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When ‘loser’ ETFs close, investors can lose too; Tax bills and ‘survivorship bias’ can trip up the unwary
MarketWatchNext month, iShares, the largest exchange-traded fund provider by assets, will do something it hasn’t done in more than a decade: close one of its 290 ETFs.
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This week’s Mutual Funds and ETF stories
MarketWatchDon’t miss these top money and investing features:Sell in May, but when should you buy?Why stocks risk a 10% tumbleForget Buffett; this investor made me rich for life
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Exchange-Traded Funds; Companies Add to Lineups of 'Free' ETFs; Still, trading commissions are only one cost, so other funds may be more attractive on balance
WSJ.comHow attractive is "free"? Some of the largest online brokers of exchange-traded funds are determined to find out.Two have recently expanded the lineups of ETFs they offer without trading commissions, bringing their menus closer to the size ...
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The risks and costs of exotic investments; ‘Alternative’ products can be pricey for retirement savers
MarketWatchPrivate-equity mutual funds. Leveraged ETFs. Managed-futures funds. A growing number of investment products like these employ so-called alternative strategies, holding out the promise of diversification for investors who haven’t forgotten ...
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Fund Fiend; Bond Choices for Rising Interest Rates; IShares has added more funds that feature a defined maturity
WSJ.comThe competition is heating up in the market for exchange-traded funds that mature like bonds—and that is good news for investors worried that interest rates might rise.
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Commodities; Does a Big ETF Drive Gold's Price? Some pros cite sales by SPDR Gold for the metal's 2013 decline
WSJ.comWant to know which way the price of gold is headed? Some brokers and money managers say you should keep an eye on gold ETFs.They say the recent collapse in the price of gold has highlighted a new leading indicator for the metal: the flow of ...
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Throw Out the 4% Rule for Retirement? Readers Have Some Questions.
WSJ.comAn article in the March Investing in Funds & ETFs report noted that some retirement-income experts are throwing out the so-called 4% rule—the conventional wisdom that you can take 4% from your savings the first year of retirement, and ...
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India Gold ETF Demand Slows
WSJ.comMUMBAI--Indian investment demand in paper gold during the last financial year slowed to its lowest level since its launch in 2007, as falling prices and a decline in the precious metal's safe-haven appeal damped investor appetite.
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The Experts: What's the Most Valuable Thing Washington Could Do for Investors in Funds and ETFs?
WSJ.comWhat's the most valuable thing Washington could do for investors in funds and ETFs? The Wall Street Journal put this question to The Experts, an exclusive group of industry and thought leaders who engage in in-depth online discussions of ...
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The Experts: What Lessons Can Investors Learn From Warren Buffett?
WSJ.comWhat lessons can investors learn from Warren Buffett's investment strategy and history? The Wall Street Journal put this question to The Experts, an exclusive group of industry and thought leaders who engage in in-depth online discussions ...
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Spotlight: Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF; Stock Payouts To Depend On
WSJ.comWith interest rates so low, high-dividend stocks are popular. But funds that focus on such stocks can be volatile, because they often invest in companies with lower-quality business fundamentals from a small range of sectors.
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Go into Africa ETFs, with money and time; Commentary: Seeing a hopeful future for a challenged continent
MarketWatchNEW YORK (MarketWatch) — A recent vacation trip to southern Africa opened my eyes to the tremendous potential this continent has for economic growth. The visit also made clear that many challenges must be surmounted for this potential to ...
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Why sharp fund, ETF gains can cut both ways; Strong second quarter for stocks hinges on improved U.S., global growth
MarketWatchSAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — With U.S. stocks setting records and many international markets suffering setbacks, investors in mutual funds and exchange-traded funds begin the second quarter of 2013 with more concerns and less clarity than ...
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The Experts: Are Higher-Than-Average Fees Worth It for Funds With Great Track Records?
