HOW CAN I BUY AN ETF?

Capital at Risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and are not guaranteed. Investors may not get back the amount originally invested.

... there are still a few questions that you should clarify:

• Would you like to set up a regular savings plan or invest a certain amount on a one-off basis?
• Would you like to invest in just one ETF or combine several, i.e. create an entire portfolio?

The basis for your investment is initially the amount you wish to save on a monthly or one-off basis. If you do not yet have this amount at hand, our savings plan calculator can help you. You can use the ETF savings plan calculator to find out more about the potential of ETFs.

1. Open a custody account: A custody account is a prerequisite for your investment. This can be opened via a retail bank, a digital bank or an online broker. As part of the online registration process, you must verify your identity by means of a postal or video identification procedure. Once your custody account is set up, you can get started.
2. Select a product: Look up the identification number (VALOR), the International Securities Identifying Number (ISIN) or the fund name from the iShares product information to invest in the ETF you want.
3. Finalise the purchase: Determine the number of units and thus your investment amount in the order screen. Optionally, we recommend setting a limit to prevent buying or selling at an unfavourable price.

Regardless of which bank, digital bank or broker you prefer, you will find a suitable institution with which iShares works.

You have the option of designing your portfolio with just one ETF - for example with a particularly wide-ranging ETF that tracks a global index such as the MSCI World. However, you can also invest in an entire portfolio of several ETFs to diversify your investment even more broadly and thus reduce the risk even further. Of course, you can easily put together a portfolio yourself. If you need a little help, you have the following options:

1. Model portfolios: if you lack an overview of which ETFs are best to combine, some providers offer so-called model portfolios.
2. Actively managed ETF funds: There are ETF portfolios that are summarised in a product under a security number/ISIN and are actively managed by a fund manager. These ETF-based funds are very similar to traditional funds, except that instead of investing in various individual securities, investments are made in ETFs. Due to the ETF components, they are also cheaper than traditional investment funds and yet a fund manager adjusts the portfolio to the respective market situation for a fee. BlackRock also offers such actively managed ETF portfolios.
3. Digital asset managers: Digital asset managers offer their customers complete support, ranging from advice and the selection of investment assets to ongoing optimisation and support. After a mostly uncomplicated onboarding process, you can conveniently place the management of your investment in the hands of (digital) financial professionals, who charge a small management fee in addition to the product costs.