July 2008

Index Funds News

* Best and Worst S&P 500 Index Funds by Cost
S&P 500 INDEX funds are supposed to be all the same... Fidelity Spartan US Equity Index Fund Advantage ( FUSVX ), for instance, boasts a super-low expense ratio ... rock-bottom award goes to E*TRADE S&P 500 Index Fund ( ETSPX ), with a 0.09% expense ratio, no load and no ...

* A new measure of a global portfolio
stock index fund, a total international stock index fund and a total bond index fund... The same allocation of index funds would have returned 17.7% in 2006. If, for example, this client's portfolio earned only 6.6% in 2007, and 15.7% in 2006, I would show that they underperformed by 2.0% each year.

* How to deal with a bad 401(k) plan
Favor index funds... buying an equity fund, see if your plan offers some kind of index fund. Often an S&P 500 index fund with an expense ratio of 1.00% or more is still better than ... outside your plan to buy a fund like the Vanguard Extended Market Index fund (VEXMX.

* Charles A. Jaffe: In confusing times, loads of questions
... research has shown that four funds in any one category equate to a "closet index fund." That's where the buying and selling of the individual funds winds up delivering index ... If index performance is what you want, then stick with an index fund for every asset class you want to cover.

* Automating your retirement strategy
... would have someone my age invest 10% of their portfolio in bonds and the rest in various large- and small-cap index funds... Index funds usually have much lower costs... Buy an index fund with a low cost that tracks the S and P 500 along with some bonds OR.

ETFs News

* How To Weather The Economic Storms With ETFs
... been a challenge in the markets and exchange traded fund (ETF) realm lately, to put it mildly... related stocks and think about a short oil or gas ETF, such as ProShares Ultra Short Oil & Gas ( DUG. Many fuel-related ETFs have declined in the last week and month, some significantly ...

* In Tough Times, High-Yield ETFs Performed
... gain access to high-yield bonds through exchange traded funds (ETFs), traditional mutual funds and closed-end funds (CEFs... Nusbaum for TheStreet theorizes that because of the nature of ETFs, they would be a less volatile method of entering the ... On the contrary, ETFs can create or redeem shares based on demand, which allows ...

* Dividend ETFs Are Put Together In Different Ways
Dividend investing with exchange traded funds (ETFs) has had enough time in the game to see which ... and Wall Street responded with the advent of dividend-paying ETFs... SPDR S&P Dividend ETF ( SDY ): Takes 50 high-yielding companies that have raised dividends ... 2007, the bottom fell out of the sector and the ETFs suffered more than the broad market.

* ETFs That Are Trading At A Discount With Hope.
Just for grins, I set up an ETF screen that used the following criteria for the current one ... Quite a big chunk of ETF applications for a not quite $5m ETF... might use the roster to invigorate the thought process for ETF purchases and investigate ETFs using more sophisticated measures and diversification techniques as tools prior ...

* Foreclosures Triple, But Real Estate ETFs Don’t Seem Wounded
... year, a percentage that could hold back exchange traded funds (ETFs) that focus on the real estate market... Homebuilding and real estate exchange traded funds (ETFs) reeled from the news that pending home sales hit a ... Some real estate exchange traded funds (ETFs) were up slightly on the news that home prices sank ...

* iMoney: Profitable ETF Strategies for Every Investor Reviewed
... and talks to Tom Lydon about the current trends in ETFs... The exchange traded fund (ETF) industry is going strong, with nearly 700 funds to choose ... thrilled to announce that our book about exchange traded funds (ETFs), iMoney: Profitable ETF Strategies for Every Investor, is now for sale and ready ...

* One Leap Forward For ETFs Incorporated Into 401(k) Plans
... fee disclosures, taking one giant step toward exchange traded funds (ETFs) becoming incorporated into retirement plans... they are mutual funds, bank or insurance products, or eventually, ETFs... The debate over exchange traded funds (ETFs) in 401(k) plans is intensifying... to aid in the push to get exchange traded funds (ETFs) into 401(k) retirement plans.

Personal Finance Update

* Ultra-Safe Places to Stash Your Cash
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.

* Debt crisis spreads to credit cards- News-Credit Cards-Personal Finance-The Economic Times
Debt crisis spreads to credit cards- News-Credit Cards-Personal Finance-The Economic Times.

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

* The week's 10 best Personal Finance stories: July 21-25
The week's 10 best Personal Finance stories: July 21-25.

* Now's a Good Time for a Personal Finance Checkup
Now's a Good Time for a Personal Finance Checkup.

* Knowing your insurance limits on bank accounts is key
Personal Finance.

Mutual Funds News Roundup

* What Made Top Hybrid Funds Work
FCVSX. and two domestic focused balanced funds -- namely, the CGM Mutual Fund... The CGM Mutual Fund... was the top-performing mutual fund, returning 14.25% for the quarter. Manager Ken Heebner looks to equities to generate his returns with a 75% allocation and approximately 25% in debt securities. The key to his performance seems to be his sector allocations, with 26 ...

* Uncovering bargains in the stock market's basement
Jaffe's radio show regularly features expert reviews of stocks and mutual funds suggested by MarketWatch readers

* Hedge funds fare well compared with mutual funds
... about the banking industry, venture capital, private equity, hedge funds, mutual funds, capital markets, asset management and SEC regulations... Some would say the relative performances of hedge funds versus mutual funds is as it should be... Not great in absolute terms, but terrific compared to mutual funds... Jim Kim Hedge funds fare well compared with mutual funds.

