ETF Database » IVV

101 ETF Lessons Every Financial Advisor Should Learn

Michael Johnston — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:00:06 +0000

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have burst on to the scene in the last few years, raking in hundreds of billions of dollars in assets and prompting a major shift towards indexing strategies in the process. ETFs have empowered financial advisors (FAs), registered investment advisors (RIAs), Chief Financial Officers (CFOs), money managers, and retail investors to take greater control over their portfolios, pushing down fees and maxing out tax efficiency in the process. While ETFs appear quite simple on the surface, these securities can be quite complex. In order to get the most out of ETFs, there’s a lot that investors need to know about the structure, opportunities, and limitations of these securities. Below we outline just about everything you need to know about ETFs, from the basics to the more sophisticated aspects of these products. 1. ETFs Are Tax Efficient One of the biggest advantages of ETFs is their tax-efficient structure; [...]

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ETFs That Should Be Commission Free But Aren’t

Stoyan Bojinov — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 13:00:57 +0000

The evolution of the ETF industry has brought forth a host of strategies previously out of reach for mainstream investors. With over 1,400 products to choose from, investors can tap into an array of asset classes while enjoying the full benefits of the exchange-traded product structure such as ease of use, transparency, and enhanced tax efficiencies. Innovation has not only helped to expand the universe, but make it cheaper to access as well; investors can now trade several hundred ETFs commission free right from their brokerage account [see all Commission Free ETFs]. With everything from commission free emerging markets ETFs to bonds and commodity products, cost conscious investors have more than a handful of choices when it comes to building a low-cost portfolio [see Cheapskate ETFdb Portfolio]. Investors can click on any of the trading platforms listed below to see a full list of the commission free products available to respective account holders: Charles Schwab E*TRADE Fidelity Firstrade Interactive [...]

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AdvisorShares Rolls Out Global Opportunities ETF (ACCU)

Michael Johnston — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:33:22 +0000

AdvisorShares added to its rapidly-growing lineup of active ETFs today with the debut of the Accuvest Global Opportunities ETF (ACCU), which utilizes country-specific ETFs with the goal of generating excess returns relative to benchmarks such as the MSCI All Country World Index. Accuvest, the portfolio manager of the new ETF, utilizes a proprietary country ranking model that considers nearly 40 different factors to rank countries from least attractive to most attractive. The new ETF will consist of the five or six country ETFs representing the most attractive markets on a monthly basis [see also Global Titans ETFdb Portfolio]. ACCU is the first ETF to implement that type of “country rotation” strategy. “In an environment where disciplined investors and advisors are searching extensively for alpha, we believe the turmoil in global markets is providing opportunity at a country level,” said David Garff, CIMA, co-Portfolio Manager of ACU. “Our benchmark agnostic approach of using the [...]

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Why Some Dividend ETFs Have Puny Dividend Yields

Michael Johnston — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:00:25 +0000

Several investing trends popped up in a back-and-forth 2011, as advisors sought to tweak client portfolios to take advantage of new opportunities and adapt to a macroeconomic environment that featured a number of sudden and unexpected shifts along with a significant amount of volatility. One significant trend was a rush towards dividend-paying stocks, securities that became appealing as investors sought to both dampen portfolio volatility and increase current returns [see Top 10 Noteworthy ETF Trends of 2011]. Currently there are more than 40 dividend-focused ETFs available to U.S. investors, with aggregate assets north of $40 billion. So it shouldn’t be surprising that this segment of the ETF universe features a wide variety of product types and investment objectives; there are dividend ETFs covering U.S. stocks, developed international economies, and emerging markets. There are ETFs that focus solely on high yielding financials stocks (KBWD) and others that avoid the financial sector [...]

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ETFs: The $10 Billion Club

Jared Cummans — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:00:03 +0000

It is no secret that the ETF industry is dominated by just a handful of products. The majority of the $1 trillion plus assets are confined to roughly 100 funds, leaving the other 1,300 ETFs in the dust. But as growth in the industry continues to pick up, more and more funds are entering elite status with hefty assets and trading volumes to go with it [see also Top 5 Commodity ETFs Of 2011]. Investors who are still a bit squeamish about buying into some of the smaller and more hypertargeted products, have a wealth of options available to them. A number of advisors and institutions have minimum requirements for assets under management for the products that they can buy. Along with assets restrictions there are often regulations on age and average daily volume. But for those looking for a fund that meets such strict demands, combing through the entire ETF universe [...]

