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The Elder -Care Crapshoot
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John Wayne's True Grit Trophy
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Fund Fees and the Pimco Effect; Other firms are likely to feel pressure to follow Pimco into low-cost ETFs
SmartMoney.comThe business of running and selling traditional, actively managed mutual funds is already under stress, thanks to exchange-traded funds. The new Pimco Total Return ETF, debuting March 1, seems likely to only add to the pressure.
Energy Pipelines That Pay 6% -- With Tax Breaks; Master limited partnerships are high-maintenance but worth the hassle, writes Jack Hough.
SmartMoney.comA quirky and complex investment class called master limited partnerships has been one of the market's best performers of late. The widely followed Alerian MLP index of 50 energy MLPs returned 14% in 2011, including dividends, versus 2.1% ...
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As ETFs Multiply, Companies Scramble To Concoct Memorable Ticker Symbols
WSJ.comIn a crowded market for exchange-traded funds, some industry heavyweights employ clever marketing to make their products stand out. BlackRock Inc.'s iShares is a Cirque du Soleil sponsor, while State Street Global Advisors uses a ...
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Exchange-Traded Funds; Ways to Bet on a Rebound in Europe; The outlook is cloudy, but stocks look fairly cheap. One option: index funds dominated by multinationals.
WSJ.comWith European officials moving to confront the continent's massive debt crisis, investors who can stand the high-stakes drama might want to take a flier on European stocks, in the hope that the worst is over, over there.
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‘Go anywhere’ ETFs look a little bit lost; Commentary: Managed funds have appeal, but need seasoning
MarketWatchLONG BEACH, Calif. (MarketWatch) — One advantage exchange-traded funds have over traditional mutual funds is they can be traded throughout the day.
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Put ETFs and mutual funds on the test track; Commentary: Check under the hood before you take the wheel
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — I was surprised this week to read that exchange-traded funds are “still popular despite not making money.” Mostly, I was stunned by how the article, at InstitutionalInvestor.com, twisted numbers and logic to come up ...
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REITs: Can the Streak Last? They Outpaced the Market in 2011, but Pickings Are Slimmer
WSJ.comAmid last year's flat stock performance, there was at least one bright spot: real estate. No, not shaky U.S. home builders. We mean the stocks of real-estate investment trusts, which manage portfolios of commercial properties such as office ...
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E*Trade Expands E*Arsenal
Barrons.comE*Trade Financial is still nursing the bruises its banking operation received in the mortgage crisis. Its focus these days is on discount brokerage, where the firm wants to persuade customers that it isn't just a place to trade, but a place ...
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You Don't Have to Start Off Rich to Build Wealth
WSJ.comInvesting is supposed to be how you build wealth, but sometimes it feels like you need to have money to make money. Bank of America Merrill Lynch is discouraging its brokers from taking on accounts smaller than $250,000. Even mutual funds, ...
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Low-volatility ETFs can carry a high price; Commentary: New funds cut risk — and potential for greater return
MarketWatchNEW YORK (MarketWatch) — The stock market quaked with volatility last year, and some gurus are predicting more rocking and rolling for 2012. Smelling opportunity, exchange-traded fund providers are gearing up to offer new indexes and ...
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The Rally That Wouldn't Die! Treasury Bonds Have Been on a 30-Year Tear. Whether or Not the Party Can Last Is Beside the Point—There Are Far Better Places to Put Your Money
WSJ.comAt least one fear gauge shows that investors were more scared in 2011 than in the dark days of 2008. According to investment-research firm Morningstar, a portfolio of U.S. Treasurys with an average maturity of 20 years—the quintessential ...
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Frack Attack: How to Play the Next American Oil Boom
WSJ.comEnergy profits are booming and Big Oil shares look inexpensive. But investors with an appetite for risk might want to drill deeper into the sector to find smaller companies sitting on U.S. oil-shale riches—which make tempting takeover ...
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Fidelity Investments Looks Ready To Offer Exchange-Traded Funds
WSJ.comAfter years of ignoring one of the hottest investment options, Fidelity Investments appears to be planning a push into exchange-traded funds.
ETFs: All That Tax-Efficient? Here's how exchange-traded funds can help investors hold off Uncle Sam -- or can trip them up.
SmartMoney.comExchange-traded funds are hardly the magic models of tax efficiency that some advisers or fund sponsors would like investors to believe. But generally, they are at least as good at minimizing tax pain for stock investors as index funds, the ...