WSJ.comShould investors accept higher-than-average expenses to get a fund with a great track record? The Wall Street Journal put this question to The Experts, an exclusive group of industry and thought leaders who engage in in-depth online ...
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The Best ETF Strategies for Japan
Barrons.comInvestors are anticipating a historic shift in Japan's monetary policy—a shift they expect to finally shake Japanese stocks out of a 20-year slumber. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had signaled his intent for aggressive monetary stimulus even ...
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The Experts: How to Plan Retirement Expenses
WSJ.comIn roughing out a retirement budget, what should an individual figure for expenses? Do people's expenses fall a little or a lot—or maybe even go up—when they leave the workforce? The Wall Street Journal put this question to The Experts, an ...
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ETNs Take Off. But…; …the popularity of these notes still pales in comparison to exchange-traded funds
WSJ.comIn this year when the exchange-traded fund turned 20, the exchange-traded note will soon celebrate its eighth birthday. While the ETF has taken its place as an adult among financial products, the ETN is still more of a gawky kid trying to ...
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Index Mutual Funds Challenge ETFs on Costs
WSJ.comMarketed for years as the low-cost alternative, exchange-traded funds are facing a rising challenge from an old foe--index mutual funds.It is an ironic twist for a fast-evolving market that traces its roots to such traditional funds, notes ...
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Talking Stock Investors 'Off the Cliff'
WSJ.comAs budget battles in Washington and austerity debates in Rome flare up, advisers are under increasing pressure to keep nervous investors from bailing out of stock funds.
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Fidelity Set to Expand Menu of Rival's ETFs
WSJ.comExchange-traded funds are a rare bright spot in the money-management industry—but Fidelity Investments is reluctant to dive in on its own.Instead, the second-largest mutual-fund company in the U.S. by assets said Wednesday it will expand an ...
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The Experts: Finding Income Despite Low Interest Rates
WSJ.comWith interest rates so low, where can investors look for decent income? The Wall Street Journal put this question to The Experts, an exclusive group of industry and thought leaders who engage in in-depth online discussions of topics from ...
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Investors win Schwab, Fidelity ETF war; Commentary: The mutual fund business will never be the same
MarketWatchA previous version of this story, published March 15, misstated the extent of Vanguard’s response to Schwab’s lowering expenses on its ETFs. The story has been corrected.
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Leaders & Laggards -- First-Quarter 2013
Barrons.comCATEGORY RETURN BEST FUND RETURN WORST FUND RETURN Large-Cap Core 10.31% Smead Value Institutional / SMVMX 15.14% Huntington Dscpld Eq Tr / HDETX ...
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The case for staying in gold; Falling prices shouldn’t change the metal’s role in your portfolio, say pros
MarketWatchOver the past decade investors have poured billions into exchange-traded funds that track the price of gold. Now with gold prices falling, many are yanking some of that money back out — a move investing pros say misses the whole point of ...
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New ETFs muzzle an untamed market; Commentary: Low-volatility funds chip away at investors’ wall of worry
MarketWatchNEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Providers of exchange-traded funds are high on low-volatility products. Should investors be as enthusiastic?A dozen low-volatility stock ETFs now compete for investors’ money. Of these, five are focused on ...
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Don't Stop Believin'
Barrons.comEven by Wall Street's buoyant standards, the exchange-traded-fund business is a standout. Ask virtually anyone in the industry about its future and you'll hear projections of double-digit asset growth, the eventual overtaking of mutual ...
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Exchange-Traded Funds; A New Income Play; Technology stocks with dividends? Yes, but be wary.
WSJ.comInvesting for income and investing in technology stocks aren't mutually exclusive anymore.The fast-paced, high-stakes tech sector is now the biggest contributor of stodgy old dividends in the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index. While ...
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‘Fiscal cliff’ doesn’t deter income seekers; Commentary: Money pours into dividend ETFs as higher taxes loom
MarketWatchNEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Taxes on dividends are bound to go up next year, at least for many people. Yet investors have been flocking to dividend-focused exchange-traded funds.
