Looking for some tickers that everyone plays.

Not looking for any particular factors. Mostly long term holds.

It really depends on which platform you are using. Most of the larger ones will have very low fee index funds/etfs that are also commission free. Fidelity for example has a plethora of Blackrock and Fidelity ETF's including index funds for the larger market indexes as well as sectors and factors.  They are price competitive on fees and the ability to continuously buy handfuls of shares helps to really dollar cost average. I am pretty much a buy large index funds and buy a sector etf if I believe it to be undervalued in the short term. IE last year I was buying FENY which is the Fidelity Energy ETF.

I appreciate the suggestion on the ticker and the info.

I've heard Vanguard is low cost for etfs/index, through my research, is that the case?

Fidelity Spartan Index funds and Vanguard Index funds are among the cheapest index funds available.
Personally I like and use Vanguard Total Stock Market Index, Vanguard Total Bond Index and Vanguard Total International Index
You can search those names for the actual ticker if you would like.  They are all $3,000 minimum for the regular version, $10,000 minimum for the Admiral version (even lower ER).

Fidelity or Vanguard. Both offer lots of good options with low fees. I consolidated under Fidelity because that is where my 401k is through. You really just need to ID what your goals are and make a plan to achieve them. ETF's are a great tool to help facilitate that.

I'm all in with Vanguard.  Practically free compared to the fees of Fidelity, etc

There are some products that Vanguard sells are slightly cheaper and others that Fidelity/ishare is cheaper. Its really a push, because both are better than the majority of the market.

SPY  is an index fund you can buy that tracks the S&P500.

ETA I was corrected.  It's SPY.

Fair statement.  You are correct.  I don't buy the ETFs but I do trade SPX options.

what's your favorite strategy?

I use a bunch of different strategies depending on the conditions. Generally only indexes or ETFs, rarely stocks. Additionally I am almost always short the options (premium selling) however I still will long if I need to reduce my capital requirements (ie putting wings on a strangle to make it an iron condor). Since I'm not a millionaire yet I need to be aware of how much capital is tied into each trade. I try to be as mechanical as possible so I'm not relying on my instinct. My instinct sucks. I'm creating high probability trades and giving up my unlimited upside. The law of large numbers says if I do a thing enough times the probabilities work out in my favor.

Heres an example of a series of Iron condors I play every month.

At 45 days to expiration I sell an iron condors in SPY,IWM,GLD,QQQ,TLT. I set the short strikes to roughly the 30 delta (~70%OTM) on either side and I buy wings 4 strikes further OTM. Upside is capped to the premium received. Downside risk is capped by the long strikes. No single trade risks more than 2% of my total capital. I want to go to 1% but I need to grow my account first. So this trade gives me about a 70% probability of making money.

I close the trade as a loser with about 4 days left because I don't want assignment. I close a winner once I have collected 50% of the original premium. This early closure allows me to increase my probability of profit to 80%. So about 80% of these iron condors make me money and 20% cost me money. Its a probabilities and numbers game. In clase it wasn't obvious I'm making money as the short options decay (theta is my friend)

So that's one of my strategies. I also do verticals, iron butterflies, strangles, straddles and a few more.  I can describe more if you want. I'd probably start a new thread to not hijack this one any more.

OK.  We need an ARFCOM options Trading thread anyway.  I'm currently cleaning for  Superbowl party but as soon as this chaos returns to normal ill do it.

spinoff thread

I posted in the new thread....make sure you let us know what trades you are making.

I incorporate those things also, but I really can't show any trades or I can't recommend anything. I wish I could...I'd export everything into the threads.

VOO is worth looking at. VDE might be when energy starts to rebound.

In have a biotech etf

Xbi

Does you wife have an account?

Index Funds/ETFs are great for a % of your portfolio but keep on eye on volatility this year... A diversified portfolio and buy and hold strategy beats everything else over the long term, whatever your time horizon/risk tolerance

I'm not sure that's true, because everyone would be doing it if it "beats everything else."
There are fund managers that beat the market. Most don't. There are asset allocations that beat averages. Will they continue to in the future? Who knows? Most won't.
It's a little like the lottery. Makes no financial sense to play, but there are people that win big. Made sense for them, no?