What's the best way to invest in stocks without any prior experience? Try this ETF.

New to investing? Don't worry, there are some easy ways to get started.

One of the best ways to do this is to buy an ETF (Exchange Traded Fund). These funds trade like stocks. Just look up their ticker symbols in your brokerage account and you can buy and sell them as soon as the market opens.

The beauty of ETFs is that they allow you to achieve broad diversification through a single investment. There are ETFs that track the performance of large and small companies, foreign and domestic companies, and even different sectors such as oil producers or utilities.

One ETF in particular deserves strong consideration by new investors:Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (NYSEMKT: VTI)The

This may be the best ETF for you!

If you are a new investor, there are a few things you need to do.

First, don't invest in individual securities. Stock selection is a tough game. In any given year, only one-third of professional fund managers can beat the market. As a novice, this ensures that your chances of winning are slim. That's why buying an ETF like Vanguard's Total Stock Market ETF is so appealing.

The ETF tracks an index, i.e. a collection of stocks based on a specific theme. As the name suggests, the Total Stock Market ETF buys a small number of shares of almost every U.S. company, 3,731 to be exact. With this ETF, you don't have to wonder whether big companies will beat out small ones, or whether technology stocks will outperform energy stocks. You'll be buyingpossessThese are stocks that take profits when they go up, while diversifying risk when certain stocks are struggling.

Importantly, Vanguard does not have a team of professionals to manage the investment portfolios of its ETFs, whose holdings simply reflect the underlying index, which in this case is the Vanguard Index.CRSP US Citywide Market IndexThe index tracks almost all U.S. market stocks. The index tracks virtually all U.S. market stocks, which do not change much from year to year. This results in a very low turnover of the portfolio, minimizing taxes and uninvested cash.

For example, last year, Vanguard's Total Stock Market ETF had a turnover rate of just 2.21 TP3T. Weekly turnover rates for active funds (or funds that employ professional stock pickers) typically range from 501 TP3T to 701 TP3T.

By simply tracking the market, this ETF doesn't try to beat the market - itjust likeMarket. Since its launch in 2001, the ETF has averaged an annualized rate of return of 8.63%, while its benchmark index has had an annualized rate of return of 8.65% - almost identical performance.

Keep in mind that most professional stock pickers fail to beat their benchmark indexes. A big reason for this is fees. Vanguard's All Share Market ETF charges only 0.03% per year, which means your portfolio maintains a value of 99.97% per year. Active funds typically charge between 0.5% and 1.5% per year, which can significantly reduce your long-term returns.

Vanguard's Total Stock Market ETF is the fastest, easiest and cheapest way to invest. It can also give you a leg up on professional stock pickers.

When should you buy this ETF?

This ETF is ideal for both novice and experienced investors. But when should you start investing? The answer is simple: now.

The minimum investment amount to purchase Vanguard's Total Stock Market ETF is $1. You can even set up a regular investment of $20 per week.

Even with small regular investments, you'll be amazed at how quickly your portfolio begins to grow. In addition, regular investing allows you to take advantage of the magic of dollar-cost averaging. For example, if you automatically purchase shares of the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF on a weekly or monthly basis, you can be sure to do so at a variety of prices, thus ensuring that your portfolio will be able to take advantage of various market fluctuations.

Whether you choose to invest regularly is up to you. But if you're new to investing, the best way to get started is to buy Vanguard's Total Stock Market ETF, which may be the only ETF you'll ever need.

Should you invest $1,000 in a Vanguard index fund - the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF - right now?

Consider this before you buy shares of the Vanguard Index Fund - Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF:

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Ryan Vanzo does not own any of the stocks listed above.The Motley Fool holds the recommended Vanguard Index Funds-Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

What's the best way to invest in stocks without any prior experience? Try this ETF.