* This mutual fund spreads benefits around
... is now open to investors, works like any open-end mutual fund registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission... But unlike any other mutual fund, the Davlin Philanthropic Fund allows investors to donate a significant ... For legal and operational reasons, the donations from the mutual fund will go to the Davlin Foundation , a 501(c)3 ...

* Banks Look to Sell Mutual-Fund Arms
The division manages about $30 billion, about half of which is in its more than 30 mutual funds... Banks Look to Sell Mutual-Fund Arms.

* TheStreet.com Ratings Adds 33 Open-End Mutual Funds
TheStreet.com Ratings initiated coverage of 33 open-end mutual funds that accrued a track record of three years of risk ... fund of funds that splits its investments between other GMO mutual funds including U.S... August 2006 acquisition of Weiss Ratings by TheStreet.com, covering mutual funds... com (Kevin Baker) TheStreet.com Ratings Adds 33 Open-End Mutual Funds.

* To invest in equities or not
For example, according to Valueresearch, an independent mutual fund tracking firm, barely six schemes posted returns in the positive territory... often means that they would incur a loss as they are buying at the higher level and selling at lower levels.” The same applies to your mutual fund schemes also.

* Fed chief plays it safe in his personal finances
... chairman's financial disclosure form, released Monday, showed his holdings last year were in no-frills investments, including U.S. Treasury securities, Canadian Treasury bonds, mutual funds and annuities... The chairman and other Federal Reserve board members are not allowed to own stock in banking organizations or shares of mutual funds specializing in banking and finance. Other holdings generally are permitted.

* Global Investing Made Simple
and more funds For starters, you could buy a mutual fund that specializes in international investing. Actively managed mutual funds do have some drawbacks, but some offer consistently strong performance ... exposure to your portfolio, with less hassle than a traditional mutual fund... The best mutual funds and ETFs make acquiring this exposure painless, and their recent ...

* SIP and long-term strategy for better returns
... has been plenty of talk about the falling returns from mutual funds with most funds posting negative returns for one year duration ... In the present market scenario, choosing the right mutual fund has become more challenging as no scheme has managed to ... Short term', because, mutual funds tend to outperform direct equity investments over the long term ...

* Equity funds continue net redemption ways
June mutual fund numbers are out and once again investors are shunning equity funds for safer money market and balanced funds. Overall Canadian mutual funds flows hit $1.63-billion in net purchases in June, compared with $2.3-billion in net purchases this time last year.

* Most money-market funds are safe from financial meltdown
He read the paperwork for his money-market mutual fund... Consumers are not being completely irrational with their fears because of the way money-market mutual funds work. Unlike ordinary mutual funds, money-market funds maintain a constant price of $1. Each day, a fund's holdings are "marked to market," meaning the current market value of its holdings is checked.

* Lydon's iMoney: Picking the Right ETFs for You
A Brief History of the Mutual Fund Folly and After the Bubble Burst. Headline : Where the Mutual Fund Companies Went Wrong... Me particularly liked iMoney 's comparisons with more familiar mutual funds, the clear discussion about risks and the varying viewpoints from ... in the market for a while, but mostly stuck to Mutual Funds.

ETFs News

* Best Performing ETFs
Kirk Best Performing ETFs.

* Book Review: 'iMoney: Profitable ETF Strategies'
We recently reviewed Tom Lydon and John Wasik’s excellent ETF book, iMoney: Profitable ETF Strategies for Every Investor and deem this superb ETF resource as the most reader and user-friendly book on ... pithy guidelines and instructions about small to large cap US ETFs, the pros and cons of value versus growth ETFs, and an excellent summary of sector ETF selections ...

* ETFs 'Poaching' the Market?
Not being allowed to call an ETF a money market fund just means that people will have to refer to them as money-market-like ETFs," said Kathleen Moriarty, a partner at Katten Muchin Rosenman ... based lawyer was involved in the creation of the first ETF, the SPDR Trust (AMEX: SPY) and consults fund providers as well as government agencies around the world on ETF regulatory issues ...

* Mutual-Fund Alternatives to Active ETFs
IS ANYONE ELSE confused by the new "actively managed" ETFs... while also enjoying the discount pricing and anytime trading of ETFs. After years of regulatory gridlock, the first actively managed ETF, Bear Stearns Current Yield ( YYY ), debuted this spring... and AER Advisors, a private company focused on developing active ETFs, are each managing two of the ETFs.

* Rewards Could Come With Risk In Emerging Markets ETFs
Emerging market exchange traded funds (ETFs) are one of the best ways to diversify, and investors ... this strategy all wrapped up in an exchange traded fund (ETF... to accessing a particular country through an exchange traded fund (ETF) investment, is it better to choose a single-country fund ... One it comes to an exchange traded fund (ETF) buy-and-hold portfolio, it's not a one-size-fits ...

* If Markets Stay Volatile, Tell ‘Em Large-Cap ETFs Sent Ya
... dollar remains weak and the markets stay depressed, large-cap exchange traded funds (ETFs) are poised to be sitting pretty... The trouble with mid-caps and their exchange traded funds (ETFs) is that they don't get the same coverage in ... As far as exchange traded funds (ETFs) divvied up by cap size and growth vs ...

