Samsung Asset Management has released an investment guide aimed at helping retail investors build a solid foundation rather than chase short-term trades amid heightened market volatility.
The asset manager held an online press briefing Wednesday to unveil a primer titled "Master ETFs in One Week" and lay out its market strategy for the second half of the year.
The guide was published in response to the rapid growth of the ETF market and the difficulty investors face in finding reliable information. As of Monday, total net assets in the domestic ETF market stood at approximately 442 trillion won ($327 billion), up 48.8 percent from 297 trillion won at the end of last year. Samsung Asset Management manages 171 trillion won, or 38.7 percent of the market, making it the top player in the industry.
The primer draws on practical questions that Samsung Asset Management staff most frequently encountered in direct conversations with investors throughout the year. It adopts a workbook format in which readers study five key questions a day in 10-minute sessions and reinforce their understanding through quizzes and exercises.
The curriculum is structured around a seven-day completion goal, covering: Day 1, the basic structure and trading of ETFs; Day 2, price, costs, distributions and making a first selection; Day 3, how to read what is inside an ETF; Day 4, product structures and comparison criteria; Day 5, applying ETFs to match investment goals; Day 6, strategy, taxes and investment principles; and Day 7, a final review of ETF investment readiness.
"Even amid an information overload, many investors still struggle to grasp the fundamental concepts and structures properly," said Kim Do-hyung, head of the ETF consulting division. "We designed this guide so that anyone can build a solid investment framework simply by spending 10 minutes a day for a week and working through the quizzes on their own. We hope it serves as a reliable stepping stone toward successful long-term investing."
At the briefing, Im Tae-hyuk, a managing director at Samsung Asset Management's ETF management division, stressed the importance of maintaining a resilient portfolio amid macroeconomic uncertainty.
"Rather than trying to hastily time market peaks and troughs through short-term trading, investors should build a core framework grounded in confidence in the long-term upward trajectory of leading Korean and US indexes," Im said. He added that investors should tailor their approach to their own risk profile — securing stable cash flow through monthly dividend products while combining core thematic ETFs with long-term growth potential and bond ETFs.
"ETFs may look easy at first glance, but when it comes down to it, they raise a flood of questions," Im said. "This guide, compiled from more than 100 practical questions encountered in the field, will serve as a reliable tool for protecting long-term returns."
Samsung Asset Management said it plans to continue supporting investors throughout their entire investment journey — from basic education content to tailored solutions for specific situations — with the goal of setting a qualitative standard for the ETF market. The primer is available as a free download on the KODEX official website.
jiyun@heraldcorp.com