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For Bank Stocks, Smaller Is Better in 2012
WSJ.comFor stock investors, banks weren't where the money was in 2011. The KBW Bank Index, which includes 24 U.S. firms, from global giants like Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase to large regional players, plunged 25% in 2011. The broader ...
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Stocks with Training Wheels
Barrons.comConvertible securities finished an uncharacteristically bad year in 2011 with returns that trailed the Standard & Poor's 500 index. That could set up converts for a strong 2012 because major issuers like General Motors and Citigroup ...
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Where Best to Compare ETFs
Barrons.comAs easy as they are to trade, and as cheap as they are to own, it's often hard to see an exchange-traded fund for its metrics. Think about how hard it is to penetrate any single security's forest of data, times 25 to 700 fund holdings. Then ...
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Exchange-Traded Funds; Is the Golden Age Ending? Bullion prices are off their highs, and ETFs may speed the decline
WSJ.comThe emergence of exchange-traded funds that hold gold bullion, led by the giant SPDR Gold Shares, may accentuate the decline in the metal's price just as it did the recent boom.
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Exchange-Traded Funds; Betting on a Water Boom; The world's thirst is growing, but there are few pure investment plays
WSJ.comWater makes up more than half of the average human body, covers roughly three-quarters of the Earth's surface and is the single most important ingredient in feeding a growing world.
How to Invest in China; Hough: The country's economy may be slowing, but long-term stock investors should still gain some exposure.
SmartMoney.comChina's economy has swelled four times in size in a decade, but growth is slowing. Market forecasters are locked in a debate over what comes next.
ETFs That Pay Up to 7% -- Then Mature; Hough: A new class of exchange-traded fund puts the "fixed" back in fixed income. Should investors buy in?
SmartMoney.comIn about two weeks, one exchange-traded fund will do something highly unusual. It will mature. The Guggenheim BulletShares 2011 Corporate Bond ETF is like most fixed-income ETFs in that it holds a diversified basket of bonds, passes the ...
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TAX STRATEGY; Tax-Wise Funds vs. ETFs; Which option is better for investors looking to limit Uncle Sam's take?
WSJ.comAbout five years ago, George Papadopoulos shifted his clients' assets out of tax-managed mutual funds and into exchange-traded funds. A certified financial planner in Novi, Mich., he says the move made good financial sense and pleased his ...
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Thinner and Thinner: ETF Providers Cut Markets Into Ever-Narrower Slices
WSJ.comLike the writers of a long-running soap opera, the producers of exchange-traded funds have covered most of the obvious ground. So in search of new story lines, they've turned to some surprising twists and ever-narrower market slices.
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Taking Control of an Out-of-Control Portfolio
WSJ.comThe Standard & Poor's 500-stock index shot 7% higher this past week after plunging nearly 5% the week before. Investors are left wondering whether to cheer or cringe.
Are New ETFs Better Stock Pickers? Portfolios track a new wave of indexes that emulate approaches used by active fund managers
SmartMoney.comExchange-traded funds have a new weapon in their fight against actively managed stock mutual funds. It's the strategy-based ETF. Instead of tracking indexes that give a window on a market, industry or class of stocks, strategy-based ETFs ...
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Tools to Help You Sift Through All Those ETFs
WSJ.comThe pace of exchange-traded product launches has been dizzying. BlackRock's iShares is looking to launch a new set of bond funds, including products investing in financial or utility company debt. Charles Schwab recently followed several ...
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Social media ETF deserves the brush-off; Commentary: Your portfolio is judged by the companies you keep
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — Last March, billionaire stock-picker Warren Buffett said investors should be wary of valuations for social-networking websites, noting that the most popular venues would be overpriced when they came to market.
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ETFs: Behind the Fee Cuts
WSJ.comWhat should investors do when their exchange-traded fund changes course in midstream? Competition for your investment dollars is pushing a growing number of ETF providers to tinker with their underlying indexes and, in some cases, their ...
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China’s push may lift Hong Kong yuan rates; Creation of Hong Kong ETF, other measures seen favoring island
MarketWatchHONG KONG (MarketWatch) — China’s plan to boost Hong Kong’s presence as an international hub for its currency could result in an increase in the interest rates offered on yuan deposits by the city’s banks, say economists.