* Understanding the explosion of exchange-traded funds (ETFs)
Understanding the explosion of exchange-traded funds (ETFs. Exchange-traded funds – investment funds listed and traded on a stock exchange – have gained ... both within the ETF market and against a new product category: exchange-traded notes (ETNs... Understanding the explosion of exchange-traded funds (ETFs.

Index Funds News

* With three funds, you can be diversified
Stocks are getting cheap and bonds are getting relatively expensive. You have suggested index funds for investors... Barron's reported that the 10-year annualized for Vanguard S&P index fund was 2.81 percent and for the Vanguard Total Stock Index fund it was 3.54 percent... The index funds certainly are not the end.

* In this market, what's a long-term investor to do?
... no, Aronson said he stands by his Lazy Portfolio of 11 index funds, as detailed by MarketWatch's Paul Farrell... The first is simple via Vanguard index funds (U.S., foreign, emerging markets), the second leads to Vanguard as ... I continue to advise investors to use only index funds," Swensen said.

* ETFs In 401(k) Plans
Institutional share classes of pooled index funds are likely to be cheaper than most ETFs. While this may be true, Jill Iacono, director of national accounts at SSgA, says demand for ETFs in 401(k)s is coming from financial advisors who understand that ETFs give access to markets around the world and to alternative assets that haven't been available ...

* Retired? Build your own portfolio
Building a diversified low-cost portfolio is actually simpler than you may think. You can buy a global diversified portfolio with only three funds. Total U.S. Stock Index Fund. Total International Stock Index Fund. Total U.S. Aggregate Bond Fund. These are available with either Fidelity or Vanguard index mutual funds or exchange traded funds from Vanguard or iShares.

* Eight 'Lazy Portfolios' to wrestle the now official bear market
... winning strategy: Well-diversified portfolios of no-load, low-cost index funds that require little balancing and no active trading, yet they'r ... when I first contacted him: He bought into the first index fund launched by Vanguard in 1976... 000 mutual funds to pick from, including over 1,000 index funds, all his funds are still indexed, and he only needs ...

* Tough Retirement Questions: How can I tell if I have a good 401(k) plan?
... Target Retirement Funds, where the underlying funds are low cost index funds (like the Vanguard Target Retirement Funds. It would also have a broad domestic stock index fund, a broad international stock index fund and a broad domestic bond index fund ... at least three low cost, broadly diversified stock and bond index funds, and a selection of Target Retirement Funds, you have a ...

* The ultimate buy-and-hold strategy- 2008 Update
... can put it together approximately using Vanguard’s low-cost index funds; but Vanguard doesn’t offer every piece of it... Sinquefield, who started the first index fund; and Eugene F... which is easily duplicated using a couple of no-load index funds, they would be more likely to achieve their long-term ...

* Mutual-Fund Alternatives to Active ETFs
Until these active ETFs build a track record I'd opt for proven alternatives. With the help of Morningstar, we compiled a list of no-load mutual funds, available to retail investors, with expense ratios less than 0.75% that have beaten the Vanguard 500 Index fund's ( VFINX ) tax-adjusted returns for the past three years. Check them out.

* 5 fashion tips for your portfolio
Index funds, particularly S&P 500 funds that track a broad measure ... But index funds will always give you the market average... Trouble is, the returns for S&P 500 index funds have been low in the past decade... Then you can add a foreign index fund to the mix for global exposure.

Exchange-Traded Funds News

* To Be a Successful ETF Investor, Have a Plan
When it comes to investing in exchange traded funds (ETFs), before you do anything else, you need to have ... We're thrilled to announce that our book about exchange traded funds (ETFs), iMoney: Profitable ETF Strategies for Every Investor, is now ... Removing the emotions from your investing, whether it's exchange traded funds (ETFs) or something else, is one of the smartest things ...

* ETFs: First Half Was All Commodities
The table immediately below lists the top-10-performing ETFs over the first half of the year, excluding the inverse ETFs, and it's obvious that commodities rose to the top ... 73% first-half return of the United States Natural Gas ETF (UNG) is one of the better six-month performances by an ETF ever, and reflects sharply rising natural gas prices ...

* Vanguard’s ETF Patent a Brainy Move, For the Time Being
In April 2005, Vanguard patented exchange traded funds (ETFs) as share classes of existing index funds... LEH) announcement of a $2.8 billion loss rocked some financial exchange traded funds (ETFs) slightly and made it clear that the sector's troubles ... Vanguard Group is planning an exchange traded fund (ETF) split, slicing shares of three of its most popular ...

* Approaching ETF Investing Through Themes
When it comes to exchange traded fund (ETF) investing, it has become quite simple to build a ... its highest since March 25, mining strong performance for its exchange traded fund (ETF... 2, 2008 – One reader wanted to know about foreign currency exchange traded funds (ETFs... the dollar is making gains again and it's benefiting some exchange traded funds (ETFs.

* ETF Global Update
Europe ETFs as a group ended the week up by about almost 4%; Asia was up ... The strongest sector this week was retail ETFs, up by 7%, and oil ETFs finishing down about 10... Van Eck launched the Market Vectors – Africa Index ETF ( AFK ) this week... Delfeld ETF Global Update.

