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How to Invest in FTSE 100 Index Funds in 2025
In this guide
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Putting your money into an index is a simple and convenient way to create an investment portfolio, especially if you’re just getting started with investing.
An index, like the FTSE 100, provides a snapshot of a particular section of the stock market, and by investing in it, you gain exposure to a diverse portfolio of stocks, which can help reduce risk compared to investing in individual companies.
One of the best ways to invest in the FTSE 100 index is through Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). ETFs are designed to track the performance of an index and are highly convenient for beginners. They allow you to buy shares in the FTSE 100 with just a few clicks.
Read on to learn how to invest in the FTSE 100 effectively and explore the best methods to do so. Compare different investment strategies, available ETFs and index funds, and find out why FTSE 100 index investing is a low-cost, relatively low-risk approach to growing your wealth over time.
How do I invest in the UKX index?
Copy link to sectionThe easiest way is to sign up to a stock broker, open an investment account, and buy shares in an FTSE 100 ETF. This guide explains how to do it:
Step 1. Sign up to eToro
Copy link to sectionWe recommend using eToro to invest in FTSE 100. Create your trading account and deposit some money using a payment method of your choice.
This is a fairly quick process that takes just 15-30 minutes, but you need to supply a form of photo ID to verify the account before you can use it.
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.
Step 2. Decide how to buy FTSE 100
Copy link to sectionThis boils down to choosing between an FTSE 100 ETF or buying the stocks in the index manually. ETFs are generally better suited to investors who want to passively track the FTSE 100’s performance. Individual stocks offer a greater range of trading options and flexibility.
Step 3. Invest in the FTSE 100
Copy link to sectionSign into your trading account and search for the FTSE 100. Hit the ‘buy’ button and enter the details of your purchase, such as how much you want to spend. Hit ‘buy’ again to execute the trade.
Step 4. Monitor your investment
Copy link to sectionWhen you buy a stock, the trade goes through more or less instantly, and you’ll be able to see your new open position in your trading account. ETF purchases can take longer, and if you buy outside of traditional trading hours it won’t go through until the next morning.
Your trading account will show the price change in the FTSE 100 since you bought it, so you can see your profit/loss at a glance. Use that information, along with your own research, to decide when to sell the FTSE 100 and close your position, ideally at a profit!
How much does it cost to invest in the FTSE 100 index?
Copy link to sectionFrom $0 to $5, depending on how you invest. For each option, you must consider the cost of buying the actual asset, whether that’s an ETF, index fund, CFD*, or share, plus the fees associated with it.
*Note that CFDs are not available to US investors.
ETFs and CFDs are generally the cheapest option overall, as they have low fees and a low minimum investment. Index funds and mutual funds have low fees but may have a high minimum investment. Buying individual stocks is the most expensive option in absolute terms, because the share price of a single large company is often more than $100.
All options are likely to include a trading fee, which you pay each time you make a transaction. Some trading platforms offer zero-fee trading, with others it may be a few dollars.
Then ETFs and index funds each have their own expense ratio. Expense ratios refer to an annual management fee, charged as a percentage of your total investment. Expense ratios are usually no more than 0.05%, so if you invest $1,000, you would pay $5 per year in management fees.
The different ways to invest in the UKX
Copy link to sectionAs we mentioned above, there are numerous ways to put your money into the FTSE 100. ETFs and individual stocks are the simplest options for beginners, but there are alternatives. Here’s a brief overview of each option and who it’s best suited for.
FTSE 100 ETFs
Copy link to sectionAn ETF (exchange-traded fund) is an investment fund traded on a stock exchange, much like a stock. Exchange traded funds can hold different assets, such as individual stocks, bonds, or commodities, or serve as a proxy for a stock market index.
An FTSE 100 ETF is one way of investing in the FTSE 100. It’s simply an investment fund that mirrors the performance of the FTSE 100. When you buy shares in the fund, the value of your investment will rise or fall with the FTSE 100 itself.
ETFs are ideal for new investors because they have a very low minimum investment. You can start with a few pounds and get exposure to some of the world’s largest companies. They’re also practical if you plan on trading the FTSE 100 index, because you can buy or sell shares in the fund throughout the day.