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Battening down the hatches for market storms; Commentary: Industrials, technology and consumer staples favored
MarketWatchNEWTON, Mass. (MarketWatch) — 38 ... 44 ... 56 ... 91 — no, not my lottery picks. Dates. These are the years of the most memorable hurricanes to hit the lives and shift the sands where I live. Thankfully, they remain the most memorable ...
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Congress gets ‘F’ on ETF reform; Commentary: Investors’ concern falls on politicians’ deaf ears
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — In Washington these days, politicians believe they can get away with doing nothing so long as it looks like they are doing something.
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EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS; Buying ETFs Like a Pro; Individuals can mimic some of the ways that big investors use these funds
WSJ.comBig-time money managers have taken a shine to exchange-traded funds. And average investors can learn a lot by watching them. The pros running pension plans, endowments and conventional mutual funds are bulking up their portfolios with ETFs, ...
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Bond ETFs That Soar When Stocks Sink; Long-term bond ETFs are up big this year. Are they worth a look?
WSJ.comAn ultimate bearish bet has greatly rewarded investors over the past week. Not gold, not inverse or leveraged funds, but in exchange-traded funds that invest as far out in the bond market as possible, collectively known as long-term bond ...
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EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS; Oil, Gold...Rare Earths? As ETFs focus on some less-known materials, there are risks to weigh
WSJ.comThe raw-materials rally that has driven investors to load up on gold, crude and wheat is also sparking interest in funds tied to relatively obscure commodities such as lithium, uranium and rare earths.
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ETFs claim another fund industry victim; Commentary: Once-popular HOLDRS quietly slip away
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — One of the hottest investment concepts of the heady Internet bubble days is about to be laid to rest. Van Eck Global and Bank of America Corp. (BAC, US) unit Merrill Lynch & Co. recently entered into an agreement ...
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Time to Ditch Commodities?
WSJ.comCommodities are the market's equivalent of a good-time Charlie: They go up when the economy is booming, but they don't provide much diversification during times of stress.
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ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS; New Twist on Hedge Funds; 'Replicators' operate very differently from most hedge-like portfolios
WSJ.comA handful of mutual-fund companies say they've built a better mousetrap when it comes to investing like a hedge fund. But for investors, these funds require a very close look under the hood.
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For Quirky Holdrs ETFs, Time Is Up
WSJ.comThe latest sign of winnowing in the exchange-traded fund business: Merrill Lynch's Holdrs, among the strangest species in the ETF jungle, are going into extinction.
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ETF spotlight to intensify at Senate hearing
MarketWatchWASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The glare on exchange-traded funds is set to intensify when a Senate committee puts the industry under the spotlight Wednesday.
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It Seems an ETF by Any Other Name Would Probably Not Smell as Sweet
WSJ.comNot every investor has figured out what exchange-traded funds are. But that's OK. The companies selling them can't agree either. A war of words erupted last month when the biggest manager of ETFs, BlackRock Inc., proposed stripping the ETF ...
What Happens When Your Fund Lends Out Stocks; You wouldn't want to make a loan to someone without knowing what you will earn on the loan. But if you own mutual funds or ETFs, you might be doing exactly that.
SmartMoney.comYou wouldn't want to make a loan to someone without knowing what you will earn on the loan. But if you own mutual funds or exchange-traded funds, you might be doing exactly that.
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PORTFOLIO STRATEGY; How to Profit When the Dollar Falls; Currency funds are a popular play on a clear trend. Here's advice on how to buy them—or whether to buy at all.
WSJ.comAs the dollar continues its fall against other world currencies, it makes imports and foreign travel more expensive for Americans. But some investors have cashed in on the trend—by investing in mutual funds and ETFs that trade in ...
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Where Are the ETFs? Lack of transparency hinders use on European exchanges
WSJ.comOne of the fastest-growing financial products in the past 20 years, the exchange-traded fund, isn't getting the traction it could be getting in Europe.
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Full ETF plate gives investors indigestion; Commentary: Spicy and sugary menu of options needs grain of salt
MarketWatchDue to an editing error, a previous version of this story misspelled the name of Michael Iachini of Charles Schwab. The story has been corrected.
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Why Fund Fees Barely Budge
WSJ.comMany people are up in arms over Bank of America's $5 monthly fee for some debit cards. But bank fees are small compared with the fees mutual-fund companies charge investors—even after the meteoric rise of cheaper exchange-traded funds.