* Lydon's iMoney: Picking the Right ETFs for You
... co-author John Wasik released their first book, iMoney: Profitable Exchange-Traded Fund Strategies for Every Investor... Lydon and Wasik objectively analyze exchange traded funds for the average person... learn more about or purchase a copy of iMoney: Profitable Exchange-Traded Fund Strategies for Every Investor visit Tom's site or Amazon.com ...

* ETFs and ETCs – a revolution of note
Exchange traded commodities turn the investing world upside down, and then some; listed stocks are being cannibalized... ETFs, or exchange traded funds, have long offered investors an easy, low cost, and efficient, entry into the investment world... Exchange traded commodities, or ETCs, are a relatively new phenomenon. ETF Securities launched a series of ETCs in 2003, and created the world ...

* The U.S. Is Not Where It’s At When It Comes to Tech ETFs
The Cubes exchange traded fund (ETF) is getting socked by downbeat news from the technology ... to do - a shareholder sell-off sent technology and internet exchange traded funds (ETFs) lower this morning... Technology stocks and exchange traded funds (ETFs) didn't exactly shout "YAHOO... Semiconductor exchange traded funds (ETFs) have taken a beating along with the overall market ...

* ETNs Wanting for Investor Attention
Exchange traded notes (ETNs) are distant relatives of the exchange traded fund (ETF) and they come with their own unique issues attached ... Pick a currency, any currency, and chances are there's an exchange traded fund (ETF) or exchange traded note (ETN) to track it ... Are exchange traded notes (ETNs) the new exchange traded fund (ETF.

* Oil ETFs Socked As Consumer Spending Power Weakens
Oil exchange traded funds (ETFs) are spilling today as prices plummeted by as much ... increasingly fragile bubble that's fixin' to burst, there is an exchange traded funds (ETFs) out there for you... Oil exchange traded funds (ETFs) rose higher after futures (yawn) hit yet another record ... The retreat of oil service-focused exchange traded funds (ETFs) yesterday was a reminder for investors to not get ...

* Throwing Money To The Wind - ETFs, That Is
Our of-the-moment priority should be energy independence and exchange traded funds (ETFs) may be just the building block that’s needed ... Barclays Global Investors made three new additions to the iShares exchange traded fund (ETF) family this week... 2008 – The newest form of alternative energy to get the exchange traded fund (ETF) treatment is wind.

Personal Finance News

* AOL launches personal finance site
Time Warner Inc's AOL will launch a personal finance site on Tuesday, adding to a roster of new properties that do not bear its name ... com, is a spin-off of AOL's Money & Finance channel and will focus on consumer and personal finance... AOL launches personal finance site.

* The week's 10 best Personal Finance stories: July 14-18
The week's 10 best Personal Finance stories: July 14-18.

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

* Weekend Beach Reading: July 21, 2008
My work has been published in The Dick Davis Digest, The Bull & Bear Financial Report, BusinessWeek, Kiplinger's Personal Finance, MSN Money, TheStreet.com, The Wall St... The 10Q Detective is recommended as a "Must-Read" money blog in Kiplinger's Personal Finance (Oct. 2006 & May 2008), a "Best of Financial Blogs" by BusinessWeek (Feb.

* 'Is My Money Safe In A Bank?'
July 19, 2008. NPR's Scott Simon talks to Gail MarksJarvis, personal finance blogger for the Chicago Tribune , about her recent post, "Is my money safe in a bank. Information collected by NPR will be used solely for internal NPR or NPR member station purposes and only if you selected 'yes' above.

* Green Sherpa to Enter the Online Personal Finance Market in September
The tagline, "a more efficient way to track your personal finances," is intriguing ( note 1 ), but no word on how it ... New Models for Lead Generation Auctions, personal finance communities, and tools provide alternatives to Google AdWords- Find out ... Jim Bruene Green Sherpa to Enter the Online Personal Finance Market in September.

* If Your SUV Is Worthless as a Trade-In, Is There a Gas Price That Will Compel You to Simply Junk It?
... Burns is a newspaper columnist and author who has covered personal finance and investments for nearly 40 years. Today, he is one of the five most widely read personal finance writers in the country, according to The Dallas Morning News ... Co-founded by personal finance writer Scott Burns, AssetBuilder's portfolios are an extension of Burns ...

* Four Personal Finance Tips for Dealing With Divorce
Four Personal Finance Tips for Dealing With Divorce.

* Financial Website June Traffic: Yahoo! (YHOO) And AOL Still Out Front
BusinessWeek and Bloomberg were in a dead heat. Bloomberg had 1.812 million unique visitors to BusinessWeek's 1.916 million. Personal finance sites SmartMoney had 675,000 unique visitors and Kiplinger had 1.122 million. Among newer, independent financial sites, SeekingAlpha had 671,000 unique visitors, Minyanville had 116,000, and Street Insider 151,000. Douglas A.

Mutual Funds News

* Some mutual funds hold up in down markets
During the same period, three mutual funds I own that invest mostly in stocks posted gains averaging ... The Individual Investor's Guide to The Top Mutual Funds , published annually by the not-for-profit American Association of ... download it from www.aaii.com by clicking on Top Mutual Funds Guide under publications on the panel to the left.

