to mutual funds? ›

ETFs often generate fewer capital gains for investors than mutual funds. This is partly because so many of them are passively managed and don't change their holdings that often.

What is the primary disadvantage of an ETF Quizlet? ›

The disadvantage is that ETFs must be purchased from brokers for a fee. Moreover, investors may incur a bid-ask spread when purchasing an ETF.

Why do ETFs lose value? ›

Leveraged ETFs use various financial instruments such as futures, options and swaps to achieve their leverage. These instruments have associated costs, including transaction costs, bid/ask spreads and management fees. These costs can eat into the returns of the ETF and contribute to its decay.

Why are ETFs considered to be low risk investments? ›

Thanks to their lower costs and ability to diversify a portfolio, ETFs are considered low-risk investments. That's not to say ETFs are not risk-free. They can be tax-inefficient, generate high trading fees, and have low liquidity.

Are ETFs good for short-term investing? ›

Not all ETFs offer the criteria for short-term trading, which includes high liquidity, cost efficiency, and price transparency. To maintain liquidity, traders should avoid ETFs that have a high percentage of off-exchange trades.

Does Warren Buffett use ETFs? ›

Warren Buffett has long recommended the S&P 500 index fund and ETF, and through his holding company Berkshire Hathaway, he also owns two of these types of investments: the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEMKT: SPY).

Why no ETFs in 401k? ›

In any case, retirement plans are not really designed for intraday trading. They are supposed to be long-term investments. Many ETFs offer tax efficiency due to their structure, but this becomes irrelevant in a tax-deferred retirement plan such as a 401(k).

Can you retire a millionaire with ETFs alone? ›

Investing in the stock market is one of the most effective ways to generate long-term wealth, and you don't need to be an experienced investor to make a lot of money. In fact, it's possible to retire a millionaire with next to no effort through exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Is Vanguard or Fidelity better for ETFs? ›

Fidelity: Features. Both Fidelity and Vanguard have a wide variety of low-cost mutual funds and ETFs. If you're simply looking at the options offered by each firm, Fidelity has more options available.

What is the downside to Fidelity? ›

Fees. Fidelity has average trading and low non-trading fees, including commission-free US stock trading. On the negative side, margin rates and fees for some mutual funds can be high. We compared Fidelity's fees with two similar brokers we selected, E*TRADE and TD Ameritrade.

Does Fidelity charge a fee for ETF? ›

1. $0.00 commission applies to online U.S. equity trades, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and options (+ $ 0.65 per contract fee) in a Fidelity retail account only for Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC retail clients. Sell orders are subject to an activity assessment fee (from $0.01 to $0.03 per $1,000 of principal).

Is investing in ETF good or bad? ›

Advantages of investing in ETFs

ETFs tend to be less volatile than individual stocks, meaning your investment won't swing in value as much. The best ETFs have low expense ratios, the fund's cost as a percentage of your investment. The best may charge only a few dollars annually for every $10,000 invested.

What is the risk rating of an ETF? ›

ETF providers are required to include a risk rating in an ETF's Key Investor Document (KID). It's a number between 1 and 7, 1 being the lowest risk and 7 the highest risk. Although not perfect, it's a good first indication of how much risk (and therefore return) you can expect from an ETF.

What is the risk of cash to ETF? ›

The term 'risk-free' suggests an investment devoid of any risk to the investor, which is not entirely accurate in the context of cash ETFs. Despite their appealing returns, these funds carry what is known as counterparty risk—the risk that a bank could fail to fulfill its obligations to investors.

What are the risks of ETF currency? ›

Risks of Currency ETFs

If an investor holds assets denominated in a particular currency and invests in a currency ETF that tracks the same currency, a decline in the currency's value could result in losses on both fronts.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Allyn Kozey

Last Updated:

Views: 5271

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (63 voted)

Reviews: 86% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Allyn Kozey

Birthday: 1993-12-21

Address: Suite 454 40343 Larson Union, Port Melia, TX 16164

Phone: +2456904400762

Job: Investor Administrator

Hobby: Sketching, Puzzles, Pet, Mountaineering, Skydiving, Dowsing, Sports

Introduction: My name is Allyn Kozey, I am a outstanding, colorful, adventurous, encouraging, zealous, tender, helpful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.