June 2008

Personal Finance

* The week's 10 best Personal Finance stories: June 23-27
The week's 10 best Personal Finance stories: June 23-27.

* Survey: Consumers' outlook worst since 1980
In May the consumer sentiment index was at 59.6. Personal finances were worse than ever before, consumers said, with nine out of 10 saying the economy is in recession. Two-thirds of those surveyed said they expect the slump to last several years. All contents of this site © American City Business Journals Inc.

* Bankrate: Mortgage Rates, Like Fed, Hold Steady
Each of these businesses helps consumers to make informed decisions about their personal finance matters. The company's flagship brand, Bankrate.com is a destination site of personal finance channels, including banking, investing, taxes, debt management and college finance. Bankrate.com is the leading aggregator of rates and other information on more than 300 financial products, including mortgages, credit cards, new ...

* Ask SmartMoney: Skipping Taxes, Reverse Mortgages, More (Ask SmartMoney: Personal Finance) at SmartMoney.com
You Are Viewing: Ask SmartMoney: Skipping Taxes, Reverse Mortgages, More (Ask SmartMoney: Personal Finance. Ask SmartMoney: Skipping Taxes, Reverse Mortgages, More (Ask SmartMoney: Personal Finance) at SmartMoney.com.

* Practical Tips for Women Who Want to Get Richer
Many Web sites about personal finance do not necessarily have women in mind, says Tiffany Bass Bukow, founder of MsMoney.com , a financial planning site ... You can create the best personal finance site out there for women, but it doesn't necessarily mean it's going to change their core belief, that this ...

* Non-Bank Online Personal Finance Sites Offer Look into Future of Online Banking, But Open the Door for Identity Theft
A new crop of nonbank online personal finance sites combining traditional account aggregation services with Web 2.0 concepts ... New online personal finance sites must comprehend the sensitive nature of their customer data ... The new research, titled, "The Impact of Online Personal Finance Offering: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," explores the consumer benefits and security issues of the new online personal finance offerings - as well as their expected impact on traditional financial ... Non-Bank Online Personal Finance Sites Offer Look into Future of Online Banking, But Open ...

* Top 6 Myths About Social Security Benefits
If you are confused by the advice some people are offering about Social Security benefits, you're not alone. In perhaps no other area of personal finance is more misinformation consistently provided. As a result, people often make the wrong decision about when to start receiving their Social Security benefits.

* You'll Pay If You Give Up U.S. Citizenship
Terry Savage is an expert on personal finance and also appears as a commentator on national television on issues related to investing and the financial markets. Savage's personal finance column in the Chicago Sun-Times is nationally syndicated. She was the first woman trader on the Chicago Board Options Exchange and is a registered investment adviser for stocks and futures.

Exchange-Traded Funds News and Views

* Crazy ETF Ideas
Funny you should mention active ETFs Matt... On the ETF panel with Noel Archard and Rick Ferri, I was shocked ... shift in the actively-managed mutual fund industry to the ETF structure is the problem with portfolio transparency... disappears), Dagen McDowell hit me with a "What's the craziest ETF you've seen launched.

* ETFs Come of Age
We can write options against ETFs, we can short them or buy inverse ETFs,” he said... According to Paul Mazzilli, director of ETF research at Morgan Stanley, trading flexibility, low expenses and exposure to major indices made ETFs popular with investors of all sizes since they first ... S&P 500 BuyWrite Portfolio (PBP) was named “Most Innovative ETF” at the 7th Annual Forum on Closed-End Funds and ETFs ...

* iShares Welcomes New Additions To ETF Family
... made three new additions to the iShares exchange traded fund (ETF) family this week... energy policy, then it's worth your time to notice related ETFs... Other ETFs keeping it clean are PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy ETF ( PBW ) and Market Vectors Global Alternative Energy ETF ( GEX ... Tom Lydon iShares Welcomes New Additions To ETF Family.

* Key ETFs Most Overbought and Oversold
Below we highlight the ETFs in our daily ETF Trends report that are currently trading the furthest above and ... Five commodity ETFs top the list of the most overbought ETFs... Other ETFs on the list of positive trending names include XME, OIL ... The banking ETF ( KBE ) is the furthest below at -18%, followed by the regional banking ETF ( RKH ) at -15% ...