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When Funds Lend Out Securities, Do Investors Get a Fair Share?
WSJ.comDespite recent regulatory efforts, fund fees remain murky to most regular investors. But a high-profile investor lawsuit against BlackRock, whose iShares funds dominate the business of exchange-traded funds, may finally shine a light on one ...
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The end of an investing era; Commentary: Individual stocks are so 1990s; funds and ETFs rule now
MarketWatchNEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Someone must have sounded an all-clear signal on New Year’s Day because in January, after five years of fasting and penitence in the bond market, investors poured money into U.S. stocks.
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Around the World With ETFs
Barrons.comIt's time to review this column's investing recommendations during 2012. In what proved to be a strong year for global markets, I was cautious on exchange-traded funds focused on Asian and European stocks, and advised investors to look at ...
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Fund Fiend; ETFs Enter a New Phase; With many offerings attracting little money, it's time for a shakeout
WSJ.comThe gold rush in exchange-traded funds may finally be over.Hundreds of ETFs are languishing with meager interest from investors. Price wars are pinching profits. And with more than 1,400 exchange-traded offerings already in the market, ...
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What's Hot…And What's Not; Some newer categories of funds and ETFs are posting impressive results—while others are off to a rockier start
WSJ.comFashions come and go, and the fund industry is no exception.In the years since the financial meltdown, the industry has rushed out new kinds of mutual and exchange-traded funds that aim to help reduce investors' sense of powerlessness in ...
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Green Light For Physical Copper Fund; Manufacturers Had Opposed Fund, Fearing It Would Lead to 'Forced Scarcity' for Users; the SEC Disagrees
WSJ.comThe Securities and Exchange Commission approved the first exchange-traded fund in the U.S. that would allow investors to buy copper, despite complaints from some manufacturers and merchants that such a fund would make the metal more scarce.
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Make Way for Active ETFs
WSJ.comThe world of ETFs is about to get pumped up.A long-heralded blossoming of actively managed exchange-traded funds is one step closer, now that the Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this month removed a hurdle that discouraged money ...
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Vanguard investors fear South Korea’s vanishing act
MarketWatchSome investors are worried that South Korea is about to vanish—and it has nothing to do with tanks or communism.This fall, investment giant Vanguard Group made a relatively arcane business decision, switching the benchmark tracked by one of ...
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Exchange-Traded Funds; What ETF Managers Do; These funds are typically easier to run than most mutual funds. But they require a kind of precision.
WSJ.comThey make it look so easy—partly because it is.At 30 years of age, Hao-Hung (Peter) Liao leads a handful of portfolio managers at Van Eck Global who oversee some $24 billion in investor assets around the world. Mr. Liao's rapid ascent—and ...
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Letting Fido Off the Leash
Barrons.comActively managed ETFs may be the biggest story that never quite happened in 2012. But thanks to a significant regulatory change and moves by three of the biggest fund firms, the playing field is about to change dramatically.
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Dividend ETFs may be first ‘fiscal cliff’ casualty; Commentary: With taxes up, high-quality matters over high-income
MarketWatchLONG BEACH, Calif. (MarketWatch) — It seems as though everyone is aware of the so-called fiscal cliff, but few are scared of it.Indeed, the buoyancy of the stock market lately suggests that traders expect a compromise in Congress on the tax ...
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Focus on the peak, not the cliff
MarketWatchEditor’s note: Technical difficulties delayed the delivery of ETF Trader.“Fiscal cliff” fears remain on the front burner, howling like a boiling kettle and waiting for someone with enough common sense to turn off the flame.
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Fund Fiend; Conventional View On These ETFs is Wrong; Not all funds with limited volume are a hazard. Here's how to tell.
WSJ.comIt's become conventional wisdom that when evaluating exchange-traded funds, investors should avoid ETFs with low trading volume.The thinking is that as with any lightly traded stock, investors looking to buy or sell that ETF could find ...