* Fund managers who don't eat their cooking rub shareholders raw
For mutual-fund managers mulling an investment, a lack of ownership is a ... John Templeton, the legendary mutual-fund manager who was a pioneer of international investing and later ... Indeed, it's comforting to know that the people running your mutual fund have their money -- and their family's cash -- mixed into the ...

* Less Risk, More Reward
... who participated in the little-fish rally via Royce Pennsylvania Mutual Fund (PENNX) enjoyed a whopping gain of 104.6% without experiencing any ... that you can't beat the market with individual stocks or mutual funds... Shannon Zimmerman owns shares of the Royce Pennsylvania Mutual Fund.

* Mutual Fund Advisory Madness
... to invest in a diversified group of funds or a mutual fund advisory program... on your answers, you'll get a recommended allocation of several mutual funds that cover different investment styles, such as large-cap growth ... First, mutual fund advisory programs provide a dependable income stream... Count your costs Used properly, a diversified portfolio of mutual funds can lower your risk and actually increase returns over time ...

* Mutual Funds and ETF Growth
If actively managed mutual funds also manage to beat the market, it may help slow down the explosive growth of the ETF industry... Aaron Katsman Mutual Funds and ETF Growth.

* SIPs a big draw among small investors
According to fund houses, the SIP route of investing in mutual funds has seen a quantum jump over the past few months ... in the investor mindset,” says Vikrant Gugnani, CEO of Reliance Mutual Fund... According to HDFC Mutual Fund MD Milind Barve, investing in SIPs helps an investor generate ... new investors have taken the SIP route to invest in mutual funds in the last three months.

* Money Market Funds: No-Brainer, or No Brains?
Money market mutual funds invest in short-term securities issued by the U.S ... provides that at least 95% of money market mutual fund assets must be invested in “first-tier” investments (AA or ... Yields for both money market deposit accounts and money market mutual funds can vary with the market, unlike CDs, which have a ... without insurance, don't leave your money in a money market mutual fund.

* The ultimate buy-and-hold strategy- 2008 Update
... understand and easy to apply using low-cost no-load mutual funds... for pension funds, large corporations and a family of terrific mutual funds that are available to the public through a select group ... finding the right gurus or managers, the right stocks or mutual funds... more important than finding the very “best” stocks, bonds or mutual funds.

* Dividend Funds Can Lessen Risk to Income
... Caterpillar ( CAT ), CSX ( CSX ), Medtronic ( MDT ), Monsanto ( MON ) and Target ( TGT. Another tactic is to get into a mutual fund that ferrets out such companies... Another option is mutual funds that focus on companies with large dividend yields... Mutual fund data provided by Lipper. Mutual Fund NAVs are as of previous day's close. Earnings estimates provided by Zacks Investment Research.

* Resources Dominate Among Best Mutual Funds
There are now over 66,000 mutual funds worldwide and their total assets at the end of 2007 ... which accounted for 72% of the world's net sales of mutual funds in 2007, and 45% of the net assets... four years households have purchased a net $2.2 trillion in mutual funds, ETFs and closed end funds while they sold a net ...

ETFs News

* 2008 Is The Year Of The ETF Launch
... flies on, so does the number of exchange traded funds (ETFs) being introduced to the industry... Although the general economy has slowed, the ETF world has simply gone about its business. The first half of 2008 showed us 120 new ETFs and exchange traded notes (ETNs) alone, according to Lipper, reports ...

* ETF Guru Marvin Appel's Trading Strategy
... investors beat the market three months at a time using ETFs, and which ETFs do you recommend for this strategy... The ETFs selected in this way are held for the upcoming quarter ... the end of which the total returns for all the ETFs in the menus are re-evaluated... results are based on the underlying index benchmarks for the ETFs and do not reflect actual ETF expense ratios, taxes or transaction costs ...

* ETF Top Dogs
2008 has put every exchange-traded fund and ETF investor to the test... here for July buys and sells in Jim Lowell's Forbes ETF Advisor... Against 2008's hostile tape, our top ranked ETFs delivered the goods--all besting their benchmark by either relative ... Here at ETF Advisor, we've seen that, over the years, our ETF ranking system has been rewarding, and this year is no ...

* Bank-stock ETFs On Track For Biggest Losses Ever
... were set to post their biggest daily decline since the ETF was launched in June of 2006. SPDR KBW Regional Banking ETF was down over 8% in afternoon trading Monday, its largest ... Similarly, a broader bank ETF, SPDR KBW Bank ETF , was also on track for the largest daily loss in ...

* China ETFs Can Help Investors Harness Asian e-commerce
... trends in consumer spending are important for exchange traded fund(ETF) investors to understand, and give insight into the lucrative areas ... also shaking up the country and its exchange traded funds (ETFs... ETF Banks On Chinese Currency To Be Number “Yuan” Against U ... it's fortunate for them that there's an exchange traded fund (ETF) to.

* It’s All In the Construction With Commodity ETFs
When it comes to exchange traded funds (ETFs), investment strategy can make all the difference... Energy exchange traded funds (ETFs) have been abuzz for 2008, thanks to the price ... with hedge fund investors is now being applied to an exchange traded note (ETN... market of raw materials could be an investment opportunity with exchange traded funds (ETFs.