* ETF Update: Aerospace ETFs, International Real Estate, Short ETFs
... double whammy of bad news took the aerospace and defense ETF lower yesterday... The transportation ETF, iShares Dow Jones US Transportation ( IYT ) , got a slight lift ... Two ETFs can sound alike, but pulling back the curtain can often ... 28, 2007, joining the WisdomTree International Real Estate ETF ( DRW ) , which launched on June 5, 2007... Tom Lydon ETF Update: Aerospace ETFs, International Real Estate, Short ETFs.

* Beyond The Abstract: Morgan Stanley Report Lists ETF Pluses
Exchange-Traded Funds: ETFs Provide Attractive Alternatives To Open-End Mutual Funds," dated June ... a lot of familiar territory for people who know their ETFs... least a solid primer for investors who are new to ETFs... Despite the arrival of actively managed ETFs, most ETFs are still tied to indexes, so it's entirely appropriate that ...

* International Real Estate ETFs Can Be Like Apples and Oranges
Two exchange traded funds (ETFs) can sound alike, but pulling back the curtain can often ... 28, 2007, joining the WisdomTree International Real Estate ETF ( DRW ) , which launched on June 5, 2007. Both ETFs offer similar exposure, but have different methodologies in their construction... Both ETFs share the same top holding, and the top three countries ...

* Retail, Tech ETFs Rise; Oil ETFs Slip
The company manages several commodity-based ETFs, including the United States Oil Fund, United States Natural Gas ... A look at how the industry's most popular ETFs did on Wednesday... You Are Viewing: Retail, Tech ETFs Rise; Oil ETFs Slip (Financial Select Sector SPDR, SPDR KBW Bank, SPDR S ... Retail, Tech ETFs Rise; Oil ETFs Slip.

* Fed Takes It Easy for Now, Financial ETFs Trading Higher
Exchange traded funds (ETFs) and the markets waited with bated breath for the Federal ... As the decision was awaited this morning, financial and banking ETFs in particular were showing strong movement amid optimism that the ... Among the ETFs trading higher today... Tom Lydon Fed Takes It Easy for Now, Financial ETFs Trading Higher.

* ETFs Wiggle Into Plans As Mutual Fund Assets
... and Walsh has rolled out three funds made up of ETFs, each with a targeted level of risk... The funds are SmartGrowth ETF Lipper Optimal Conservative Index, SmartGrowth ETF Lipper Optimal Moderate Index and SmartGrowth ETF Lipper Optimal Growth Index ... One reason retirement plans don't have ETFs in them is ETFs trade like stocks, getting re-priced throughout the day ...

* Hedge Inflation With Gold ETFs (IAU, GLD, GDX)
... this flight to quality, or gold-focused exchange-traded funds (ETFs... article we'll have a look at some of the top ETFs, examining their holdings are, and what they can do for ... basics, read Commodities: The Portfolio Hedge and How To Use ETFs In Your Portfolio. Physical Gold ETFs The iShares Comex Gold Trust (AMEX: IAU ) and streetTRACKS Gold ...

* Apply SPF When Perspiring Over Your Solar ETFs
... SPF when they are investing in solar exchange traded funds (ETFs... However, there are some risks associated with solar ETFs that can burn... Solar ETFs show why it's preferable to buy a basket of stocks instead - single stocks might be incredibly volatile, but an ETF would take out some of the sting and spread the ...

* One (ETF) Structure To Rule Them All?
... filed papers for the right to launch an actively managed ETF... Morningstar director's prediction a true reflection of the fate of ETFs... there's a big gap between what advisors can do with ETFs and what they really are doing... I get asked a lot of questions about ETFs - from readers, from friends, from my own father.

* Phillips: ETFs will never replace mutual funds
Rather than viewing ETFs that short stocks as trading vehicles, advisor using ProShares as ... Beyond The Abstract: Will ETFs Obliterate OEFs... A look at an article that compares the OEF and ETF structures... most of last week talking to people about actively managed ETFs... Phillips: ETFs will never replace mutual funds.