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Ten New Year’s Resolutions For ETF Investors

Michael Johnston — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:00:07 +0000

For most investors, 2011 was a frustrating year; after some strong early gains seemingly pointed to a continuation of the recovery that took root in 2010, the appearance of some major obstacles sent many major indexes back towards negative territory. The impressive late December rally closed the year on a high note, but there is no doubt room for improvement in 2012 as many attempt to return their portfolios to pre-recession valuations. The continued innovation and growth in the ETF industry in 2011 has given investors more tools in the toolkit than ever before, and it has made easier to maintain portfolios of all degrees of sophistication using only exchange-traded products. For those looking to take more control over their portfolios in the new year, we highlight ten tips that can enhance your ETF experience and help you get the most out of the robust lineup of exchange-traded products [sign [...]

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The Top 10 Cheapest And Most Expensive ETFs

Jared Cummans — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:00:03 +0000

One of the founding principles of the ETF industry was cost competitiveness; after being charged upwards of 150 basis points for their favorite mutual funds, investors had grown tired of surrendering a substantial portion of their gains to the managers of big name funds. Now, there are ETFs that charge as low as 5 basis points; on a $1 million dollar investment, that means just $500 annually. Investors can now build an effective portfolio while minimizing their expenses using some of these ultra-efficient funds. But for all of cheap options that the ETF industry offers, it certainly has a fair amount of products on the other side of the equation. Below, we outline the top ten cheapest and most expensive funds for investors looking to better manage their costs [for more, see our ETFdb Cheapskate Portfolio]. The Most Expensive Given the low costs that many funds offer, some of the fees on this list [...]

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November ETF Stats: Small Step Back

Michael Johnston — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:00:34 +0000

U.S. ETF assets declined slightly in November according to the latest data from the National Stock Exchange, as the rapidly-growing industry experienced net outflows amidst a general flight from both domestic and international equities. The industry finished last month with $1.06 trillion in net assets, down about 2% from the previous month but up 12% from the same period last year. The net decline in assets was attributable to domestic equity ETFs, which saw $7 billion in outflows, and international equities, which saw another $1.9 billion. Those big losses were offset by tremendous interest in commodities and bonds; fixed income ETFs raked in more than $5 billion in cash inflows, while exchange-traded commodity products captured almost $2.9 billion [see Ten Unexpected Observations In YTD Returns]. Four ETFs saw outflows of at least $1 billion on the month–all of them domestic equity funds. The S&P 500 SPDR (SPY) saw assets decline [...]

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Ten Unexpected Observations On YTD ETF Returns

Michael Johnston — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 16:00:16 +0000

With the finish line in sight, it’s fairly safe to say that 2011 will be remembered by most investors as a wild, back-and-forth year that brought plenty of both hope and despair. A hot start raised optimism of a continued recovery after a generally impressive 2011, but the summer months were anything but relaxing; major indexes suffered some of the worst losses since the recent recession. In examining the year-to-date performances for the 1,000+ ETPs that have been around since the beginning of the year, there are a number of interesting figures that jump out, including both pleasant surprises and bitter disappointments–and some that are just plain confusing [the complete, sortable, document is available in ETF Edge--sign up for a free 7-day trial to get full access]. 10. Commodities Holding Up This year has been a tumultuous period for risky assets, especially over the last several months. So I was [...]

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UBS Launches Risk On / Risk Off ETNs

Michael Johnston — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:00:49 +0000

UBS, the issuer behind one of the broadest lineups of ETNs available to U.S. investors, continued the aggressive expansion of its product lineup this week with the introduction of two unique offerings. The company rolled out a pair of blunt instruments designed to be used in high level “risk on / risk off” trades, a term that has become popular in recent months as risky assets have exhibited strong correlations with one another and so-called “safe havens” have thrived whenever uncertainty pops up. The new ETRACS Fisher Gartman Risk On On ETN (ONN) will seek to replicate the Fisher-Gartman Risk Index, a benchmark that includes long positions in various risky asset classes such as stocks and commodities and short positions in traditional safe haven investments such as sovereign bonds. The index consists of 150% long positions combined with 50% short exposure, resulting in a net 100% long portfolio: Sector Long [...]

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ETF Database » IVV

101 ETF Lessons Every Financial Advisor Should Learn

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ETFs That Should Be Commission Free But Aren’t

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AdvisorShares Rolls Out Global Opportunities ETF (ACCU)

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Why Some Dividend ETFs Have Puny Dividend Yields

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ETFs: The $10 Billion Club

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Ten New Year’s Resolutions For ETF Investors

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The Top 10 Cheapest And Most Expensive ETFs

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November ETF Stats: Small Step Back

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Ten Unexpected Observations On YTD ETF Returns

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UBS Launches Risk On / Risk Off ETNs

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