FTSE 100 index funds
Copy link to sectionAn index or mutual fund is an investment fund that aims to track the performance of a stock market index, such as the FTSE 100. It’s very similar to an ETF, in that there are low management fees and you can buy shares through your online broker.
However, there are a couple of differences. FTSE 100 index funds are only priced at the end of each trading day, so you can buy or sell shares in the fund once per day. There may also be a higher barrier to entry, through a much larger minimum investment when you invest in FTSE 100 index funds.
That means an FTSE 100 mutual fund is better suited for long term investors with a higher initial budget, where the infrequent trading and barriers to entry are far less of an issue.
FTSE 100 CFDs (non-US users only)
Copy link to sectionCFDs (contracts for difference) are a way to speculate on FTSE 100 price changes with more flexibility than if you use an ETF or index fund. A CFD is a ‘derivative’, which means it gets its value from the underlying asset – in this case the FTSE 100 – but it’s separate from it.
As a result, CFDs can be leveraged, where you borrow money to multiply the size of the trade, or they can be used to go ‘short’, where you place a trade on the index to fall in value. You can also buy and sell them outside of regular trading hours.
All of this means FTSE 100 CFDs offer the potential to outperform a fund that passively tracks the FTSE 100’s performance. Of course, you can also underperform it as well. Tools like leverage and shorting introduce a lot more risk, and are best left to experienced traders.
FTSE 100 futures
Copy link to sectionFutures contracts are agreements to buy or sell the UKX at an agreed price on a set date in the future. FTSE 100 futures are a means to predict how you think the index is going to perform over a set time frame, such as the next three or six months.
Most futures contracts involve leverage, so you only put up a small part of the total trade value (the margin) when you buy one. That makes futures more risky, and they require a bit more financial expertise to understand as well.
Some traders use futures as a hedge against the performance of stocks they own. For instance, if you own stocks that are part of the FTSE 100 then you might want to short the FTSE 100 so that you still make some money if the price falls.
FTSE 100 stocks
Copy link to sectionAnother way to invest in the FTSE 100 is to buy shares in the individual stocks that the index tracks. It isn’t practical to buy every share in the index, but you can invest directly into a few of the most heavily weighted stocks in the FTSE 100 in order to get broad exposure to its performance.
The most heavily weighted stocks in the FTSE 100 tend to be the largest companies by market capitalisation. If you invest directly in those largest stocks, you gain exposure to the index without taking on the risk of all the underlying companies.
One reason to do this is that these larger companies with the highest market cap dominate the index anyway, so that it can give you the impression of a diversified portfolio while actually being reliant on the performance of those particular stocks.
The flip side of investing directly like this is that you lose the diversification and stability that comes with buying into an entire index. It requires much more hands-on management to do your own stock picking, so it’s best suited to more experienced investors.
Where can I invest in the FTSE 100 index?
Copy link to sectionAccording to our expert research, eToro is the best ETF broker to invest in FTSE 100 index funds.
Both FTSE 100 ETFs and FTSE 100 CFDs are available to invest in through eToro .
Here are three more places to buy the FTSE 100, ranked according to their cost, security, and features.
eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.
Plus500
This information is NOT relevant to EU residents who are to be serviced by EU subsidiaries of the Plus500 Group, such as Plus500CY Ltd, authorized by CySEC (Reg. 250/14). Different regulatory requirements apply in Europe, such as leverage limitations and bonus restrictions.
Should I invest in the FTSE 100 index?
Copy link to sectionYes, FTSE 100 investing is a great choice if you’re looking for a safer investment with more price stability compared to picking individual stocks. It’s also ideal if you don’t have the time to actively manage a portfolio of stocks, because you can simply invest in a bunch at the same time and then leave it alone.
The flip side is that you have less control over which companies you invest in. An index committee decides how the index works, and you can’t pick and choose the underlying companies you like the most. The FTSE 100 is better suited to hands-off investors, compared to those who have the skills, experience, and desire to pick their own stocks.