* ETF Allure In Coal, Oil And Home Builders
Here the big broad-based ETFs, like SPY, QQQQ, DIA, IVV or VTI do the heavy ... making up a bit more than one third of all ETF investments... KOL is the Market Vectors Coal Producers ETF, SLX is their Steel Producers ETF and PXE is the PowerShares Energy Exploration ETF ...

* Spanning a New Frontier With ETFs
... taking a liking to the new frontier exchange traded funds (ETFs) that take the "emerging markets" concept even further... example of frontier countries can be found in the latest ETF from Claymore , the Claymore/BNY Mellon Frontier Markets ETF ( FRN ) which gives access to 41 economically "newborn" countries such ... PowerShares , Van Eck , and WisdomTree all have frontier ETFs in the making.

Index Funds News

* Index Fund Fees, Expensive Tastes and the Dijon Mustard Paradox
You're asked to allocate $10,000 between four S&P 500 index funds... But back to those index funds... Felix Salmon Index Fund Fees, Expensive Tastes and the Dijon Mustard Paradox.

* Warren Makes a Bet
... any potential for extra profits, over those of a simple index fund... and over time, will do better with a low-cost index fund than with a group of funds of funds... In contrast, Vanguard's S&P 500 index fund had an expense ratio last year of 15 basis points ...

* CFTC to report on commodity index trading
The head of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission has said the agency will provide Congress with a report by mid-September on the role commodity index funds have played in the run-up of energy prices. Hedge funds, pension funds and other market speculators have been accused of pushing up the futures prices for oil, grains and other ...

* Fool's School Buffett Wisdom
Advice for young, nonprofessional investors: Put your long-term savings in a low-cost index fund, such as from Vanguard... If you do not have prospects as a professional investor, use an index fund... We at the Fool have long recommended index funds for most investors. Learn more at www.fool.com/mutualfunds/ mutualfunds.htm.

* First Trust to market with its ISE Global Wind Energy Index Fund
First Trust to market with its ISE Global Wind Energy Index Fund.

* The brave love bonds
It’s the iShares Canadian Corporate Bond Index Fund (TSX: XCB) and it invests solely in investment-grade bonds ... If you don’t like index funds, you may find something more to your taste in "Corporate ... Whether you prefer index funds or actively managed funds depends on your investing philosophy.

* Inflation and bonds
The end result would appear to be an attractive opportunity to buy bonds, whether directly or though low-cost bond index funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) such as the TD Canadian Bond Index e-series Fund or iShares Canadian DEX Universe Bond Index Fund. ETFs for short-term bonds, such as the iShares Lehman 1 to 3 Year Treasury ...

Mutual Funds News Roundup

* Ten rules for investor optimism, based on spiritual principles
... and sorrow." Try this for laughs, next time your favorite fund or stock drops: Tell God about your favorite Pepper-and ... Lazy Portfolios," simple well-diversified portfolios of three to 11 no-load low-cost index funds that beat Wall Street's benchmark, the S&P 500 ... Like put a few bucks in your 401(k) and fund your IRA.

* Health-Care Funds Are Ailing in 2008
The past 12 months haven't been kind to most stock investors. According to Lipper, the average S&P 500 index fund lost 10.5% during that time. Of the 78 fund categories the company tracks, 67 are in the red.

* Wring More Income from a Portfolio
... of the second edition of the Morningstar Guide to Mutual Funds: 5-Star Strategies for Success... Rather than holding three separate international funds, a single broadly diversified international fund with the ability to venture into emerging markets is sufficient ... But the D shares available to no-load fund investors are high.

* Does a mutual fund investor need two families?
I've invested in three Vanguard mutual funds and see several more that I like, but should I put some cash in funds from another ... You should be able to find six solid ones at Vanguard or any other large mutual fund family... Does a mutual fund investor need two families.

* Does Your Fund Manager Feel Your Pain?
... we've found through our work on Morningstar's Stewardship Grades for mutual funds: Most mutual fund managers' own financial interests are not well-aligned with shareholders ... has issued Stewardship Grades to more than 1,000 individual mutual funds, and as part of our methodology, we look at a ... as those who have entrusted their life savings to the mutual fund.

