Understanding Markets

Markets are where investors buy and sell different types of assets—stocks, bonds, ETFs, commodities, currencies, crypto, and real estate. Each market works a bit differently and carries its own costs, risks, and roles in a portfolio. Use this section to compare options and learn how to get exposure.

Stocks ETFs Mutual Funds Bonds Commodities Forex Crypto Indices Real Estate/REITs Exchanges

Stocks

Ownership shares in individual companies, traded on public exchanges.

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ETFs

Funds that track baskets of assets, traded like stocks.

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Mutual Funds

Pooled investment funds managed by professionals.

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Bonds

Debt securities issued by governments or corporations.

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Commodities

Physical goods like gold, oil, or wheat traded on exchanges.

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Forex

Global currency trading market, highly liquid and leveraged.

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Crypto

Digital assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum traded 24/7.

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Indices

Statistical measures of market performance (e.g., S&P 500).

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Real Estate/REITs

Property investments, often via Real Estate Investment Trusts.

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Exchanges

Compare major global stock exchanges (NASDAQ, NYSE, TSX, LSE, HKEX) by representative listings and internal metrics.

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Market Comparison

Scan fees, risk, and typical use across markets. Click any row to open its detail page.

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Market	Typical Use	Fees	Risk
Bonds	Income, stability	Low	Low–Medium	Open Interest rate, credit
Commodities	Hedge, speculation	Medium	High	Open Leverage, price swings
Crypto	Speculation, innovation	Med–High	High	Open Volatility, regulation
ETFs	Diversification, passive	Low	Low–Medium	Open Market, tracking error
Forex	Currency exposure	Low	High	Open Leverage, geopolitical
Indices	Benchmarking	None	Low–Medium	Open Market risk
Mutual Funds	Diversification, active	Medium	Medium	Open Manager, liquidity
Real Estate/REITs	Income, diversification	Medium	Medium	Open Liquidity, cycles
Stocks	Growth, ownership	Low to medium	Medium–High	Open Volatility, company risk

Bonds

Open

Income, stability

Fees: Low

Risk: Low–Medium

Interest rate, credit

Commodities

Open

Hedge, speculation

Fees: Medium

Risk: High

Leverage, price swings

Crypto

Open

Speculation, innovation

Fees: Med–High

Risk: High

Volatility, regulation

ETFs

Open

Diversification, passive

Fees: Low

Risk: Low–Medium

Market, tracking error

Forex

Open

Currency exposure

Fees: Low

Risk: High

Leverage, geopolitical

Indices

Open

Benchmarking

Fees: None

Risk: Low–Medium

Market risk

Mutual Funds

Open

Diversification, active

Fees: Medium

Risk: Medium

Manager, liquidity

Real Estate/REITs

Open

Income, diversification

Fees: Medium

Risk: Medium

Liquidity, cycles

Stocks

Open

Growth, ownership

Fees: Low to medium

Risk: Medium–High

Volatility, company risk

For informational purposes only. Not investment advice.

Stocks

Ownership shares in individual companies, traded on public exchanges.

Examples: AAPL, MSFT, TSLA
Costs: Brokerage fees, bid/ask spread
Risks: Market volatility, company risk

ETFs

Funds that track baskets of assets, traded like stocks.

Examples: SPY, QQQ, VTI
Costs: Low expense ratios, trading fees
Risks: Market risk, tracking error

Mutual Funds

Pooled investment funds managed by professionals.

Examples: VTSAX, FXAIX, SWPPX
Costs: Expense ratios, possible sales loads
Risks: Manager risk, liquidity limits

Bonds

Debt securities issued by governments or corporations.

Examples: US Treasuries, corporate bonds
Costs: Bid/ask spread, fund fees
Risks: Interest rate, credit risk

Commodities

Physical goods like gold, oil, or wheat traded on exchanges.

Examples: Gold, oil, corn
Costs: Futures fees, storage
Risks: Price swings, leverage risk

Forex

Global currency trading market, highly liquid and leveraged.

Examples: EUR/USD, JPY/USD
Costs: Spreads, commissions
Risks: Leverage, geopolitical risk

Crypto

Digital assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum traded 24/7.

Examples: BTC, ETH, SOL
Costs: Exchange fees, slippage
Risks: Volatility, regulatory risk

Indices

Statistical measures of market performance (e.g., S&P 500).

Examples: S&P 500, Dow Jones
Costs: None directly
Risks: Market risk

Real Estate/REITs

Property investments, often via Real Estate Investment Trusts.

Examples: VNQ, O, SPG
Costs: Management fees, property taxes
Risks: Liquidity, market cycles

Exchanges

Compare major global stock exchanges (NASDAQ, NYSE, TSX, LSE, HKEX) by representative listings and internal metrics.

Examples: NASDAQ, NYSE, TSX
Costs: Commissions, spreads, FX
Risks: Systemic, liquidity, geopolitics