Welcome to the beginner level. The guides collected here explain how investing in ETFs works, in plain language and without jargon. An ETF (exchange-traded fund) is a fund that follows an index and is traded on an exchange like a share, so one purchase gives you a small slice of many companies at once. You do not need any prior knowledge to follow along.
A sensible order is to start with the step-by-step route, then read how time and costs shape what you keep over the years, and look up unfamiliar words in the glossary as you go. The worked examples show the same ideas with figures that you can change yourself in the calculator. All figures on this page are illustrations at assumptions you can adjust, not forecasts, and nothing here is personal financial advice.
Start here
Getting started
This is our step-by-step route for new investors. You will learn what investing is, why time and costs matter, and which questions to ask yourself before you start with an ETF.
Reading at this level
Compound growth: how a fixed monthly amount grows
Time plays a big part in investing. Here we explain how compound growth works and what you keep of every drop.
Worked examples
See how different choices play out in practice. We show what ongoing costs and your time horizon mean for the amount you actually keep over the years.
Look it up
Glossary
Did you come across a word you do not know? In this list, we explain the most important terms around ETF investing in a short and simple way.
The basics
What is an ETF?
How an exchange-traded fund works, what UCITS means and which risks and costs come with it.
What is the TER of an ETF?
What the ongoing charges figure covers, what it leaves out and how costs add up over the years.
Money, risk and time
Investment risk, diversification and time horizon
What risk means, what spreading your money can and cannot do, and why your horizon matters.
Inflation and your savings
How rising prices change what a fixed sum buys, with figures for 10, 20 and 30 years.
How much to invest per month
The questions to settle first, and four worked examples from €100 to €1,000 a month.
One step further
Are you ready for more detail? Take a look at the Intermediate page.