How to choose a core ETF (beginner checklist)

Estimated time: ~4–7 minutes.

TL;DR

• Start with broad ETFs (global / all-world / broad bond indices).
• For Europeans, prefer UCITS funds.
• Check a few fields: TER, size, accumulating vs distributing, replication, and tracking quality.

The short checklist

1. UCITS: is it a UCITS ETF (EU-friendly structure)?
2. Index: what does it actually hold (global? US-only? sector-only?)
3. Dividend policy: accumulating vs distributing
4. TER: ongoing fee (lower is usually better, all else equal)
5. Fund size & liquidity: bigger is often simpler and cheaper to trade
6. Replication: physical vs synthetic (both can be fine; understand what you own)
7. Tracking: does it follow the index closely over time?

Common beginner mistake

Over-optimizing: spending weeks comparing tiny differences instead of starting a consistent plan.

Next upgrade (V3): we’ll add a simple ETF checklist tool here.