From authorised participant to tracking error, here are key terms on Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) explained simply for advisers, paraplanners and clients. Searchable, printable and shareable.
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
Asset allocation
How you spread investments across equities, bonds, cash etc. ETFs can make rebalancing fast and low cost.
Authorised participant (AP)
Large institutions (e.g., banks) that create/redeem ETF units in huge blocks (‘creation units’) to keep market price aligned with NAV.
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B
Benchmark
The index an ETF tracks or tries to beat (e.g., FTSE AllShare, MSCI World). Our Tilt ETFs aim to stay close to their benchmarks while improving climate metrics.
Bid-offer spread
Gap between buy price (offer) and sell price (bid). Narrow spreads = good liquidity.
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C
Carbon intensity
CO₂ emissions per £1m revenue. Our Active ETFs systematically tilt away from high carbon companies.
Consumer Duty
FCA rules requiring clear value and fair outcomes.
Creation/redemption
APs swap securities baskets for new ETF shares (creation) or vice versa (redemption), keeping supply/demand balanced.
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D
Daily holdings disclosure
ETFs publish portfolios daily (vs monthly/quarterly for mutual funds), so you always know what you own.
Diversification
Spreading risk across many companies/sectors. One ETF = instant basket of 100s of stocks (top reason ETF investors cite).
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E
Exchange traded fund (ETF)
Pooled investment trading on London Stock Exchange like a share, holding diversified baskets with intraday pricing.
Expense ratio
Annual fund fee (e.g., 0.15%).
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F
Fractional shares
Buying part of an ETF share (e.g., £50 of a £100 ETF). Helps with regular investing on platforms.
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G
Governance tilt
Systematic overweight to better managed companies (strong boards, aligned execs). Part of our equity tilt DNA.
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I
Indicative NAV (iNAV)
Real time estimate of ETF value during trading hours, helping you gauge fair price.
Intraday trading
Buy/sell ETFs during market hours (not just end-of-day like mutual funds).
ISA (Stocks & Shares)
Efficient tax wrapper that can hold ETFs.
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L
Liquidity
Ease of buying/selling without significant price impact. Check average daily volume (ADV) and spreads on platforms.
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M
Market maker
Firms quoting continuous buy/sell prices to ensure smooth ETF trading (beyond just APs).
Mutual fund (vs ETF)
Once-a day pricing, less transparent, T+2 settlement. ETFs trade faster with daily holdings.
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N
Net asset value (NAV)
Total value of ETF holdings ÷ shares outstanding. Market price should track closely.
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P
Paris Alignment
Aligns towards companies on track for net zero (our climate objective).
Platform dealing fee
Cost to buy/sell ETFs.
Primary vs secondary market
Primary = authorised creations; Secondary = exchange trading by investors like your clients.
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R
Responsible investment (RI)
An investment approach that considers environmental, social and governance factors alongside financial analysis and active ownership.
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S
SIPP
Self-Invested Personal Pension. A tax efficient retirement building investment wrapper.
Smart beta/rules-based
Rules-based index tweaks (as used in our Tilt ETFs). Sit between passive and active approaches.
Stewardship
Engaging/voting to improve portfolio companies. Built into our ETFs with the help of our Responsible Investment team.
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T
Ticker
Short code for trading. Search platforms by ticker.
Tracking error
How much an ETF deviates from its benchmark. Tracking error is typically low (2-4%) for tilts like ours.
Transition risk
Climate risk from policy/technology shifts.
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V
Volatility
Day-to-day price swings. ETFs typically experience lower volatility than single stocks due to diversification.
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Important information
Important Information This material is for information purposes only, and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation or an offer or solicitation. Investing involves risks. The value of investments and any income from them may go down as well as up and is not guaranteed. The views expressed are those of Royal London Asset Management as of publication date, unless otherwise stated and are subject to change. No assurances are made as to the accuracy of information derived from sources other than Royal London Asset Management. Reliance upon information in this material is at the sole discretion of the reader. No part of this material may be reproduced or distributed without the prior written permission of Royal London Asset Management. Issued in the UK and Switzerland in June 2026 by Royal London Asset Management Limited, 80 Fenchurch Street, London EC3M 4BY. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, firm reference number 141665. A subsidiary of The Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited. © 2026 Royal London Asset Management. All rights reserved.