Financial Planning   ->   Stocks, Bonds etc.   -> Beyond Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)

Beyond Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)

Throughout this website we recommend exchange traded funds (ETFs) for novice investors.  We do this because the recommended ETFs give you good diversification across most countries and all industries.  If you are new to investing, it is probably best to stick to our recommended ETFs.  If you have no interest in the stock market, you can continue to buy and hold these ETFs forever.

If you are interested in expanding your investment knowledge, and think you can get a better return with other investments, you should continue holding the ETFs, because they are a good solid base on which to build your investment portfolio.  You should only buy different investments as you add new money.  Before buying other investments you have to decide if you want to do your own research, or get a financial advisor/broker.

If you deal with a stock broker at a full-service brokerage, you will have access to research from the brokerage, and from any private research companies that the brokerage deals with.  Many discount brokerages also provide extensive research documents.  A full-service broker will recommend you buy certain stocks that their analysts have recommended, and will want you to sell other stocks that they no longer recommend.  Since you will have to have trust in your broker, you should interview a few different brokers, and find the one that you feel most comfortable dealing with.

If you decide to do your own research, there are many places that you can find information, such as

All of these sources have some pros and cons.

There is a huge array of investment products and strategies.  Investment products include:

Investment strategies include:

You'll probably come across some or all of the above products and strategies at some time, and it would be a good idea to know what they are, even if you are using a full service brokerage.

Tip:  Do your homework!

Revised: October 26, 2023