# Newbie question - difference between Acc and Dist + autoinvest

**URL:** <https://community.investengine.com/t/newbie-question-difference-between-acc-and-dist-autoinvest/707>\
**Category:** Help & FAQs\
**Created:** [29 November 2022 18:42 UTC](https://community.investengine.com/t/newbie-question-difference-between-acc-and-dist-autoinvest/707 "2022-11-29T18:42:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Goszu](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/community.investengine.com/goszu/32/257_2.png) [@Goszu](https://community.investengine.com/u/Goszu)\
**Post date:** [29 November 2022 18:42 UTC](https://community.investengine.com/t/newbie-question-difference-between-acc-and-dist-autoinvest/707/1 "2022-11-29T18:42:09Z")

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Hi

As in the title, what is the actual difference between a Dist ETF with autoinvest switched on and Acc ETF?  
What are the pros and cons of both?

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![tom.winterton](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/community.investengine.com/tom.winterton/32/8_2.png) [@tom.winterton](https://community.investengine.com/u/tom.winterton)\
**Post date:** [30 November 2022 14:27 UTC](https://community.investengine.com/t/newbie-question-difference-between-acc-and-dist-autoinvest/707/2 "2022-11-30T14:27:42Z")

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Hi @Goszu

Its all to do with what the funds do with the dividends/profits they receive from their underlying investments

**Acc** = Accumulation & **Dist** = Distributing

Accumulating funds reinvest those dividends. Distributing funds pay out those profits as a dividend to your for holding the fund.

**Pros & Cons** - That really depend on what you’re looking for. If you’re wanting profits to be reinvested its you might be best going for distributing. If you’re taking an income from the funds accumulating might be the better option.

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**Author:** ![anon98946158](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@anon98946158](https://community.investengine.com/u/anon98946158)\
**Post date:** [30 November 2022 22:23 UTC](https://community.investengine.com/t/newbie-question-difference-between-acc-and-dist-autoinvest/707/3 "2022-11-30T22:23:32Z")

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> [@tom.winterton](#):
>
> If you’re wanting profits to be reinvested its you might be best going for distributing. If you’re taking an income from the funds accumulating might be the better option.

That should be the other way round, shouldn’t it? Distributing for taking an income and accumulating for reinvesting.

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**Author:** ![tom.winterton](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/community.investengine.com/tom.winterton/32/8_2.png) [@tom.winterton](https://community.investengine.com/u/tom.winterton)\
**Post date:** [1 December 2022 16:03 UTC](https://community.investengine.com/t/newbie-question-difference-between-acc-and-dist-autoinvest/707/4 "2022-12-01T16:03:37Z")

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@anon98946158 - Yes, sorry distributing if your wanting to receive income. Good shout Mike

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**Author:** ![Goszu](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/community.investengine.com/goszu/32/257_2.png) [@Goszu](https://community.investengine.com/u/Goszu)\
**Post date:** [2 December 2022 09:17 UTC](https://community.investengine.com/t/newbie-question-difference-between-acc-and-dist-autoinvest/707/5 "2022-12-02T09:17:02Z")

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Thanks for clarification Tom, that’s helpful.

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**Author:** ![RDougal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ec8ea/32.png) [@RDougal](https://community.investengine.com/u/RDougal)\
**Post date:** [9 December 2022 21:36 UTC](https://community.investengine.com/t/newbie-question-difference-between-acc-and-dist-autoinvest/707/6 "2022-12-09T21:36:57Z")

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Also a weird one but the spread can be wider or narrower on different ETFs

Check out VWRL and VWRP for example. You would be better off with the distributing version and reinvesting that the accumulation equivalent!

Fees can sometimes differ between Acc and Dis as well as market liquidity.

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**Author:** ![chungf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@chungf](https://community.investengine.com/u/chungf)\
**Post date:** [11 December 2022 14:34 UTC](https://community.investengine.com/t/newbie-question-difference-between-acc-and-dist-autoinvest/707/7 "2022-12-11T14:34:32Z")

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Another possible difference: If you have multiple securities in your portfolio, AutoInvest will allocate your cash towards buying each security according to the weights you assigned. So dividends distributed out of a particular ETF do not all go towards buying the same ETF.