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Don’t blame ETFs for the actions of rogue traders; Commentary: Misuse and abuse is the fault of people, not the product
MarketWatchBOSTON (MarketWatch) — In the last few weeks, exchange-traded funds have taken a hit to their reputation. First, UBS came out with news that it had lost more than $2.3 billion to the actions of a rogue director on its ETF desk in London. ...
The Problem With Your Bond Fund; Most fixed-income mutual funds are overpriced and few offer truly fixed income. Here's how to go cheap--or go it alone.
SmartMoney.comOne bond king's recent stumble gives investors reason to question the outsized fees many are paying to bond-fund managers – and consider some new alternatives.
Ride Out the Storm With Low-Volatility Stocks; How to beat the market -- with less risk.
SmartMoney.comWith the gut-churning volatility of the past few years showing no sign of letting up, some investors are swearing off stocks and piling into safe havens like cash and Treasurys.
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For Bargain Stocks, Check the Patent Office
WSJ.comAnyone can spot a low price/earnings ratio. But figuring out which companies hold undervalued patents can provide a real investing edge. Just this past week, Google agreed to pay $12.5 billion for Motorola Mobility, a struggling cellphone ...
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MIXING IT UP; Advisers Preach Caution; These four have stuck with their strategies, but tweaked some fund holdings
WSJ.comThe world is not about to end, but investors should stay cautious, say a sampling of financial advisers. From late July through the end of August, the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index fell 9.4%, erasing months of market gains. The ...
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Another way to buy gold; Commentary: Gold miner funds could offer strong opportunities
MarketWatchExchange-traded funds tracking the price of physical gold have been in the spotlight for months as the price of the yellow metal has trended into record territory. Lagging and less noticed, however, are funds tracking gold miners stocks ...
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Betting Against China; Some ETFs offer a way to speculate against the yuan and stock indexes
WSJ.comQ:How can a retail investor put on a trade to short the Chinese yuan? Can an investor use an ETF and are there better ways? Michael Russotti, New York, and Dallas Bond, Healdsburg, Calif.
Has the Commodities Bubble Popped? Recent turmoil suggests it's time to reduce precious metals and commodity allocations.
SmartMoney.comWhen I read recently that people were lining up to cash in their sterling silverware and heirloom silver tea services, I figured the end must be near: the end of the silver bubble and, more broadly, the long-running bull market in precious ...
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Day Trade and Keep Your Day Job
Barrons.comA new online broker is opening with an interesting twist. Aside from the usual online features, DittoTrade lets you buy and sell right alongside an experienced trader.
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Why Gold Will Outshine Silver
WSJ.comSilver's halcyon days may be fading, but gold still looks like it has some spunk. The basic arguments for investing in gold apply to silver as well. Precious metals act as a hedge against all manner of grim developments, including ...
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Don't Lose Your Grip; The curse of complexity is threatening to undermine an investment tool that was heralded for its simplicity and transparency
WSJ.comInnovation in the financial markets is often viewed as a double-edged sword. On one side, cutting-edge products like exchange-traded funds can offer a more efficient way of investing. Yet on the other side, there is a danger of over ...
ETF Investing On Autopilot; It's gotten easier -- and more common -- to create a portfolio using only ETFs. Whether that's a smart move is another matter.
SmartMoney.comJust when everyone thought exchange-traded funds couldn't get any more popular—having become a feature in many investors' portfolios—the $1 trillion industry has hit the jackpot with some loyal followers. Introducing the all-ETF ...
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2011 Perfomance of Long-term Bond ETFs
WSJ.comLong-term bond ETFs tend to move opposite stocks. All of the ETFs in the table below have an average duration of more than 10 years. Duration, measured in years, is used to determine a bond or bond fund's interest rate sensitivity by ...
3 Firms That Control the ETF Industry
SmartMoney.comAt first glance, the numbers behind the growth in the exchange-traded funds and notes industry can appear mind-boggling: nearly $1 trillion in assets, more than 1,100 ETFs and ETNs in the marketplace, more than 40 companies manufacturing ...
Why Mutual Funds Still Cost You So Much; Stocks, bonds and ETFs just keep getting cheaper. But mutual fund fees haven't budged in years.
