DESK / DISCLAIMER
2026 edition
LEGAL
Editorial disclaimer and limitations
What this site is, what it is not, who operates it, and the legally protective language a fund-comparison reference site must carry under US federal and state law.
Last reviewed 28 May 2026
SECTION 01 / NOT INVESTMENT ADVICE
This site does not give investment advice.
ETFvsIndexFund.com is a reference-content publisher. Pages explain how exchange-traded funds and index mutual funds work mechanically, cite the underlying SEC filings, and compare specific fund pairs side by side. None of that is investment advice, financial planning advice, tax advice, or legal advice as those terms are defined under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. §§ 80b-1 through 80b-21), Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. §§ 80a-1 through 80a-64), the Internal Revenue Code, or state law. The site is not a registered investment adviser, broker-dealer, or commodity-pool operator and is not registered with the SEC, FINRA, or any state securities regulator. Information here is general educational content for retail investor reference.
SECTION 02 / DATA FRESHNESS AND ACCURACY
SEC filings change. Verify before you act.
Every fund figure on this site is sourced from SEC EDGAR filings (Form N-CSR, N-PORT, N-CEN, 485BPOS) under each fund's CIK. Expense ratios, total net assets, distribution yields, and fund minimums change over time. Each page renders a "last verified" date tied to a single source-of-truth constant in src/lib/secData.ts; the date refreshes on every monthly SEC pull. Despite that, our snapshot can be days behind a fresh issuer prospectus. Before acting on any figure, verify the current value against the fund's most recent SEC filing on EDGAR (https://www.sec.gov/edgar) or the issuer's own product page. The site assumes no liability for figures that have moved between our verification date and your reading of this page.
SECTION 03 / PAST PERFORMANCE
Past performance does not predict future returns.
Where this site references historical fund performance or industry-wide return data, those figures are descriptive, not predictive. Investment outcomes depend on factors outside any fund's expense ratio or wrapper type: asset allocation, contribution rate, behavioural discipline, account-type sequencing, and tax bracket at withdrawal. SEC Rule 482 under the 1933 Act governs how fund issuers must present performance data in marketing materials; we follow the spirit of Rule 482 (clearly labelled, full context) even though we are not a fund issuer.
SECTION 04 / NO FUND-ISSUER AFFILIATION
We are independent of every fund issuer cited.
ETFvsIndexFund.com is operated by Digital Signet, an independent reference-content studio. We have no contractual relationship with Vanguard, Fidelity, Schwab, BlackRock (iShares), Invesco, SSGA (SPDR), or any other fund issuer or broker-dealer named on this site. We are not paid by those firms to write favourably about them. References to a specific ticker reflect what the site author would research under the same circumstances; they do not reflect a paid recommendation. The site is also not affiliated with the SEC, FINRA, the IRS, the Treasury, or the Investment Company Institute. Citations to those bodies are public-domain references to their published authority.
SECTION 05 / FTC AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE
Affiliate links disclosed under FTC 16 CFR § 255.
If we add affiliate links to brokerages, robo-advisors, or financial-services providers in the future, those links will be disclosed inline per the FTC's "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising" codified at 16 CFR Part 255. As of the last review date at the top of this page, no affiliate or paid-referral arrangements are active on this site. Income to the site (if any) comes from non-affiliate sources unrelated to which fund or broker you choose.
SECTION 06 / TAX-RULE LIMITATIONS
Tax citations are descriptive, not personalised.
Where the site cites the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C.), Treasury regulations, or IRS publications, those citations reflect federal law in effect as of the last review date. State and local tax treatment varies. The site does not address individual circumstances. For a personalised analysis, consult a CPA, an enrolled agent, or a fee-only fiduciary financial planner. The IRS's own resources at IRS.gov, including Publications 550 (Investment Income and Expenses), 590-A and 590-B (IRAs), 575 (Pension and Annuity Income), and 969 (Health Savings Accounts), are the canonical taxpayer-facing references.
SECTION 07 / LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
No liability for outcomes; reasonable care for accuracy.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Digital Signet and the author disclaim all liability for any decision made in reliance on information published on this site. The site is provided as-is; no warranty of accuracy, completeness, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement is expressed or implied. Where errors are found, we correct them. See the methodology page for the corrections process.
SECTION 08 / CORRECTIONS
How to flag a stale figure or factual error.
For methodology questions, stale figures, or claims that do not survive a primary-source check against SEC EDGAR or the relevant CFR / USC section, email [email protected] with the page URL, the figure or claim, and a primary-source link if you have one. Substantive corrections are typically actioned within five business days. The full source ledger and refresh cadence live on the methodology page.
SECTION 09 / GOVERNING LAW
Governing law and venue.
The site is operated from England and Wales by Digital Signet. Use of the site is governed by English and Welsh law to the extent permitted. US federal securities law applies as a substantive matter to claims about US-registered investment companies. Nothing on this site creates a contractual relationship between the reader and Digital Signet or the author.
DESK ROUTING