ETFs

You're probably spending a lot this holiday season, on yourself and your friends and family. Why not get a little something back? Buying shares of stock in some of the retailers you patronize can give you your fair share of the profits your purchases help to create. Retail ETFs can give you that and boost your retirement funds in the process.

Investments that generate income, have the potential for strong growth, and offer protection against stock market downturns: That compelling combination of attributes has made dividend stocks so popular with investors these days. To make the most of it, some investors are turning to ETFs.

In search of a well-balanced diversified portfolio, you could spend every spare minute combing through financial statements before you bought a single share of a company's stock. Or, you could take a shortcut and buy ETFs. Though not a magic bullet, they're a huge time and effort saver. Here are five ETFs that will make your investing a lot easier.

The U.S. stock market's recent gyrations have many investors ready to look overseas for better returns. But it's a complicated world out there, which is why many less-experienced investors are still sitting on the global sidelines. Here's what you need to know make investing in emerging markets a little less scary.

Ten investors survey the rubble from this week's shakeup and see opportunities everywhere. It's time to quiet those nerves and deploy your dollars to take advantage of fire-sale prices. Here's a rundown of investment ideas -- stocks, mutual funds, ETFs, and otherwise.

With sales estimates gloomy, the Dow Jones U.S. Financial Services ETF may be a great bet. So far in 2011, it has had a return of just over 2.6% and a dividend yield of .5%

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.

Skyrocketing prices don't have to bring only pain. Investors can also find some relief with investments that can benefit from oil's recent -- and likely future -- increases. Here are some ETFs and mutual funds worth considering, based on performance, risk and cost.

To the surprise of many, 2010 turned out to be a good year for investors. Major indexes are on a bull run and the U.S. market has doubled since the 2009 low. This year promises to be another good year, Andrew Horowitz, CFP and author of The Winning Investor's Guide to Making Money in Any Market,...

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.