SmartMoney.comAs many investors have realized recently, it's not that tough to get a deal in investing. Want cheaper commissions on stock trades? Check. How about free trades to buy and sell those exchange-traded funds? Done.
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His Forecasts of Booms and Busts Sell Lots of Books. But an ETF? Maybe Not.
WSJ.comHarry S. Dent Jr. has made a lot of predictions about the stock market, some on the money, some spectacularly off-base. Now the demographics guru, economic forecaster and best-selling author is betting that investors will pay up for a ...
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Mixing It Up; A Just-in-Case Portfolio; This adviser favors flexible funds as a hedge against market uncertainties
WSJ.comDespite a more optimistic economic outlook and a stronger stock market, investors can't afford to sit back and relax, says Richard Smith, a financial adviser from Richmond, Va.
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Why ETFs Lag Their Indexes; Some Investors Who Bet on a Bounce in Japan Lost Out; Shades of 'Flash Crash'
WSJ.comThe Japanese stock market has rebounded smartly since the earthquake struck on March 11. But many investors who used exchange-traded funds to capture those gains may have been sorely disappointed.
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Extreme Tax Frustration; Commodity ETFs Can Wreak Havoc On Your Tax Bill. Here's What You Need to Know
WSJ.comCommodities are hot, but exchange-traded funds and other vehicles that hold them are causing massive tax headaches for investors. Just ask Darren Neuschwander, an accountant in Robertsdale, Ala., with high-net-worth clients around the ...
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An ABC of ETFs; What you need to know—and watch out for—when it comes to exchange-traded funds
WSJ.comThe market for exchange-traded funds has boomed since the SPDR S&P 500 made its debut as the first U.S. ETF in 1993. Today, investors have more than $1 trillion in these funds, which trade and often specialize in almost everything ...
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Playing With Your Food; Investors are pouring money into crop-focused ETFs. But it isn't as much of a no-brainer as they might think.
WSJ.comCorn costs more than twice what it did last June. Wheat futures have shot up by three-quarters. Soybeans have soared by nearly half. For lots of investors, those are mouth-watering numbers—and they're snapping up exchange-traded ...
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Where to Put Your Cash Now; With Interest Rates Stuck Near Zero, Investors Have Little Choice but to Take On More Risk. Here's How to Do It Smartly
WSJ.comIt is a simple question, but the answer has rarely been so complicated: Where should you park your cash? Interest rates are so low these days that the most cautious savers are getting practically nothing in return. Yet the financial crisis ...
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MIXING IT UP; Making Room for Midcaps; This adviser puts more dollars in midsize companies than in giant stocks
WSJ.comInvestors should consider buying stocks of midsize companies to boost long-term returns on their investment portfolios, says Mark Cortazzo, founder of financial advisory firm Macro Consulting Group LLC in Parsippany, N.J.
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In Case of ETF Emergency; A number of extraordinary market events, known as flash crashes, highlight the complex nature of ETF liquidity
WSJ.comSince the explosion of the exchange-traded funds market more than a decade ago, the ETF has been hailed for its simple and transparent secondary market model: Just like normal shares, ETFs allow baskets of assets to be traded on an exchange ...
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Is a Rally Brewing in 'Junk' Bonds?
WSJ.comHigh-yield bonds just suffered through their worst losing streak since 2008. It may be time for investors to buy. The Barclays Capital U.S. High-Yield Bond Total Return index dropped for 13 consecutive days ending June 20, losing a total of ...
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ALTERNATIVE INVESTING; Inflation Protection: In Search of New Tactics
WSJ.comQ: With oil prices soaring and prices of food and other items rising, how can an investor protect against inflation? A: Investors in the past often turned to gold and other precious metals when looking to bet on, or find protection from, ...
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Me First! Aspiring ETF Sponsors Seek Ways to Jump to the Front of the Line.
WSJ.comA traffic jam of companies are awaiting green lights from regulators to enter the exchange-traded-fund business. And some are taking creative routes to cut through the gridlock.
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Hi Ho, Silver: Some Fund Investors Could End Up Tarnished
WSJ.comDoes every silver cloud have a dark lining? Few assets have been hotter lately than silver, which has gained about 160% over the past year. So far in 2011, four major funds that specialize in the gray metal—iShares Silver Trust, Sprott ...
Now Joining the ETF Fray? Mutual Funds; A host of mutual-fund companies are stepping up their efforts to get into the exchange-traded fund business.