* Fund Of Funds - High Society For The Little Guy
Buying a mutual fund is a bit like hiring someone to fix the brakes on your car... Mechanics and mutual funds may cost you a little more in fees, but there is nothing inherently wrong ... Mutual funds usually allow investors to skip the murky, confusing world of stock picking, but what ...

* Not All ETFs and Mutual Funds Are Created Alike; Know the Differences
Exchange traded funds (ETFs) are gunning for the mutual fund throne... Exchange traded open-end index mutual fund: Dividends are reinvested on the day of receipt and paid ... ETF fees range from 0.07% to 1.25%, while mutual fund fees range from 0.5% to more than 10... funds tend to realize fewer capital gains than actively managed mutual funds.

* Introducing the $70 Million Mutual Fund Man (SmartMoney Magazine)
... dollar paychecks, one group seems to go unnoticed: the heads of mutual fund companies... Mutual fund data provided by Lipper. Mutual Fund NAVs are as of previous day's close... You Are Viewing: Introducing the $70 Million Mutual Fund Man (SmartMoney Magazine. Introducing the $70 Million Mutual Fund Man (SmartMoney Magazine.

* iMoney: Profitable ETF Strategies for Every Investor Is Now Available and #1 Mutual Fund Book at Amazon.com
... Profitable ETF Strategies for Every Investor Is Now Available and #1 Mutual Fund Book at Amazon.com... brag (okay, no we don't), but it's also the number one mutual fund book at Amazon.com... Profitable ETF Strategies for Every Investor Is Now Available and #1 Mutual Fund Book at Amazon.com.

* Why Mutual Funds Are A Better Investment Option For Retail Investors ?
Why Mutual Funds Are A Better Investment Option For Retail Investors... That is why mutual funds are a better investment option for retail investors. When you invest in mutual funds, your investment portfolio gets diversified between 18 to 20 stocks ... Thus, it makes sense to invest in mutual funds where you even invest a small capital like $100.

* Mutual Funds' Decade of Turbulence Has Helped ETFs
The mutual fund industry's tough decade has paved the way for exchange traded ... Ten years ago, mutual funds were looking swell: more than 130 of them posted returns ... he found evidence of illegal trading schemes that were hurting mutual fund shareholders... Many investors no doubt became disillusioned with the mutual fund industry when all was said and done.

* Fidelity Jumps on the 130/30 Bandwagon
Quinton's is one of the first no-load funds in the 130/30 space, and its 1.23% annual expense ... But before investing in a 130/30 fund, consider a couple of caveats: Unlike most "long-short" or "market-neutral" funds, 130/30 funds are not designed to insulate shareholders against market downturns ...

* "Advice is the only commodity on the market where the supply always exceeds the demand." - Unknown...
... MACD." According to Street Smart Report Online , applying this strategy to a Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) index fund generated a cumulative return of 142.6% over the period 1999-2007, compared to 72% for the DJIA ... We test this strategy here using a different index fund over a longer period.

ETFs News and Views

* ETFs Can Be Fine-Tuned For Each Investor
The exchange traded fund (ETF) industry is going strong, with nearly 700 funds to choose from and another 400 in registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC. iMoney: Profitable ETF Strategies For Every Investor focuses on the ins and outs of ETFs, how to spot trends and beat the market with them, reports Trang Ho for Investor's Business Daily.

* New Commodity ETF Goes Long And Short
As exchange traded funds with both long and short positions in stocks have appeared, HSBC has launched an exchange traded note that does the same with commodities ... JPMorgan Chase and First Trust Advisors launched KEYnotes Exchange Traded Notes Linked to the First Trust Enhanced 130/30 Large Cap Index in ...

* If You Think Commodity ETFs Are Popular Here, You Haven't Seen Europe
When it comes to commodity exchange traded fund (ETF) inflows, Europe is leaving the United States in the ... Exchange traded commodities are the preferred commodities trading vehicle in Europe, where ... to follow the U.S.' lead and move away from exchange traded commodities into ETFs, an occurrence expected over the next two ...

