One resolution that can be difficult to keepor startis investing. But building an investment portfolio does not have to be difficult.

Building an investment portfolio with ETFs is one way to help you achieve your goals. An ETF (exchange-traded fund) is a diversified collection of securities (like a mutual fund) that trades on an exchange (like a stock). There are over 1,800 ETFs listed in the United States, and iShares, BlackRock's ETF business, offers more than 300 to choose from in the U.S. and 800 globally, across a broad range of asset classes, sectors and geographical regions.1 You can pick and choose any number of ETFs that best suit you, your goals and your passions.

Here are three ways ETFs can help you achieve your goals for 2020 and beyond.

iShares Core ETFs are broad stock and bond funds that are designed to be long-term portfolio holdings.

If you care most about seeking to preserve your nest egg, you may want to consider a mix of iShares Core Funds that have a heavy allocation toward bonds and a small allocation toward stocks.

If you are the type of investor who is seeking long-term growth and is less concerned about market swings, you may want to consider a majority stock portfolio. Consider a mix of iShares Core Funds that have a heavy allocation in stocks and a smaller portion in bonds.

ETFs may help minimize capital gains distributions and thus the tax liabilities that investors are required to pay each year, as they tend to be tax efficient.

Capital gains result from sales of securities that have increased in value over time in fund portfolios. With any fund, when gains from sales exceed losses, they are distributed to fund investors. But for traditional mutual funds, capital gains are more likely to be passed through to investors regardless of whether or not they have chosen to sell.

This is because ETFs generally follow strategies that trade less frequently than mutual funds and have structural features that help prevent capital gains from being passed on to remaining fund investors. Over the past five years, 58% of mutual funds paid capital gains taxes while only 6% of iShares ETFs did.2With ETFs, investors can typically exercise greater control over their personal tax situations by seeking to limit themselves from capital gains distributions.

As you look ahead at the beginning of a new year, making a positive impact on the world might be one of your resolutions, and sustainable investing is one way to help make that happen.

Sustainable investing is about investing in progress, pioneering better ways of doing business and creating the momentum to encourage more people to build a sustainable future.

BlackRock is committed to making sustainable investing as simple as traditional investing, providing investors with a range of iShares ETFs that allow them to make a positive impact while pursuing their financial objectives. One option is to select ETFs that hold companies that rate highly in terms of their commitments to positive environmental, social and governance (ESG) business practices. Another option is to select ETFs that focus on a particular E, S or G issue, like clean energy.

With iShares ETFs, you can pursue both your financial and personal goals, whether you are looking to quickly and easily get started at a low cost, find a tax-efficient solution or build a sustainable investment portfolio.

For more information on how you can start pursuing your goals for 2020 and beyond using iShares ETFs, click here.

Carefully consider the Funds' investment objectives, risk factors, and charges and expenses before investing. This and other information can be found in the Funds' prospectuses or, if available, the summary prospectuses, which may be obtained by visiting http://www.iShares.com or http://www.blackrock.com. Read the prospectus carefully before investing.

Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.

Original post:
Invest With A Purpose: Pursuing Your New Years Goals With ETFs - Forbes