Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are what would happen if a mutual fund and stock had a baby. These pooled investment vehicles combine the best of what mutual funds and stocks each have to offer, and they're more accessible to investors than either.
Whatever type of investment you want can be accessed in 30 seconds or less with an ETF, depending on if you know the password to your brokerage account, says Matt Collins, head of ETFs at PGIM investments. But before you start searching for an ETF that lets you invest in mint chip ice cream because that's never going out of style, it's important to understand what an ETF is and how to pick a good one.