* ETFs, Advisors And Adding Value
What ETFs Really Offer Investors... I get asked a lot of questions about ETFs - from readers, from friends, from my own father... If the ETF industry is going to continue to thrive, it should stick ... filed papers for the right to launch an actively managed ETF... ETFs, Advisors And Adding Value.

* The Master ETF
... your portfolio look like if you bought the five-largest ETFs on the market and weighted them based on assets under ... Take all of the listed ETFs , and weight them by AUM (assets under management... But if a financial institution offered a Master ETF along such lines, it could act as quite an attractive ...

* Do You Know What ETFs Bring To The Table?
Exchange traded funds (ETFs) have a lot to offer investors, but what do they ... on what are truly the best things about investing in ETFs... conclusion that there are two things above all others that ETFs have to offer... The best characteristic an ETF can offer, in Hougan's opinion, is tax efficiency.

* How to build diverse, buy-and-hold portfolio using ETFs
However, model ETF portfolios can be a good starting point for the often ... ETFs and ETNs are listed on exchanges and trade much like ... investors and financial advisers use passively managed funds such as ETFs to get cheap, broad exposure to asset classes... ETF Trader is for investors who want to take advantage of the investment potential of ETFs ...

* Active ETFs: Higher Cost Vs. Added Value
The exchange traded fund (ETF) universe has officially been infiltrated by active managers... exclusively hailed as a type of index-based, passive vehicle, ETFs are now exploring the active side of portfolio management. There are many ETFs to choose from, and the choices no longer only appeal ... we'll take a look at the inception of actively traded ETFs and what this could mean for investors.

* The Problem With Designer ETFs
The exchange traded fund [ETF] world has blossomed with the introduction of designer exchange traded funds [ETFs] that apportion their holdings according to some statistical process other ... There are ETFs from Wisdom Tree that apportion their holdings according to total ... Along similar lines the SPDR Dividend ETF ( SDY ) invests in the 50 highest-yielding companies in the ...

* New Funds
db x-trackers , Deutsche Bank's Exchange Traded Fund platform, has launched an ETF to provide short or inverse exposure to the UK stock market on the London Stock Exchange. Pimco has set up a Euro Liquidity Fund on its Dublin-based fund platform, the Global Investor Series for corporate, institutional and wealthy investors across Europe.

Personal Finance Roundup

* Personal Finance: Five Sites That Will Help You Recession-Proof Your Life
Alex Chasick Personal Finance: Five Sites That Will Help You Recession-Proof Your Life.

* Personal Finance Notebook: Look before you leap into online trade
Have a personal finance question... cbuck@sacbee.com (Claudia Buck) Personal Finance Notebook: Look before you leap into online trade.

* Personal Finance Manager 1.0.57
Mjrz Personal finance manager is a simple tool for managing accounts and expenses ... Mjrz Personal Finance Manager represents a basic implementation of the double entry accounting ... Here are some key features of "Personal Finance Manager... Java Runtime Environment 1.6 or higher NOTE: Personal Finance Manager is released under the Apache License V2.0. Personal Finance Manager 1.0.57.

* Money: Personal Finance Roundup
Ben Popken Money: Personal Finance Roundup.

* Personal Finance 2.4.7
Personal Finance is a solution intended to control your personal finances... Personal Finance is a simple way to control your money. Keep your money transactions updated with Personal Finance. Here are some key features of "Personal Finance... Softpedia guarantees that Personal Finance 2.4.7 is 100% CLEAN , which means it does not contain ... Personal Finance 2.4.7.

* The week's 10 best Personal Finance stories: June 16-20
The week's 10 best Personal Finance stories: June 16-20.

* Good reads for summer
Here are some personal finance books you might consider: The Best Investment Advice I Ever ... Riches By Jeff Yeager, Broadway Books ($12.95) Unlike lots of personal-finance books that extol "get rich" routes to financial happiness, this ... Quinn, Simon & Schuster ($26) It's not new, but Newsweek's venerable personal-finance columnist knows her stuff.

