Funds & ETFs desk
Funds that track a market index: how they work, what they cost, how closely they follow their index and what to check in the documents before buying one.
Index funds & ETFs · News
£894m: net retail inflows into UK funds in August 2026, the tenth positive month in a row and £13.8bn for the year so far. Global equity funds took £568m while UK equity funds lost £615m.
Funds & ETFs · Guide
In the 2026 to 2027 tax year up to £9,000 can go into a child's Junior ISAs, and the money belongs to the child, who can take control at 16 and withdraw it at 18. A pension, a bare trust or a parent's own ISA put the money in different hands at different ages.
Funds & ETFs · Explainer
Open-ended funds and ETFs can track the same index at similar cost. The difference is how you buy them: funds deal with the manager at a forward price, ETFs trade on an exchange all day with a spread, and their tax and stamp duty rules differ.
Funds & ETFs · Explainer
An ETF is a fund whose shares trade on a stock exchange like a company's, usually tracking an index. You buy it through a share-dealing account, ISA or SIPP at a live price, paying the ongoing charge plus dealing costs and a spread.
Index funds & ETFs · News
£894m: net retail inflows into UK funds in August 2026, the tenth positive month in a row and £13.8bn for the year so far. Global equity funds took £568m while UK equity funds lost £615m.
Index funds & ETFs · Explainer
A global tracker buys a world share index, so one fund can hold anything from about 1,250 to 4,200 companies. At 30 September 2026 the United States made up 62.28% to 72.94% of the three main world indices, so a global fund is mostly a US and dollar fund.
Index funds & ETFs · Explainer
An index fund buys the holdings in a market index so its return follows that index, minus costs. Before buying, compare the total cost, how closely it has tracked, how it copies the index, the unit class and the tax wrapper.
Index funds & ETFs · Guide
In the 2026 to 2027 tax year up to £9,000 can go into a child's Junior ISAs, and the money belongs to the child, who can take control at 16 and withdraw it at 18. A pension, a bare trust or a parent's own ISA put the money in different hands at different ages.
Index funds & ETFs · Explainer
Open-ended funds and ETFs can track the same index at similar cost. The difference is how you buy them: funds deal with the manager at a forward price, ETFs trade on an exchange all day with a spread, and their tax and stamp duty rules differ.
Index funds & ETFs · Explainer
An ETF is a fund whose shares trade on a stock exchange like a company's, usually tracking an index. You buy it through a share-dealing account, ISA or SIPP at a live price, paying the ongoing charge plus dealing costs and a spread.
TID Professional
Market view, vehicles and due diligence, regulation and tax for advisers and wealth managers. Free to verified professionals.
Register as a professionalTID Professional is for investment professionals. Content in this section is not suitable for private investors and should not be relied on by them.
Coming to this room
FCA, HMRC and Consumer Duty changes, and what they mean for advice
The first Professional briefings for this desk are on the way. Register to hear when they publish.
