How to buy an ETFOpen a brokerage account. You'll need a brokerage account to buy and sell securities such as ETFs. Search and compare ETFs with selection tools. Now that you have your brokerage account, it's time to decide which ETF to buy.

A beginner can also take advantage of the seasonal strength of gold by purchasing units of a popular gold ETF, such as the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD), in late summer and closing the position after a couple of months.