* Even Mild Inflation Is Something to Fear
Terry Savage is an expert on personal finance and also appears as a commentator on national television on issues related to investing and the financial markets. Savage's personal finance column in the Chicago Sun-Times is nationally syndicated. She was the first woman trader on the Chicago Board Options Exchange and is a registered investment adviser for stocks and futures.

Exchange-Traded Funds News

* ETFs for Tomorrow
According to the Investment Company Institute, ETF assets totaled more than $572 billion of the more than ... Originally modeled after index funds, ETFs have gradually narrowed to target specialized slices of the market... A basket of opinions Although ETFs have been around since the 1990s, investors should exercise caution with any ETF lacking a long track record ...

* Commodity ETFs Hot Streak
... commodities boom can make you feel pinched, but the bull market of raw materials could be an investment opportunity with exchange traded funds (ETFs... It's very easy to build a well-rounded portfolio with two or three ETFs. Some ETFs for a foundation are... Tom Lydon Commodity ETFs Hot Streak.

* Using ETFs In Individualized Investing Plans
If that isn't enough, another 400 ETFs are in registration... of Global Trends Investments, has navigated the morass of the ETF industry since 1996. In a book released this month, "iMoney: Profitable ETF Strategies for Every Investor," he and John Wasik, personal finance columnist at Bloomberg, explain the ins and outs of ETFs and how to spot trends and beat the market with ...

* ETFs For A Rainy Season
Everybody knows that when it rains, it pours, and exchange traded funds (ETFs) are no exception... You should be aware of all the risks associated with foreign exchange trading, and seek advice from an independent financial advisor if you have any doubts.

* Watch the Double-Inverse ETF for Sentiment
... where I pay close attention to volume is double inverse ETFs, which include the UltraShort ETFs pioneered by ProShares. The double inverse ETFs are an attractive set of investment vehicles for speculative bears ... Of the double inverse ETFs, I am particularly fond of the QID , the double inverse ETF for the NASDAQ-100 index [NDX ...

* 5 Infrastructure ETFs That Could Enhance Your Portfolio
It follows that there are a number of ETFs that fit the bill... Read " Cleantech ETF: Part Infrastructure, Part Green, Part MidCap Growth. For some, calling the Market Vectors Global Nuclear Energy ETF an infrastructure investment may sound strange... the iShares Global Materials Fund can be found in other ETFs, including Market Vectors Steel and Metals and Mining ( XME.

* PowerShares Launches Two ETFs On NASDAQ
Interestingly, there aren't a lot of ETFs tracking Internet stocks - it's almost like the Internet bubble of ... Roughly 20 PowerShares ETFs have primary listings on the NASDAQ, accounting for the majority of the exchange's primary ETF listings, and several of those funds track NASDAQ indexes (not to mention a few PowerShares ETFs that are still in registration ...

* ETF Update: Is There Any Place Left to Invest?
If we were to include both the long and short ETFs for the Dow, the S&P 500, and the NASDAQ ... would be in our rankings We are considering including these ETFs in future articles... Our weekly ETF Update is designed to assist both investors and traders interested in ETFs and Sector Rotation ...

* Intelligent ETF
An exchange-traded fund (ETF) that employs an active investment strategy based on a broad ... Most intelligent ETFs carry higher expense ratios than standard ETFs, as well as substantially higher turnover ratios ... Some intelligent ETFs have internal or proprietary indexes that are merely replicated within the ETF, but this is still active investing, and many of the ...

* ETF Concerns
... there are still a few things that concern me about ETFs... say that I'm NOT in the camp that says that ETFs, the structure, has to represent a philosophy... Plain vanilla index funds were all the first ETFs that came to market... And all that Matt Hougan lays out about ETFs is true, and I pretty much agree with the characterization ...

* Rydex, ProShares Launch 10 New Inverse, Leveraged ETFs
RydexShares leveraged and inverse Select Sector ETFs complement the firm's existing lineup of leveraged and inverse ETFs, which provide broad market exposure to small-, large- and midcap ... Recent market volatility has given rise to increased demand for ETFs that enable advisors to short specific segments of the market ... opportunities by using leveraged strategies, says Edward Lopez, director of ETF strategies at Rydex.