* No Bailout for Fannie and Freddie Leaves Financial ETFs Trying to Stay Afloat
... ruled out - throwing the housing market into question and related exchange traded funds (ETFs) lower... falloff in direct foreign investment to Mexico hurt the country's exchange traded fund (ETF... The markets and exchange traded funds (ETFs) appear to be mostly chewing on the news about ... for the financial and homebuilding sectors continued today, while related exchange traded funds (ETFs) differed in their reactions.

* iShares plans to extend inflation-linked bond ETF range
iShares, a provider of exchange-traded funds, has announced that it plans to extend its inflation-linked bond ETF range, at a time when rising ... The existing iShares inflation-linked exchange-traded funds (ETFs) listed on the London Stock Exchange include: iShares Euro Inflation Linked Bond, iShares GBP Index-Linked Gilts ...

Personal Finance News

* How to Ride Out a Bear Market
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.

* The week's 10 best Personal Finance stories: July 7-11
The week's 10 best Personal Finance stories: July 7-11.

* Sound Investing: "Best Money Podcast"- Money Magazine
... of an iPod - and frankly, neither did we - check out this weekly Seattle-area radio show, which you can download as a podcast. It features Paul Merriman, the founder of money- management firm Merriman Berkman Next, and Tom Cox, the firm's director of educational services, who take an entertainingly sardonic view on personal finance. read the rest of the article.

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

* Consumer Debt, Not Housing Bubble, May Be Root Of Economic Woes
... credit cards, is at an all-time high of $947.4 billion. Americans are in more debt than ever before," said Brad Stroh, co-CEO and co-founder of Bills.com , an online personal finance Web site. The credit card industry could be the next domino to fall if consumers don't get a handle on their personal finances soon. Fundamental changes.

* Weekend Beach Reading: July 14, 2008
My work has been published in The Dick Davis Digest, The Bull & Bear Financial Report, BusinessWeek, Kiplinger's Personal Finance, MSN Money, TheStreet.com, The Wall St... The 10Q Detective is recommended as a "Must-Read" money blog in Kiplinger's Personal Finance (Oct. 2006 & May 2008), a "Best of Financial Blogs" by BusinessWeek (Feb.

* Cut Your Car Costs (Autos: Personal Finance) at SmartMoney.com
Cut Your Car Costs (Autos: Personal Finance) at SmartMoney.com.

Index Funds News

* 4 options that improve a 401(k) plan
And remember that index funds often charge much less than actively managed funds. It's not unusual for index funds to have expense ratios of 0.5 percent or less. Regardless of how much your investment costs, you still need to see if you're getting a good return for your money compared to offerings from other companies.

* Retirement: When time isn't on your side
Shifting to an index fund that charges as little as 0.2% from an actively managed stock fund that charges 1.2%, for instance, gives you a full percentage point more in return, all else being equal. Money-market yields are hovering around 2%, but you can get 3% at an online bank like ING Direct.

* Why pension funds beat mutual funds
Among such firms are Ariel, Bridgeway, Davis, FPA, Longleaf, Numeric, Oakmark, Third Avenue and Tweedy Browne. Finally, you can buy a whole-market index fund from a low-cost firm like Fidelity, T. Rowe Price or Vanguard - which eliminates unnecessary trading entirely, since these funds always own everything. As Vanguard's founder Jack Bogle likes to say, "Buy right and sit ...

* Target-Date Funds Hit Their Stride
Jonathan Shelon, co-manager of Fidelity Freedom Funds, says mega-caps, with their broad businesses and large international components, offer investors diversity. That's why Fidelity Investments, the largest target-date fund provider, with $94.4 billion in assets, introduced Fidelity 100 Index Fund ( FOHIX ) last year. It's made up of major U.S.

* High Yield Energy Stocks
Then too, utility dividend rates aren't all that great now anyway. The Vanguard Utility Index Fund pays just about 3.5. Scratch retail utilities. There is another class of utilities in the US which is regulated at the federal level instead of at the state level, and it does not bill retail tax payers monthly like the local electric utility does.

* How You Can Shop For A 529 Savings Account
That plan lets you invest either in index funds or actively managed portfolios that boost their asset allocation to bonds as your child nears high school graduation... And there's the buy-and-hold tack - take an index fund that you can stick with for years. In addition, there is a tax deduction for Oregon taxpayers up to $4,000 per ...

* Global Investing in One Tidy Package
... fund (symbol VTWSX) requires a $3,000 minimum investment and charges 0.45 percent in annual expenses. So far, not many ETFs offer global exposure. Vanguard's competition includes the iShares MSCI ACWI Index fund (ACWI), which is based on the MSCI All Country World Index. It invests in roughly 700 companies in 39 countries and charges 0.35 percent annually. Tags: investing.

* The Worst Investment I've Ever Seen
Before I name names, some background: Index funds and exchange-traded funds are hugely popular. Hundreds of billions of dollars are tied up in index funds; the mammoth S&P 500-tracking Vanguard 500 Inde x ... The First American Equity Index fund is also an S&P 500-tracking index fund.

Exchange-Traded Funds News

* Replicating Portfolios with ETFs
Below is how investors could replicate their portfolios with ETFs... Mebane Faber Replicating Portfolios with ETFs.

* New ETF Tracks Index Based On Hedge Funds
... of time before a firm rolled out a fund of ETFs that tracks the hedge fund market... The vast majority of the fund's assets will be in ETFs... Using ETFs to build a regular open-ended fund enables tracking the ... The weights of each ETF are determined by the IQ Alpha Hedge Index, which tries ...

