● Category

Index Fund & ETF Basics

Start here if you're new to index investing. This category covers the core mechanics of index funds and ETFs — what they are, how they're priced, what they cost, and how to buy your first one — without assuming any prior investing knowledge.

This category is written for people who are comfortable with basic personal finance but haven't yet opened a brokerage account or bought a fund — the goal is to remove the vocabulary and mechanics as a barrier before you ever get to a strategy decision. Each guide builds on the last: start with what an index fund actually is and how it's structured, then move into how ETFs specifically trade, how the two structures compare, what a fund's expense ratio actually costs you over time, and the practical steps to place your first order. By the end of this category, you should be able to read a fund's prospectus, compare it to alternatives, and buy it confidently — the strategic questions of which funds and how much to hold are covered separately in Strategy & Long-Term Wealth.