Index Funds News

* Asset Allocation Expert Says Go Big on Commodities
Brenner: It's based on the work of Gary Gorton and Geert Rouwenhorst. The specific recommendation is to use a fully collateralized, passively managed total return index fund... Our models call for people to buy asset classes through passively managed mutual funds and index funds. In terms of domestic equities, we have large-cap and small-cap allocations.

* Confessions of a buy-and-hold investor
A well-diversified investment plan, invested in low-cost index funds, with a long-term outlook... That means investing in low-cost index funds covering the U.S. stock market, with perhaps 10% to 25% of your portfolio in international stock funds, plus exposure to bonds (a typical scenario is 70% or 80% in stocks and 30% or 20% in ...

* Patience Pays Off
And it assumes that investors didn't add anything to their index-fund holdings through the ensuing nine years... If you're itching to try your hand at commodities, use an index fund, not futures trading -- and be careful. I think most commodities, including oil and gold, are very overpriced, even allowing for strong global demand.

* First Trust Advisors Announces the First Trust ISE Global Wind Energy Index Fund
... anticipated launch of the First Trust ISE Global Wind Energy Index Fund... The First Trust ISE Global Wind Energy Index Fund will seek investment results that correspond generally to the price ... The First Trust ISE Global Wind Energy Index Fund will be First Trust... Trust Advisors Announces the First Trust ISE Global Wind Energy Index Fund.

* Speculators and Index Funds Don't Control Grain Markets
Global governments continue to debate whether speculators and index funds are responsible for huge gains in commodities lately – including the ... facts point to a different scenario altogether; hedge funds and index funds might cause prices to rise over the short-term, but ... mostly the culprit, not a bunch of hedge funds and index funds.

* NYMEX urges closer monitoring of ICE, index funds
... New York Mercantile Exchange has urged US regulators to boost surveillance of commodity index funds and to impose stricter regulations of the ICE futures exchange to improve market ... to identify more precisely the counterparties to transactions with swaps dealers, such as index funds... NYMEX urges closer monitoring of ICE, index funds.

* Target Retirement Funds (Also Known As Lifecycle Funds)
VFIFX contains five other Vanguard mutual funds: Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund, Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund, Vanguard European Stock Market Index Fund, Vanguard Pacific Stock Index Fund, and Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund. As of today, 72% of the fund is invested in the Total Stock Market, 10% is invested in the Total Bond Market, and ...

ETF News

* A bear with horns takes stock of ETFs to buy
For investing, I prefer exchange-traded funds over traditional mutual funds, and to search globally for buys ... their benefit, and yours, a brief review: ETF stands for "exchange-traded fund" -- an index fund that is priced every 15 seconds and ... columnist and editor of the Proactive Fund Investor newsletter, recommends exchange-traded funds to invest in emerging markets and resource-rich countries ...

* Passive Investing Wisdom from Taylor Larimore
IU: How does a longtime index funds enthusiast like yourself view exchange-traded funds... Exchange-traded funds are relatively new... Exchange-traded funds are a type of index fund which, in some cases, can be an improvement over conventional index funds. The lower cost structure of an ETF is a plus.

* American Stock Exchange Lists Eight New Rydex ETFs
... R) (Amex(R)) today announced that on June 12, 2008 it launched trading in eight new exchange traded funds (ETFs) by Rydex Investments (Rydex... American Stock Exchange(R) (Amex(R)) offers trading across a full range of equities, options and exchange traded funds (ETFs), including structured products and HOLDRS(SM.

* Solutions: New trading funds highlight expanding role of wind in global warming struggle
Two new Exchange Traded Funds, filed within days of each other with the U.S... Bill Miller Solutions: New trading funds highlight expanding role of wind in global warming struggle.

* Invesco PowerShares Capital Management Lists Two New Exchange Traded Funds on The NASDAQ Stock Market -- the Most Liquid U.S. Market for ETFs
Invesco PowerShares Capital Management Lists Two New Exchange Traded Funds on The NASDAQ Stock Market -- the Most Liquid U.S ... that The NASDAQ Stock Market(r) has listed two new exchange traded funds (ETFs) sponsored by Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC -- a leading ... Invesco PowerShares Capital Management Lists Two New Exchange Traded Funds on The NASDAQ Stock Market -- the Most Liquid U.S ...