SmartMoney.comAfter watching the exchange-traded-fund industry streak past $1 trillion of assets recently, a host of mutual-fund companies are stepping up their efforts to get into the game—with a more active but pricier products for investors.
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OPTIONS FOR SAVERS; In Stashing Cash, Look Ahead; When interest rates eventually rise, today's low-risk alternatives won't all fare the same
WSJ.comThe returns on low-risk savings these days range from just about zilch to a little more than nothing. With interest rates at rock bottom, money-market funds, bank accounts and ultrashort-debt funds have been cranking out uniformly terrible ...
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New Tools to Help Manage Risk
Barrons.comIn preparation for our 16th annual review of online brokers, to be published March 14, we have spent the past few months investigating new services and tools from 24 firms. Three brokers we are studying are new to our review process.
Smartphone ETF: Good Bet or Gimmick?
SmartMoney.comIs that my phone or a bell ringing? As the old Wall Street saying goes, "They don't ring a bell at the top." But sometimes the sprawling, marketing-driven fund complex does its best to give us some hints, especially in the ...
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Alternative Investing; Unstable Condition; Investors can not only manage volatility but can bet on it, too
WSJ.comQ: Are there ways an investor can protect against a rise in the market's volatility—or even profit from it? A: Investors have endured a bumpy few years. The market tumbled in 2008, then rose sharply in the subsequent two years, leaving ...
The Beauty of Currency Baskets; Funds that hold several currencies provide a less-risky way to play foreign exchange
SmartMoney.comMarket biases are deeply engrained, a reality often evidenced by the public's slow adoption of new investment ideas. Just as it took a decade of growth to finally convince investors to add gold to their portfolios, currency ETFs, ...
Japan ETFs: Still Room to Run?
SmartMoney.comIn the days after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, opportunistic investors pumped record amounts of cash into exchange-traded funds that invest in Japanese companies. But now, more than two weeks after the disaster, is the bargain ...
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20 U.S.-Listed ETFs Investing Only in China
WSJ.comThe first U.S.-listed ETF investing only in Chinese companies launched in October 2004. Since then, 19 more China-only exchange-traded funds have launched, gathering nearly $10 billion in assets, with the vast majority of those assets in ...
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A Stock Play on Commodity Theme; Fidelity Offering Buys Related Shares to Avoid the Rush Into Futures, ETFs
WSJ.comThe commodity boom has attracted a flood of speculative money, but for many investors, that is nothing more than a potential inflationary headache.
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Investing for Income; A Place for 'Ultrashort'? Some investors see a role for funds that hold very short bonds, despite the surprisingly big losses that some of these portfolios posted in 2008
WSJ.comA lot of investors got burned in the financial crisis by ultrashort-term bond funds, which promise attractive yields on money you may need access to in a few months. Many of these mutual funds suffered as bonds in their portfolios defaulted ...
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SPOTLIGHT | SPDR Barclays Capital Short Term International Treasury Bond; Staying Short, but Looking Globally
WSJ.comIn an era of historically low U.S. interest rates, one route to earning higher yields without too much risk is to buy short-term bonds of developed foreign countries.
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Investing in a Volatile World; ETCs are fuelling the commodities boom but risks abound
WSJ.comExchange-traded commodities and exchange-traded funds are seen by many stay-at-home investors as the ideal vehicles to gain exposure to the commodities boom. Safe, transparent and apparently liquid. Globally, ETCs and ETFs investing in ...
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Are 'Floating-Rate Loan' Funds Still a Smart Move?
WSJ.comThe threat of rising inflation has sent investors rushing to "floating-rate loan" funds—and firms are rolling out new products to sate that demand. But the category has run up so quickly that investors might want to reconsider.
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Junk Bonds: What to Do Now
WSJ.comIt may be time to take some junk out of your trunk. Until recently, high-yield or "junk" bonds have been on a tear, posting double-digit returns in 2009 and 2010 and sending prices higher and yields close to all-time lows.
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SPOTLIGHT | Market Vectors China; An Unusual and Costly Route to China
WSJ.comThe toll on the Silk Road to China can be steep for U.S. investors. The Market Vectors China exchange-traded fund from Van Eck Global, launched in October, has traded at prices as much as 20% above its net asset value, or the per-share value ...