* ETF Update: Bearish Dollar, Biofuel ETFs, Gold and Silver ETFs
... back into the bearish court, and don't worry: there's an ETF for that... Can Biofuels And ETFs Weather The Elements... well-being of crops, alarming Wall Street investors and related ETFs... only thing looking shiny are precious metals, and their related ETFs... Tom Lydon ETF Update: Bearish Dollar, Biofuel ETFs, Gold and Silver ETFs.

* Solar ETFs Slide as Third Quarter Opens
Gold ETFs made a return to this column on Tuesday... The two key solar ETFs, Claymore/MAC Global Solar Energy ( TAN ) and Market Vectors Solar ... Pad Invesco PowerShares announced that its Global Wind Energy Portfolio ETF began trading today... A look at how the industry's most popular ETFs did on Tuesday.

* Consumer Reluctance to Use Cars Could Benefit Internet ETFs
Besides the gasoline-related stocks and exchange traded funds (ETFs), is there any other way to try and benefit from ... Gary Gordon for ETF Expert is thinking that higher fuel prices will inspire more ... This ETF is equally distributed between growth-oriented companies and manages to ... Tom Lydon Consumer Reluctance to Use Cars Could Benefit Internet ETFs.

* ETF Portfolio - General * US * News * Story
With more than 600 ETFs to choose from, building an ETF portfolion can seem a bit overwhelming for the average investor ... That's why we asked two ETF experts to start with some simple principles and create a ... Matt Hougan, editor of IndexUniverse.com , a publication that tracks ETFs, did just that.

* ETF Assets Alive And Growing
... the news seems plagued by negativity, the assets invested in exchange traded funds (ETFs) continues to grow... U.S.-listed exchange traded fund (ETF) and exchange traded note (ETN) assets climbed upward for the month of April ... – As far as exchange traded funds (ETFs) and exchange traded notes (ETNs) go, how lucrative was March madness ...

* Water ETF
An exchange-traded fund that invests in companies operating in industries such as water treatment and purification, water ... Commodity Commodity ETF Dow Jones AIG Commodity Index - DJ-AIGCI Exchange-Traded Fund - ETF... Special Feature: Exchange-Traded Funds - ETFs allow you to enjoy the diversification benefits of a mutual fund with the ...

* Retail ETFs Affected By Teens “Dropping Out”
... gas prices are affecting parents’ spare change, affecting the retail exchange traded funds (ETFs) to an extent... – Retail exchange traded funds (ETFs) were down midday today despite better-than-expected numbers ... pinch is being felt everywhere, from the gas pump to exchange traded funds (ETFs... – Retail exchange traded funds (ETFs) are ringing ka-ching in midday trading after some ...

* Target Your Retirement With Life-Cycle ETFs
Life-cycle. exchange-traded funds. ETFs.

* Pairing Up ETFs May Be A Way To Head Off Volatility
In an attempt to stave off market volatility, trading in pairs of exchange traded funds (ETFs), or pairs trading, can be an option for investors who want ... 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 ...

* Morningstar analysts cut bank, builder exposure in ETF portfolios
BOSTON (MarketWatch) -- Morningstar Inc.'s investment newsletter for exchange-traded funds this week sold battered financials and home-builder stocks in its model portfolios, a move designed to cut its ... Exchange-traded funds and notes tracking market indexes have become popular tools for implementing asset-allocation plans and model portfolios.

* Canada And ETF Come Out Smiling After Happiness Study
... on Earth, and they are getting happier - could it be because their exchange traded fund (ETFs) is one of the best single-country performers year-to-date ... 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 ...

* Five Real Estate ETFs For Contrarians (REZ, RTL)
This article will examine several REIT ETFs ; two of them are short-term winners with a limited ... To learn more about ETFs, and how they work, read An Inside Look At ETF Construction ... Vanguard REIT Index ETF (AMEX: VNQ ) and DJ Wilshire REIT ETF (AMEX: RWR ) These two ETFs have the same top three holdings, and both have returned ...

* Can Biofuels And ETFs Weather The Elements?
... flooded out, as harsh weather in the Midwest threatens the well-being of crops, alarming Wall Street investors and related exchange traded funds (ETFs... 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.

Personal Finance News and Views

* The week's 10 best Personal Finance stories
The week's 10 best Personal Finance stories - MarketWatch... The week's 10 best Personal Finance stories: June 30-July 4.

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

* The Savage Truth: Don't Buy Savings Bonds
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.

* Color of Money Book Club
Personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary will host an online discussion with Robert and Melinda Blanchard , authors of "Changing Your Course: The 5-Step Guide to Getting the Life You Want" (Sterling), on Thursday, July 3 at ... Personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary hosts a free-for-all discussion about money matters.

* When It Comes to Saving, Who Would You Listen to: My Wife or Milton Friedman?
My response when Money magazine asked for the best advice I had ever received about personal finance... My response when Money magazine asked for the best advice I had ever received about personal finance: When I was a first-year assistant professor at the University of Chicago, my friend and ...

* Personal Finance Notebook: Financial scams come in all forms
cbuck@sacbee.com (Claudia Buck) Personal Finance Notebook: Financial scams come in all forms.

