How do advisors get paid on ETFs?
Financial advisors get paid one of 2 ways for their professional expertise: by commission or by an annual percentage of your entire portfolio, usually between 0.5% and 2%, in the same way you pay an annual percentage of your fund assets to the fund manager.
ETF investors do not directly pay these fees and costs to the ETF manager or issuer. Instead, the fees and costs are reflected in the daily price of the ETF. Management fees are not deducted on one specific date each year.
ETF issuers collect any dividends paid by the companies whose stocks are held in the fund, and they then pay those dividends to their shareholders. They may pay the money directly to the shareholders, or reinvest it in the fund.
You'll typically pay a commission each time you buy or sell an ETF—but not always. Keep in mind, the smaller your investment and the more frequently you trade, the more impact these commissions will have on your bottom line.
Your financial advisor generally receives between 36% and 40% of the revenue Edward Jones receives from asset- based fees, transactional revenue, ongoing 12b-1 fees, trail commissions, and revenue from premiums generated by activity in your accounts.
How to find the best ETF expense ratio. High fees can turn any investment into a poor one. A good rule of thumb is to not invest in any fund with an expense ratio higher than 1% since many ETFs have expense ratios that are much lower.
| Description of costs and assumptions | Long-term, buy-and-hold investor |
|---|---|
| Average trades per year ($10,000 per trade) | 2 (1 roundtrip) |
| Commissions | $0 |
| Bid/ask spreads (0.15% average per roundtrip) | $15 |
| Operating expenses (0.18% per year on $10,000 balance) | $18 (ETF held every day in the year) |
An exchange-traded fund (ETF) includes a basket of securities and trades on an exchange. If the stocks owned by the fund pay dividends, the money is passed along to the investor. Most ETFs pay these dividends quarterly on a pro-rata basis, where payments are based on the number of shares the investor owns.
Some ETFs might provide passive income given enough capital invested, but this depends on market conditions. Dividend ETFs can be a good passive income generator, but again, it depends on market conditions and how much you have invested and hold.
| Symbol | Name | Dividend Yield |
|---|---|---|
| TSL | GraniteShares 1.25x Long Tesla Daily ETF | 93.89% |
| NGE | Global X MSCI Nigeria ETF | 85.38% |
| KLIP | KraneShares China Internet and Covered Call Strategy ETF | 64.77% |
| KMET | KraneShares Electrification Metals Strategy ETF | 56.55% |
Why are ETFs commission free?
A no-fee ETF is generally used to attract potential investors to move their accounts to a new broker. Brokers offer to complete these trades for free in the hope of attracting new clients, who will also conduct more profitable trades with the same broker.
Free commission offer applies to online purchase of ETFs in a Fidelity retail account. The sale of ETFs is subject to an activity assessment fee (from $0.01 to $0.03 per $1,000 of principal). ETFs are subject to market fluctuation and the risks of their underlying investments.
$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).
Edward Jones does not serve as a fiduciary except for at the Plan level of retirement plans. This means that their advisors aren't legally required to put their clients' needs ahead of their own. And Edward Jones' compensation disclosure admits that some of its advisor incentives could lead to conflicts of interest.
Edward Jones fees are tiered, so they decrease as your account grows in value. Still, a 1.35% fee is high, even compared to other financial advisory firms. These fees are especially high considering most people can create similar portfolios with a little bit of research and a desire to learn more about investing.
5 years after starting, 38% of Financial Advisors are still with Edward Jones. The other financial advisory firms had a rate in the low 20's.
- iShares MSCI Turkey ETF (ticker: TUR)
- WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund (DXJ)
- Simplify Interest Rate Hedge ETF (PFIX)
- VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH)
- Amplify U.S. Alternative Harvest ETF (MJUS)
- AdvisorShares Pure U.S. Cannabis ETF (MSOS)
- YieldMax NVDA Option Income Strategy ETF (NVDY)
| Management Fee | 0.03% |
|---|---|
| Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses | 0.00% |
| Other Expenses | 0.00% |
| Expense Ratio | 0.03% |
The sale of ETFs is subject to an activity assessment fee (of between $0.01 to $0.03 per $1000 of principal). Fidelity ETFs are subject to a short-term trading fee by Fidelity, if held less than 30 days.
The price of an ETF share generally stays very close to NAV but if the share price is below the NAV, then the ETF is said to be trading at a discount. Conversely, if the ETF share price is more expensive than NAV, the ETF is said to be trading at a premium.
Do ETFs have high management fees?
ETFs expense ratios generally are lower than mutual funds, particularly when compared to actively managed mutual funds that invest a good deal in research to find the best investments.
Here's a summary of which one to choose:
If you want to own only the biggest and safest stocks, choose VOO. If you want more diversification and exposure to mid-caps and small-caps, choose VTI. If you can't decide, consider simply buying both of them (assuming that commissions are low or free).
If you buy substantially identical security within 30 days before or after a sale at a loss, you are subject to the wash sale rule. This prevents you from claiming the loss at this time.
For most ETFs, selling after less than a year is taxed as a short-term capital gain. ETFs held for longer than a year are taxed as long-term gains. If you sell an ETF, and buy the same (or a substantially similar) ETF after less than 30 days, you may be subject to the wash sale rule.
The best time of day to buy stocks is usually in the morning, shortly after the market opens. Mondays and Fridays tend to be good days to trade stocks, while the middle of the week is less volatile.