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Mining the Scarcity Boom; Investors Are Clamoring for Natural-Resource Plays. Here's How to Get In Without Getting Burned
WSJ.comAnyone who has invested in commodities is watching the markets warily these days. After soaring for the past few months, oil and other basic materials have tanked in the past week.
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Active ETFs Stuck on Drawing Board
WSJ.comSeveral big-name fund companies want to offer actively managed exchange-traded funds, but so far few have materialized. The holdup is mostly with regulators, who have yet to approve many of the new products. While approval of an ETF by the ...
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Exchange-Traded Funds; If They Build It, Consider Not Coming; Complex and leveraged ETFs appeal to some pros. But are some of these funds a hazard for ordinary investors?
WSJ.comTwo years ago, several full-service brokerage firms took steps to limit customer access to leveraged and inverse exchange-traded funds amid a surge of concern about their suitability as long-term investments. Many discount brokers added ...
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MIXING IT UP; More Cash, Less Anxiety; These advisers trimmed stock exposure earlier this year as prices fell
WSJ.comTo prevent large swings in client portfolios, financial adviser Michael Leonetti of Buffalo Grove, Ill., and his investment team are constantly assessing when to raise cash.
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Exchange-Traded Funds; When Your Adviser Is an ETF Newbie; Ask questions to understand how your pro will use these portfolios—and whether he or she is savvy about their quirks
WSJ.comFinancial advisers are rushing to load their clients' portfolios with exchange-traded funds. But if your adviser wants to make that move, you should make sure you're both on the same page—and understand the implications of using ...
The 'T' in ETF Is For Tax Trap; The ETF industry's growth masks a potential problem—some products can create a tax headache.
SmartMoney.comThere's no question that exchange-traded funds—those bundles of equities, bonds or other assets that trade as a single stock—make investing considerably easier for many people. But during this year's tax season, investors may find ...
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ETFs Improve Their Accuracy
WSJ.comNEW YORK—Exchange-traded fund companies generally sharpened their aim in terms of matching market returns last year, but many ETFs still missed by wide margins, according to a study by Morgan Stanley Smith Barney.
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Retirees' Fund Choices Grow
Barrons.comFour years after starting a push into 401(k) plans, BlackRock (ticker: BLK)—the dominant player in exchange-traded funds—says it's finally making inroads into a retirement-investing market that's been dominated by traditional ...
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Deutsche Bank launches currency ETFS
MarketWatchNEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Deutsche Bank AG launched on Thursday five exchange-traded funds that it says will protect investors from fluctuation in the currency markets.
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Navigating New Markets; ETFs allow ordinary investors exposure to exotic markets, but those gambling on risk-free returns will be disappointed
WSJ.comInvestors looking to take a punt on emerging markets may find exchange-traded funds a convenient way to invest in otherwise inaccessible parts of the world. But buyer beware. ETFs are no panacea for the volatility and heightened risks that ...
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exchange-traded funds; Investing with Principles; Socially responsible ETFs are multiplying, with a variety of approaches
WSJ.comSocially responsible mutual funds, whose managers avoid stocks that don't meet certain ethical and environmental standards, have long given interested investors a place for their money and their morals.
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Pimco Starts a Broker-Dealer, Targets Small Investors
WSJ.comBond-fund giant Pacific Investment Management Co. launched its own broker-dealer, a move that will allow it to sell funds directly to advisers.
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How to Find a Good Financial Adviser
Ask the right questions before you hand over your money
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How to Create an Investment Portfolio
A balanced portfolio can have a bigger impact on long-term performance than individual stock picking
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How to Invest for Retirement
Investing for retirement is more complicated than opening an IRA or maxing out your 401(k)
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How to Choose a Stock Mutual Fund
When choosing a stock mutual fund, consider performance, manager track record and cost before investing.
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How to Invest in a CD
Even in times of interest rate uncertainty, a certificate of deposit (CD) can still be part of your cash strategy.
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How Food Fads Can Nourish a Start-Up
Machan: Going gluten-free may be good for you -- as well as for these companies.
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Attack of the Fine Print
Small print has become a giant menace, costing consumers $250 billion a year. New ways to avoid the traps.
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The Top 100 Mutual Funds
For the past five years, these funds have excelled. Can they do it for the next five?
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10 Things Customer-Service Reps Won't Say
A little light reading while you're on hold.