The economy has had more than its share of trouble lately: Japan's earthquake comes on top of rising oil and food prices, political turmoil in the Middle East and a crop of government austerity measures. But investing opportunities lie hidden behind the bad news.
Prices for copper, gold, wheat, corn and oil are soaring. But how can small investors can take advantage of this growth without taking on way too much risk? That's a good question, indeed. And here are some good answers.
The investment world's love affair with ETFs continued in 2010, as more than 1,000 funds managed assets of $940 billion. Here's a review of the best and the worst performers, and a few reminders about how to use these investment vehicles safely.
A good deal of gold's meteoric gains over the last five years can be attributed to the gargantuan success of an exchange-traded fund that made it easy for investors to pile into the precious metal. If the tide turns, though, they could easily pile out.
Active exchange-traded funds -- a sort of hybrid between a regular ETF and a mutual fund -- were supposed to give investors the best of both worlds. But these newfangled ETFs have so struggled to find their place. Some pros, however, still see a bright future.
The first half of 2010 has been anything but dull for exchange-traded fund investors. ETF assets in the U.S. decreased 0.4% to $772 billion as of June 30, but that actually indicates a serious inflow of cash: Equity markets, as measured by the S&P 500, fell 8.9% during the period.
Exchange-traded funds are lauded for their low cost, tax efficiency, and transparency, their popularity shows no signs of ebbing. But even a good thing can be misused. Read on for five ways that bad strategies can turn a good ETF into a bad investment.
Buying a single stock ties your fate to the ups and downs of one company. You can moderate this risk but still aim for your target by investing in an exchange-traded fund focused on a particular sector. With ETFs for just about every sector, how do you begin to choose? We'll tell you how.
More people are putting their money where their values are -- a sentiment that isn't lost on money managers. Just this week, the first of three exchange-traded funds targeted at Christian investors hit the market. Two more will launch next week.