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Stocks' Draw Is Biggest Since 1996
WSJ.comAfter years of barely toeing the water, stock buyers are jumping into the deep end.Stock mutual funds and exchange-traded funds saw their biggest four-week influx of cash since 1996 in the four weeks through Jan. 30, according to ...
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Need to Know; Commodities ETFs Narrow Their Focus; Like platinum? Or maybe corn? Newer funds offer more targeted exposure, but that means extra risk.
WSJ.comExchange-traded funds give investors an easy way to place bets covering a broad array of assets at once. But in the commodities sector, as with other asset classes, there are now funds dedicated to increasingly narrow market slices.
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Alternative Investing; How to Gain Leverage; Using inverse ETFs can be easier than shorting stocks, but beware the risks
WSJ.comQ: I use inverse ETFs, like SDS. When I'm making money, who is losing money? Also, what are the pluses and minuses of using inverse ETFs?A: ETFs, or exchange-traded funds, have emerged as a popular, low-cost investment vehicle, replacing ...
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Blazing Greece ETF Still Cheap
Barrons.comIt may be hard to believe but Greek stocks have trounced U.S. equities during the past six months. This could merely be a short-term bounce for what remains a deeply troubled economy. But at least one money manager believes it's the ...
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An investment for those who shun the market; Commentary: CDs, bonds and other places to put your nest egg
MarketWatchSAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Stock market investors are wounded and weary from the last 12-year bear and sideways market.As judged by the S&P 500 Index , over that time the market produced zero net return while being scarily cut in ...
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Mutual Funds Roundup
Barrons.comFund Scope | ScoreboardMutual funds had a tough time this year. The ETF incursion continued, with investors pulling $82 billion from equity funds so far this year, while putting $93 billion into equity exchange-traded funds. (Bond funds ...
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2013 could be lucky for U.S. stock funds, ETFs; After broad 2012 rally, markets may favor focused investment strategies
MarketWatchSAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Stocks popped on Wednesday to ring in the new year. But in 2012, anxious investors could relate more to the family in the classic children’s story “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.”
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How Should Investors Stop Themselves From Reacting to Short-Term Market Events?
WSJ.comIn response to a recent article on a "Mutual Fund Madness" tournament that discussed the mistake of focusing too much on short-term performance, The Wall Street Journal asked The Experts: How should investors stop themselves from reacting ...
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Pimco to Launch New Currency ETF
WSJ.comAsset manager Pacific Investment Management Co. is launching its first actively managed currency-focused exchange-traded fund, a person familiar with the situation said Friday.
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Should you bet on the VIX ‘fear index’? An uptick in market volatility may offer an opportunity
MarketWatchWith market volatility once again rearing its ugly head, some advisers and market pros are once again betting on fear.After around six months of relative calm, the Chicago Board Options Exchange Market Volatility Index — better known as the ...
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Exchange-Traded Funds; ETF Managers Don't Buy and Sell Securities. Usually. Here are cases in which they must trade like other fund chiefs
WSJ.comThere's a myth about exchange-trade funds that all of their underlying securities walk in and out of the fund through tax-efficient "in kind" transfers: exchanging securities for shares of the fund and vice versa.
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What's in a Name? When It Comes to ETFs, Sometimes Not a Whole Lot
WSJ.comMost ETF names appear to leave little to the imagination. They seem to describe what the fund is all about.But beware: Sometimes you can't judge an ETF by its cover.
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Exchange-Traded Funds; Beware Turnover Costs on Index Funds; Investors assume this isn't anything to worry about. But some index ETFs switch stocks frequently.
WSJ.comWith index funds, it's generally assumed that turnover costs aren't anything to worry about. That assumption may be wrong.While it's true that low turnover is a hallmark of broad-market indexes such as the Standard & Poor's 500-stock ...
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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.