How you can start investing in ETFs in the 2026-27 financial year
Moomoo's platform allows you to invest in a wide range of assets, including ETFs like VAS, VGS, NDQ, IVV and more.
Sponsored by moomoo. Moomoo is an all-in-one trading app that helps users discover opportunities and assists them in making the most of their investments. Access the US, Australian and Hong Kong markets on moomoo.
Since being introduced to the Australian market in 2001, ETFs have seen a significant growth in popularity among investors. According to the AFR, Australia's ETF market is set to hit $380 billion in funds in management during 2026. This figure marks a major growth of 400% over the last six years. But what makes ETFs appealing to investors?
People invest in ETFs for a wide variety of reasons. Some of them include:
- They can be more cost-effective: ETFs can allow investors to access markets that are ordinarily cost-prohibitive, or enable them to experiment with exposure before buying into a market directly. Additionally, many ETFs have lower fees than other forms of trading.
- Diversification: ETFs can be used to diversify an existing portfolio, via access to new asset classes, companies and risk levels. For example, investing with in the Vanguard Australian Shares ETF enables you to get exposure to the top 300 companies on the ASX, without needing to manually invest in all of them.
- Low-touch: Not every investor wants to be highly involved in the day-to-day of managing their assets. ETFs still involve risk (all investing does!) but they are not a high-touch asset like CFDs.
- Liquidity: ETFs are generally considered to be a liquid asset that can be bought or sold with relative ease, usually via a broker or trading platform.
According to the ASX, exchange traded funds (ETFs) are a type of managed fund that provide exposure to a variety of assets.
They are sold in a similar fashion to stocks. However, rather than buying individual shares or assets, you're instead buying a stake in a bundle of shares and assets. It's somewhat akin to a mini-portfolio, though you don't own the underlying assets themselves; these are held by the ETF provider.
With these considerations in mind, we take a closer look at some of the key questions around Aussies being able to get started with ETFs.
What assets can be invested in via ETFs?
The ETF market spans a wide range of assets, businesses and categories, including:
- Shares (Australian and international)
- Industry (e.g. mining, finance, tech, farming)
- Bonds
- Natural resources
- Forex
- Crypto
- and more!
However, not all categories are evenly distributed across all markets. So it's important to look for a trading platform that offers a broad selection and can include multiple markets.
Everyone's trading needs are different, so it's important you look at the trading platform as a whole. However, having access to a wider range of ETFs can provide additional choice about which ones might be appropriate for your portfolio.
For example, moomoo offers 4,400+ ETFs across multiple markets, spanning Australia, the US and Hong Kong.
As of June 2026, some of the most popular Australian ETFs available through moomoo include:
- VAS - Vanguard Australian Shares ETF: This ETF is designed to align with the performance of the S&P/ASX 300 Index.
- IOZ - iShares Core S&P/ASX 200 ETF: This ETF is intended to deliver returns aligned with the performance of the S&P/ASX 200 Accumulation Index.
- IVV - iShares S&P 500 ETF: This ETF aims to offer performance aligned with the S&P 500.
All performance is before factoring in consideration such as taxes, trading fees and other expenses. You can find more information about some of the best-performing ETFs here on Finder.
What sort of fees are charged for trading ETFs?
The fees charged for trading ETFs will vary from trading platform to trading platform. Looking for lower fees means that you can have more funds handy for trading.
Make sure you check the fees with your preferred trading platform before you sign up. Typically, they will include:
- Brokerage fees when buying or selling
- Ongoing maintenance fees
As of June 2026, Finder's research indicates that moomoo is considered to have competitive fees in the Australian market.
Notably, there are no ongoing fees, its platform and research are available for free. You also don't need to worry about account minimums when you sign up. Fees are indicated below:
- Australian equities: 0.03% (min AUD $3)
- US equities: flat rate of US$0.99 per trade
- Hong Kong equities: HK$3 or 0.03% (whichever is greater) + HK$15 platform fee per order
You can also learn more about getting started with moomoo as a trading platform here on Finder.
Additionally, it's important to look at the management expense ratio (MER) of your ETF. This is the yearly cost of managing your fund, including admin, legal, and operational expenses. This is expressed as a percentage of your overall investment.
As Moneysmart notes, many ETFs have reasonably low MERs. However, it can vary according to the type of ETF included in your portfolio; they will not necessarily be uniform.
ETFs vs stocks
| Type of asset | ETF | Individual stocks |
|---|---|---|
| Risk level | Varies according to ETF. Can range from low to high. | Varies according to individual stock; however, generally considered riskier than ETFs. |
| Research and knowledge required | Minimal, though risk education should be undertaken. | Extensive research required. |
| Costs involved | Varies; however, generally considered lower-cost than individual stocks. | Varies. However, generally considered more expensive than ETFs. |
| Ownership status | You do not own the underlying asset. It is held by the fund itself. | Direct ownership. |
| Fees | Fee when buying and selling. Some platforms will charge maintenance fees; moomoo does not. | Flat brokerage fee when purchasing and selling. |
How can I improve my ETF investing skills?
One of the ways you can get started and grow your ETF investing skills is via the ASX's ETF investor's course.
You should also look carefully at what sort of tools are provided by your trading platform. When used correctly, these can help you grow your skills, spot better opportunities and make more informed decisions.
You can learn more about the investment tools offered by moomoo right here on Finder. Some examples include:
- Moomoo Learn: Provides investors with a range of educational tools for upskilling.
- Dividend Rankings: See which stocks are paying the highest dividends in the market.
- Investment Themes: Get an overview of wider market movements and how they can affect your portfolio.
- Institutional Tracker: See where the world's largest institutions are investing their money.
- Screeners: Filter stocks and ETFs to suit your preferred interests and risk levels.
- Moomoo AI: Get real-time answers to complex investment questions.
- Daily and weekly AI briefs: Get daily and weekly reports on the stocks you're interested in, to spot new opportunities.
How could the proposed Capital Gains Tax changes affect investing in ETFs?
Although the full effects of the proposed scrapping of the Capital Gains Tax discount remains to be seen, many Aussies are already reconsidering their investment patterns.
From a tax perspective, ETFs still offer a low-maintenance, long-term investment with fewer taxable events compared to more proactive trading. You can learn more about ETFs and tax obligations on the ATO website.
But proposed changes to capital gains tax will likely mean investors face bigger tax bills if and when they do cash out an ETF.
However, the currently proposed CGT method (going back to cost base indexation) may benefit passive investments held over the long term like ETFs because they factor in inflation. So depending on how inflation works, this method may be better or similar to the old CGT plus 50% discount model. The full effects remain to be seen.
At a glance
- ETFs are often sought after by traders as they allow for portfolio diversification, lower costs and liquidity.
- Moomoo offers 4,400+ ETFs across multiple markets around the world.
- Finder's research indicates that Moomoo is considered to have competitive fees when it comes to trading ETFs.
- Moomoo provides members with a range of investment and analysis tools to help you make more informed trading decisions.
- Upcoming changes to the CGT may have longer-term effects on the ETF market.
Learn more about trading with moomoo
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