Here’s something we don’t hear regularly – it’s OK to say that you don’t know enough about a topic to have an educated opinion.

We’re all prone to running our mouths about politics and sport and religion, especially after a few drinks, but seldom do I hear someone admit that the topic at hand isn’t their field of expertise.

Take investing, and buying and trading in shares, for example. “Ja, boet, I reckon Bitcoin is coming back soon, in a big way, but for now, I reckon you buy shares in…” – look, Boetcoin guy, I don’t care much for what you have to say, but I don’t know enough about shares to shoot you down.

That’s not something I’m proud of, but luckily there are experts at hand, who have made understanding the game a whole lot easier. Buying and selling shares takes a matter of minutes on EasyEquities, but if you want to dig deeper, then there are plenty of resources at hand.

The EasyEquities site features insight from Intellidex, one of South Africa’s leading capital markets and financial services research houses, and this month they’re focusing on reviewing Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and making their top picks.

ETFs, by the way, are passively managed investment funds that track the performance of a basket of pre-determined assets. They are traded the same way as shares, and the main difference is that whereas one share gives exposure to one company, an ETF gives exposure to numerous companies in a single transaction.

That means reduced risk, and they also qualify for the tax-free savings account, where both capital and income gains accumulate tax-free.

Intellidex have picked two international ETFs to shine, and both have shown great growth over recent months.

First up is the newer Satrix MSCI World ETF, which has exposure in the developed markets of the US, Europe, Japan, Canada and Australia.

If that doesn’t mean much to you, then consider the growth over the past six months:

Not at all shabby.

Their second pick is Satrix MSCI Emerging Markets, which provides exposure to high-growth economies such as China and India, which are not included in any of the developed market funds, thus offering further diversification.

It’s been a pretty good month for this ETF:

Go you good thing.

Here’s the point I am trying to make – not all of that information above makes sense, but it doesn’t really have to. When you invest in things like ETFs and Bundles (portfolios selected by experts offering a range of risk factors and other customisations), you’re allowing somebody else’s knowledge to speak for you.

That doesn’t mean you’ll be able to wow people with your incredible financial insights, but if that’s what you’re after then EasyEquities has all the resources you need to get clued up, and a range of investment opportunities to suit your needs.

Oh, one more thing – you can start investing with just R50. Get involved, and then update that one guy in the office who wouldn’t shut up about Bitcoin on how your investment portfolio is doing at least once a day.

That’s the smell of sweet revenge.