What is an exchange traded fund (ETF)

Exchange traded funds (ETFs) offer access to a wide range of Australian and international companies through a selection of pre-mixed portfolios. They are structured like a managed fund and can be traded like shares on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).

Benefits of ETFs

• Low cost
  Compared to other managed investments, ETFs offer a low cost way to invest in a wide range of Australian and international companies.
• Easy to trade
  ETFs can be traded like shares on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) continuously throughout the day, online, and in real time.
• Provides diversification
  You can use ETFs to spread your money over a range of securities, or gain exposure to a specific sector or investment group.

Available ETFs

Self Invest offers a variety of ETFs for you to choose from. A maximum of 85% of your total QSuper Accumulation or Retirement Income account balance can be held in ETFs, and maximum exposure limits apply to each (represented as a percentage of your total balance, at the time of transacting).¹

Multi-asset class

ASX Code	Description	MER%	Maximum exposure
VDCO	Vanguard Conservative Index ETF	0.27%	No limit
VDBA	Vanguard Balanced Index ETF	0.27%	No limit
VDGR	Vanguard Growth Index ETF	0.27%	No limit
VDHG	Vanguard High Growth Index ETF	0.27%	No limit

Australian shares

ASX Code	Description	MER%	Maximum exposure
VAS	Vanguard Australian Shares Index	0.10%	No limit
VSO	Vanguard MSCI Australian Small Companies Index	0.30%	No limit
ILC	iShares S&P/ASX 20 ETF	0.24%	No limit
STW	SPDR S&P/ASX 200 ETF	0.13%	No limit
VHY	Vanguard Australian Shares High Yield	0.25%	No limit
FAIR	BetaShares Australian Sustainability Leaders ETF	0.49%	50%
MVW	VanEck Vectors Australian Equal Weight ETF	0.35%	No limit

Listed property

ASX Code	Description	MER%	Maximum exposure
VAP	Vanguard Australian Properties Securities Index	0.23%	25%
DJRE	Dow Jones Global Real Estate Fund	0.50%	25%

International shares

ASX Code	Description	MER%	Maximum exposure
VTS	Vanguard US Total Market Shares Index	0.03%	No limit
VEU	Vanguard All-World ex-US Shares Index	0.08%	No limit
WDIV	SPDR S&P Global Dividend Fund	0.50%	No limit
VGE	Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets Shares ETF	0.48%	50%
VGS	Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares	0.18%	No limit
VGAD	Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares (Hedged)	0.21%	No limit
IOO	iShares Global 100 ETF	0.40%	No limit
IXI	iShares Global Consumer Staples ETF	0.46%	No limit
IXJ	iShares Global Healthcare ETF	0.46%	No limit
ETHI	BetaShares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF	0.59%	50%
NDQ	BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF	0.48%	No limit
TECH	ETFS Morningstar Global Technology ETF	0.45%	50%
VAE	Vanguard FTSE Asia Ex Japan Shares Index	0.40%	No limit
VEQ	Vanguard FTSE Europe Shares ETF	0.35%	No limit

Fixed income and cash

ASX Code	Description	MER%	Maximum exposure
VGB	Vanguard Australian Government Bond Index	0.20%	25%
VCF	Vanguard International Credit Securities index (Hedged) ETF	0.30%	25%
VIF	Vanguard International Fixed Interest Index (Hedged) ETF	0.20%	25%
IAF	iShares Core Composite Bond ETF	0.15%	25%
ILB	iShares Government Inflation ETF	0.18%	25%

Commodities

ASX Code	Description	MER%	Maximum exposure
QAU	BetaShares Gold Bullion ETF - Currency Hedged	0.59%	25%
GOLD	ETFS Physical Gold (unhedged)	0.40%	25%

Infrastructure

ASX Code	Description	MER%	Maximum exposure
IFRA	Vaneck Vectors FTSE Global Infrastructure (Hedged) ETF	0.52%	25%

How much it costs

Fees apply for investing your super in Self Invest, and are also charged when you buy and sell an ETF. The fees will be deducted from your Self Invest transaction account. An ETF management fee also applies, which will be deducted from the ETF by the ETF manager before the return is declared. Find out more.

Risks of ETFs

As an asset class, ETFs are considered to be a high risk investment, however individual ETFs can carry a lower risk, such as one that invests in a diverse range of bonds. When you invest in ETFs, you need to be prepared to accept a level of volatility and the possibility of negative returns.

You can find out more in the Investment Choice Guide (pdf).