Weekend Reading, Fund News

Mutual Fund Investing - Best Mutual Funds List by Money Magazine - Actively-managed funds

"The Money 70 is designed to help you construct all aspects of your portfolio. It includes a range of actively managed stock and bond funds, as well as low-cost index and exchange-traded funds."

Lazy Portfolios that can whip the coming 10 years of stagflation - MarketWatch

"Stagflation till 2018? I can hear you screaming: 'Ten years of no growth? Plus inflation? Plus high volatility in a narrow trading range?' You're crazy!"

Life-Cycle Mutual Funds Get More Popular - WSJ.com

"Life-cycle mutual funds look unstoppable. Despite some criticism about their performance and risk levels, both target-date and target-risk life-cycle funds continue to develop and pull in assets."

The Long Road: A Big Leap Of Faith - Features

"'Other than Ted Benna coming up with the 401(k) in 1981, ETFs are the most important financial innovation in the past 30 years,' Koehler said."

ETF Expert: Guest Expert: ETF Investing for Rainy Days

"Here are some high-flying investments benefiting from new political and energy market trends."

April Showers Bring May ETF Flowers | ETF Trends

"The number of available ETFs grew by 34.7%, from May 2007, while total assets grew 26.1% from the previous year. The U.S. ETF market now has 683 ETFs and $612 billion in assets."

Low yielding, high-cost money funds are safe but unsound - MarketWatch

"...when it comes to parking cash, a lot of consumers seem to prefer a running meter and higher prices. They're simply ignoring the problems inherent in money market mutual funds currently yielding 0.75% or less..."

24/7 Wall St.: ETF Filed To Track Housing Prices (UMM, DMM)

"MacroMarkets LLC has announced that its subsidiary MacroShares Housing Depositor has now filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for exchange-traded securities that will allow investors to invest in the upward and the inverse movement of U.S. home prices."

Be sure to know objective of mutual funds - The Times-Journal

"Let’s take a look at the investment objectives of some of the most popular types of mutual funds:..."

How To Invest Like A Professional. fcm’s blog Index Funds: To Catch The Rabbit You Must Be Smarter Than The Rabbit.

"Experts know that you want to beat the market, so they create a myriad of financial plans that take advantage of people’s fear and greed."

Internet Holdrs ETF falls to 3-mo. low as Yahoo drops 11% - Forbes.com

"The Internet Holdrs ETF fell to a 3-month low Thursday, as a sharp drop in Yahoo Inc. shares helped erase earlier gains."

Fund News Weekend Reading

Investing in foreign currencies with new ETFs and ETNs - MarketWatch

"Wall Street continues to mint exchange-traded products that let individual investors in the U.S. diversify their greenback-denominated portfolios by investing in foreign currencies around the globe."

ETFs' New Front

"...an ETF run by a stock picker, not one tied tightly to an index. In April, Invesco Ltd.'s Invesco PowerShares Capital Management unit began selling three of these new-style stock ETFs, and other firms are lining up to join the action."

How To Use Etfs In Your Portfolio

"At the most basic level, ETFs can be used as part of both long-term and short-term investment strategies. Their low expense ratios and high trading flexibility make them attractive alternatives to traditional mutual funds."

Vanguard Sets Stock Split for Top ETFs - WSJ.com

"Vanguard Group plans to split shares of three of its most popular exchange-traded funds, a move that could make the fund shares slightly easier for small investors to afford and make the funds appear more heavily traded, an important selling point for ETFs."

Don't Trust the Mutual Fund Industry

"Are mutual fund shops less trustworthy than your average auto mechanic? bAccording to "Measuring Affluent and High-Net-Worth Investor Expectations of the Investment and Financial Community," a recent study commissioned by Barclays Research and carried out by Cogent Research, investors think so."

Investors Beware: Before You Buy A Mutual Fund… - Equity for Profit

"There is a profound conflict of interest built into the industry’s structure, one that grows out of the fact that the management companies are independently owned, separate from the funds themselves, and managers profit by maximizing the funds under management because their fees are based on assets, not performance."