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MUAE

As the lineup of exchange-traded products has expanded dramatically in recent years, financial advisors have found themselves with more tools at their disposal than ever before. The extreme granularity of many of the equity products out there allows for cheap, low maintenance targeting of specific corners of the investable universe, while the development of some increasingly complex products has opened up strategies that were previously inaccessible.

But perhaps the most impressive innovation in recent years has come on the bond side of the market, where the arsenal has expanded considerably over the past two years. Whatever your objective for the fixed income side of client portfolios, odds are there is an ETF that can be used to help you out. Below, we highlight ten common objectives when it comes to managing a bond portfolio–as well as the ETFs that can be used to achieve those goals [for more ETF insights, sign up for the free ETFdb newsletter]:  [click to continue…]

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Five Bond ETFs Worth A Closer Look

by Michael Johnston on April 8, 2010

Fixed income ETFs have been one of the hottest growth areas in a rapidly-expanding industry. According to the ETF screener, there are now more than 100 bond ETFs available to U.S. investors, a significant increase from just one year ago. At the end of February, bond ETF assets totaled about $107 billion, an increase of more than 75% from the same period a year earlier. Much like the ETF industry as a whole, the bond space is very top-heavy; the vast majority of these assets–55% according to the latest figures from the National Stock Exchange–were held in five funds: TIP, LQD, AGG, SHY, and BND.

These ETFs are popular for a reason; they offer cheap, diversified exposure to some attractive corners of the fixed income sector. But there’s a lot more to the bond ETF universe than these super tickers. Below, we profile five fixed income ETFs unfamiliar to many investors that could be worth a closer look: [click to continue…]

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iShares Launches Muni Bond ETFs

by Michael Johnston on January 8, 2010

Following a tremendously successful 2009 that saw more than $40 billion flow into fixed income ETFs, the number of bond ETFs is expected to increase significantly in 2010. In what could be the first of many new product launches, iShares introduced a line of new municipal bond, or “muni,” ETFs on Friday. Unlike existing muni [...]

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