Hi there,
Regarding question 1:
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question because there are many variables which determine the ideal number and makeup of exchange traded funds (ETFs) for each specific investor. You financial situation and risk capacity are both key factors.
Which ETFs you invest in is another key factor. Some ETFs are highly diversified, while others are based on a relatively small number of stocks, commodities or other assets tracked by an index. For example, an ETF based on the Swiss Market Index (SMI) tracks the performance of just 20 stocks from a single region. Diversifying your investments by investing in a fair number of different ETFs which track the performance of different sectors and regions is generally a good move if you have a significant amount of capital to invest.
If you only have several thousand Swiss francs to invest, on the other hand, spreading that small amount of money across multiple ETFs is not necessarily a good idea. One of the reasons for this is that buying and selling shares in many different ETFs can incur higher brokerage fees than making a single larger investment in one ETF.
Regarding question 2:
Yes. The costs of passively-managed investment vehicles are generally lower than the costs of actively-managed investment vehicles. The majority of investment funds whose managers actively manage investments on an ongoing basis have not delivered better results than funds which simply track a market index (by investing in the assets which underlie the index). The main reason for this is that the costs of hiring professionals who actively buy and sell securities and regularly rebalance investment portfolios are much higher than the costs of simply spreading investment across assets tracked by a market index and holding those investments.
ETFs are primarily passively-managed investments, and therefore generally have lower total expense ratios (TERs) than actively-managed investment funds. however, it is left to you as the investor to determine what indexes you want to invest in and which ETFs to select. At least initially when selecting ETFs, you will have to play an active role in the selection and rebalancing of ETF investments yourself.
ETF savings plans and robo advisors provide a more passive form of investing in ETFs. ETF savings plans are not yet widely established in Switzerland, but there are a number of robo advisors available. These handle the purchase and sale of ETF shares and the rebalancing of investment portfolios on your behalf. This is useful if you do not have the time or knowledge to manage your ETF investments on your own. You pay a fee for the services, but the combined costs of ETFs and robo advisors are still often lower than the TERs of actively-managed investment funds.
Regarding question 3:
Using an affordable online securities broker is normally the cheapest way to invest in ETF shares. You can find the most affordable broker for the specific ETF investments you want to make by using the interactive online broker comparison on moneyland.ch.
Selecting the "Individual profile" lets you enter specific information about the types of ETF and number of ETF shares and transactions which you expect to invest in and find the most affordable broker for your specific needs.
Alternatives:
It is also possible to invest in ETFs which are based on the tax-privileged 3a retirement savings category. This is an option if you are primarily interested in investing towards your retirement, as 3a assets are held in escrow until you reach retirement age (with some exceptions such as early withdrawal for a home purchase). You can find useful information in the moneyland.ch guide to 3a retirement funds.
Best regards from Moneyguru
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