Schwab Launches Extra-Cheap ETFs
One of the biggest advantages of Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) over traditional mutual funds is that ETFs usually cost much less to own because of the way ETFs are structured. Also helping to reduce the cost is that not before long, all ETFs are passively managed, meaning that they all track their respective index, minimizing the [...]
All ETF Portfolio Performance – The Power of Dollar Cost Averaging
Back in August 2008, I designed a diversified, all-ETF portfolio before the collapse of Lehman Brothers triggered the huge sell-off of the stock market. The goal I had in my mind when I built the portfolio was to have a portfolio that covers a wide range of asset classes such that it gives me the [...]
Trade Carbon Emissions with ETFs
The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES) on June 26, 2009. The act mandates a 17% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 2005 level by 2020. It also requires that by 2020 more than 20% the nation’s electricity should be generated from reusable sources, [...]
PowerShares Shut down 19 ETFs
On one hand, the exchange-traded fund (ETF) industry continues to expand at a record pace (the total number of ETFs at the end of 2008 grew to 747, up 118 from 2007); on the other hand, funds that get no love from investors are being eliminated. Last Friday, PowerShares, one of the major players in [...]
Vanguard Launched FTSE All-World ex-US Small-Cap ETF
Mutual fund giant Vanguard Group launched a new exchanged-traded fund (ETF) last week. The Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Small-Cap ETF (VSS), incepted on April 2, tracks the performance of the FTSE Global Small-Cap ex-US Index. According to FTSE, the Global Small-Cap ex-US Index is a freefloat-adjusted, market-capitalization-weighted index that covers more than 3,300 small-cap stocks [...]
Individual Country ETF First Quarter Performances
The first quarter of 2009 is in the books. Thanks to the strong rally in the second half of March, the U.S. stock market ended the month on the positive note, even though it wasn’t enough the pull the market out of the red for the quarter. For the quarter, the S&P 500 Index lost [...]
China ETFs
The economic crisis around world has put China under the spotlight. The world’s third largest economy, who also holds nearly $2 trillion in foreign exchange reserve, has started to use its nearly $600 stimulus package to revive its economy, building highways and railroads, investing in educations, and improving social welfare. While banks in the U.S. [...]
Gold and Silver ETFs
As I mentioned early, gold has made a tremendous run lately. The main force behind the gold rally is the deterioration of economies around world. Despite the passage of the $789 billion economic stimulus package over the weekend, gold price keeps climbing up after the holiday. Currently spot gold is traded at $967 an ounce, [...]
Random News: Northern Trust to Close 17 ETFs, More Bank Closures, and $1,000 Gold (?)
In the exchange-traded fund (ETF) world, things have happened fast and furious. According to an article on Financial Planning, a total of 434 ETFs were launched in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, a very bad year for stock and mutual fund investors in general, another 164 new ETFs were introduced, as financial firms try to [...]
New Bond ETFs
When I discussed how to build a Lazy Portfolio with ETF last December, I mentioned that the reason why one of the Lazy Portfolios outperformed (still negative though) the S&P 500 index last year was its relatively large position is bonds, which did quite well in 2008 comparing to equities. Now you just got more [...]
