N.B. I am not a financial advisor

Most financial advisors are little more than leeches, telling you whatever they think you want to hear so they can earn their commissions. Learn to invest for yourself. You can do it. Hopefully this blog will contribute to that a little bit.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Ten Commandments of ETF Investing

What began as a handful of securities seeking to replicate widely-known stock and bond indexes has grown into a lineup of more than 1,000 funds, offering exposure to nearly every asset class, region, and investment strategy imaginable. While this impressive growth has enhanced the arsenal of securities available to ETF investors, it has also created the potential for misuse and made finding the right ticker symbol a bit more challenging.

And while ETFs offer countless potential advantages relative to strategies that revolve around mutual funds and individual stocks, there are some potential pitfalls along path to enhanced cost and tax efficiency. Below, we offer up ten pieces of advice that will help to maximize the benefits of exchange-traded products for all types of investors, including tips on minimizing expenses, avoiding potential pitfalls, and picking the right fund for your portfolio.