What are the advantages of investing in the FTSE 100 index?
Copy link to sectionAn index provides instant stock market diversification, where you spread your risk across a large number of underlying companies, rather than one or two. Here are some more reasons why you might want to invest in the FTSE 100 index:
- A convenient way to invest in the UK economy. The FTSE 100 is made up of companies that operate in the United Kingdom. It offers an easy way to invest in the country as a whole. Many of the stocks on the FTSE have large market capitalisation, often in the billions.
- Get a ready-made, diversified, managed portfolio of UK stocks. Companies from lots of different industries list on the FTSE 100. When you invest in a passive fund, you immediately have a portfolio that includes shares in sectors like pharmaceuticals, finance, oil and gas, and many more. This protects you against failures in one area of the economy.
- It’s cheaper to invest in a FTSE 100 ETF compared to buying lots of individual stocks. A single stock in a company like Shell, Unilever, or AstraZeneca can be quite expensive, while a share in a FTSE 100 ETF is much more affordable.
- Many UK companies operate around the world. FTSE 100 companies are some of the largest in the world and many of them generate much of their revenue from outside of the UK. A company like HSBC, for example, has a large presence in Asia, and investing in the FTSE 100 gives you access to lots of companies like this, so it’s less impacted by the fluctuations of the UK economy.
- The FTSE 100 includes large companies with a track record of success. The FTSE 100 includes the largest 100 companies in the UK. All of these businesses have been around a while, and the strict qualification criteria means they’re relatively safe to invest in.
- Lots of FTSE 100 companies pay dividends. The FTSE 100 is dominated by companies in finance, energy, and pharmaceuticals, industries which tend to pay out dividends on a regular basis. Investing in the FTSE 100 gives you access to these dividends, which can help to grow your investment budget over time through regular income payments.
What are the disadvantages of investing in the FTSE 100 index?
Copy link to sectionThe main risk of investing in the FTSE 100 is that all the underlying companies are related in some way, so a broader economic downturn that affected the entire country would likely affect many stocks in the index at the same time. Here are some more risks of FTSE 100 investing.
- The FTSE 100 is UK-focused. Investing in the FTSE 100 provides diversity across different industries and various sectors, but it doesn’t provide a huge amount of geographical diversity. The performance of the FTSE 100 is tied to the UK economy, even if many of its companies generate revenue from overseas.
- No way to ”beat the market”. The performance of the FTSE 100 is the barometer by which portfolio performance is judged. By investing in the index, you can’t beat it, so your gains are more limited than they would be otherwise (so too are your losses, of course).
- You can’tcan’t pick your own stocks. Investing in an index means giving up the opportunity to pick individual shares. You may not want to invest in all the companies in the FTSE 100, but you don’t have the option to pick and choose.
- Costs can be higher when using an actively managed fund. Some FTSE 100 index funds are overseen by a fund manager. This means the investment portfolio is built based on the manager’s investment strategies. When using an actively managed fund, you’ll have slighter higher costs.
FTSE 100 predictions from expert analysts
Copy link to sectionInsights from stock market analysts can give you an idea of the overall sentiment towards the FTSE 100. It may help you see things from a different perspective, or pick up things you may have missed. Here are some FTSE 100 forecasts and insights from leading experts:
The dominant theme as the FTSE 100 grinds higher seems to be that ‘better times are coming”
Russ Mould, AJ Bell
The main sectors of the UK’s large cap index are having their day in the sun compared to the previous decades which have seen these sectors trailing (…) the high flying growth sectors which have predominantly been the preserve of the US market”
James Penny, TAM Asset Management
An abundance of defensive sectors like oil, defence and tobacco has helped performance”
Lee Wild, interactive investor
Bottom line
Copy link to sectionThe FTSE 100 index is an excellent way for investors to gain exposure to the largest companies in the United Kingdom. With multiple ways to buy, trade, or invest in the Footsie, accessing the best shares has never been easier. To get started, you’ll need to use a trusted online share trading platform where you can access a range of FTSE 100 tracker funds, ETFs, stocks, or CFDs.
