hi, complete new starter to investing, still not sure how to pick stocks and was thinking maybe i should start by just investing in an ETF. Question i have is a Vanguard ETF the exactly the same on Trading212 as it is on the Vanguard site, if so are the benefits by buying on Trading 212 (no costs)
thanks for any help
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Yeah it’s no different. I prefer T212 because the Vanguard platform sucks like it’s from the 90’s and only lets you buy a few Vanguard ETFs. Also, yeah they charge you for holding an account.
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Other than cost, as @nickspacemonkey says, the main difference is the platform. If memory serves, instant trades on ETFs also cost £7.50 a pop on Vanguard, so you’re potentially paying that as well as the 0.15%. You can buy and sell commission-free twice a day (10am and 2pm I think) but you don’t get limit orders, access to other ETFs and so on.
As you mentioned you are a newcomer to investing I would definitely recommend ETF’s to start out.
Ones I would consider, are Index tracking ETF’s rather than new upcoming ETF spin offs such as “Gaming ETF” etc… stick to something which has a long track record, large fund size and cheap ongoing fees.
The fees get paid directly everyday out of the share price, so you never actually see any fee. It’s worth noting though and the lower the fee the better.
I have prepared a spreadsheet with a list of common ETF’s which might interest you to look at.
It has been prepared a few months ago, although the data is pretty much the same.
All of this was gathered from www.JustETF.com
I highly recommend you use their ETF screener to take a look at some of the different ETF’s, charges and fund sizes etc.
You will be better off trading ETFs on here, as the others have mentioned above. Fee’s overtime can really affect performance, so the smaller the better. I’d also add, that there is nothing wrong with solely trading ETF’s, and not trading any individual stock. Doing so, you diversify your portfolio and reduce the overall risk, returns may be slightly less in the short term but over the long term with consistent investing and compounding, this method beats 99% of all active fund managers - but don’t just take my word for it, have a google and come up with an investing strategy that suits your own needs.
All the best for the future 
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What great help & advice, i’ll take a look at the sheet. I think maybe a couple of ETF’s and maybe a stock in a bluechip company to start with, something i know about and undestand etc, Mcdonalds, Coke, J&J etc. (I can see how things perform to what i see in real life)
Regular paying money in each month regardless of whether the market is up or down is the way to go for me i think…
Thank you…