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Home ETF Resource Center

Exchange-Traded Funds Resource Center

An exchange-traded fund is a pooled investment vehicle with shares that can be bought or sold throughout the day on stock exchanges at market-determined prices. Investors may buy or sell ETF shares through a broker, just as they would the shares of any publicly traded company. 

This page provides the basics on the creation, operation, and regulation of ETFs. It also features policy views from ICI, updates on recent ETF developments, and links to other ETF resources.  

Latest News
  • ICI Praises the SEC for Modernizing and Streamlining ETF Regulatory Framework
    Sep 26, 2019
  • ICI Strongly Supports Proposed SEC ETF Rule
    Sep 24, 2018
  • ICI Applauds SEC Action to Amend Liquidity Disclosures and Propose a New Rule for Exchange-Traded Funds
    Jun 28, 2018
  • ICI to Unveil Weekly Reports on ETF Net Issuance
    Apr 25, 2016
  • Most ETF Trading Doesn’t Affect Underlying Markets
    Sep 22, 2014
Background on ETFs
  • ETF Basics and Structure: FAQs
    Jun 25, 2020
  • ETFs and the Markets
    Oct 24, 2019
  • Glossary of Exchange-Traded Fund and Other Related Financial Terms (pdf)
    Sep 27, 2019
  • Understanding ETFs
    Oct 23, 2018
  • Understanding the Regulation of Exchange-Traded Funds Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (pdf)
    Aug 10, 2017
  • Exchange-Traded Funds: Chapter 4 of the 2019 Investment Company Fact Book
  • The Role and Activities of Authorized Participants of Exchange-Traded Funds (pdf)
    Mar 16, 2015
  • The US ETF Market: FAQs
    Feb 26, 2015
  • How ETFs Compare with Other Investments: FAQs
    Feb 26, 2015
  • Understanding Exchange-Traded Funds: How ETFs Work (pdf)
    Sep 18, 2014
  • An Inside Look at Exchange-Traded Funds, AAII Journal
  • ETFs and Retail Investors: FAQs
    Sep 2, 2014

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