Exchange-traded funds are among the most popular recent innovations in the investing world -- with good reason: They offer a host of advantages over mutual funds. But they aren't a universally good solution: They make no sense at all within 529 college savings plans.
Everywhere you look, new exchange-traded funds are popping up, and many people now think they're a must-have for a successful portfolio. But even though investors have poured more than $1 trillion into ETFs, the question remains: Do you really need them?
Pop quiz: If someone wanted to charge you $600 for something you could get for $10 elsewhere, who would you buy it from? Sounds like a no-brainer. But when people buy mutual funds, they often end up paying the $600 price instead of the $10 one.
From my point of view, we are about to be in heaps of trouble economically, so for 2012, I'm looking to exploit other people's woes like the good capitalist I am. Here are three bets I might pull the trigger on:
A retiree named Bob is confronting a dilemma many of his peers face: His nest egg is parked in safe cash investments, like certificates of deposit, and earning barely any interest. What can he do to get a better return? Laura Rowley looks at an increasingly popular alternative.
On Sept. 11, 2001, Gail's husband went to work at the World Trade Center. He never came home again. During the blur of grief, the stay-at-home mom realized she was now her family's CFO. Today, she's a bona fide investor, but getting to that point meant traveling a long, challenging road.