* New help for people managing money worries
Support for personal finance education in schools, through the Government's new GBP11.5m three-year programme ... determined to do more to create an environment where people get personal finance education and information from the start of their lives to the ... find ways to improve the nation's financial capability and understanding of personal finance.

* Get Through a Bear Market: Don’t Cut Your Losses - Consumerism Commentary: A Personal Finance Blog
Flexo Get Through a Bear Market: Don’t Cut Your Losses - Consumerism Commentary: A Personal Finance Blog.

Index Funds News

* If Index Funds Are a Commodity, Why Are Their Fees So Divergent?
... in the fees (and therefore the performance) of S&P index funds... While the market for index funds isn’t homogeneous, the researchers find that at least it ... It turns out that the price of an index fund has a lot more to do with the economics of ... If institutional investors priced S&P 500 Index funds as commodities, they would be unlikely to continue to commit ...

* What Would Warren Buffett Do?
You may have heard about index funds or "passive investing." These are related to diversification, and they are an investor's best friends... In fact, he recently placed a million-dollar bet that an index fund based on the S&P 500 would outperform a collection of hedge funds. Embracing diversification is at the heart of this blog.

* Fidelity ads trumpet low-cost index funds
... to beat Vanguard at its own game, touting low-cost index funds to investors who are increasingly counting pennies and percentage points ... Leading with "Attention Vanguard Index Fund Owners," Fidelity launched an ad campaign in April touting its index funds as being 33% to 58% less expensive than those of ... and our heritage." The ad compares prices of Fidelity's Spartan index funds investor class to Vanguard's index funds investor class.

* The Fundamental Index Offers a Breakthrough Strategy for Capturing the Best Market Returns at the Lowest Cost
... fundamental index outperforms most powerfully when excess returns are needed most, during market and economic downturns. In short, Arnott's innovative and straightforward strategy gives investors a new tool to achieve excess returns in a projected low-return environment while preserving the many positive attributes of index fund investing... The Virtues of Index Funds... The Index Fund's Achilles Heel. Chapter 6.

* Smart Advice for the HuffPost Investor: Ten Simple Steps to Level the Playing Field for Investors
... have Target Retirement Funds (where the underlying funds were primarily index funds), and low cost index funds covering the domestic stock market, the international stock market and ... The overwhelming data indicates that, over the long-term, index funds are very likely to outperform actively managed funds of comparable ... Returns from index funds do not represent the performance of any investment advisory firm ...

* New Vanguard Global Fund Beats Competitors on Price
... Global Investors and State Street Global Advisors: On Thursday, the index fund provider launched the Vanguard Total World Stock Index Fund, which comes in Investor, Institutional and—of course—ETF shares ... Index Fund (NASDAQ: ACWX )—and one completely global ETF, the iShares MSCI ... in registration: The NETS Dow Jones Wilshire Global Total Market Index Fund from Northern Trust could probably hit the market at any ...

Exchange-Traded Funds News and Views

* Investors' Favorite ETFs in June
Five of the 20 most popular ETFs in June were of the leveraged variety. But to their credit, the ETF set showed a distinct attraction to "short" leveraged funds that ... In the accompanying table of the 20 most popular ETFs in June, as measured by average daily dollar volume of ...

* ETF Update: Large Cap ETFs, Euro Inflation, ETFs Above 200-Day Average
As far as ETFs divvied up by cap size and growth vs... But now ETF provider SPA says there are a number of factors that ... Euro Countries Hits a 16-Year High; Could It Dent ETFs... Tom Lydon ETF Update: Large Cap ETFs, Euro Inflation, ETFs Above 200-Day Average ...

* Active ETFs: Investing Revolution or More of the Same Hype?
I've been trying to decide if active ETFs are an investing revolution or just more of the same ... The language I hear from everyone around the ETF industry is that the patent would never hold up... I think it's fairly easy to say that ETFs are by and large a better mousetrap, whether with a ... funds and their investors would be better served in an ETF structure.

* ETF Update: Greater Flexibility, More Strategies
The diversity of new ETF offerings offers many more choices for the investor... and noted the rise in our strength ratings for "inverse" ETFs. Tom Lydon's excellent ETF Trends raises the bidding with this article about a " triple ... Our weekly ETF Update is designed to assist both investors and traders interested in ETF's and Sector Rotation ...

* ETFs Come of Age
The secret to the success of ETFs is that it is one of the few packaged investments ... of entry, and exit, has led to some fears that ETF investments are hot money, just chasing the flavor of the ... Institutions do use ETFs for short-term purposes,” Latham emphasized... I don’t buy the argument that ETFs are just for trading geeks.

* The Debate On Levered / Inverse ETFs
With indexing and ETFs, one would think it’s all about gaining exposure to ... However, today’s ETF industry is one that has evolved... Unlike Bogle who might find some degree of the sector ETF universe unnecessary, I would side with Schmick on the benefits of sector ETFs for defensive strategies ...

* The ETF-Mutual Fund Debate Continued: Money, Money, Money
... Coleman's and Jim Wiandt's recent blog posts: The real reason ETFs will have a hard time taking over the world is ... Inside 401(k)s, ETFs face additional challenges, as outlined brilliantly by David Blanchett and ... ETFs have grown much faster and for much longer than anyone ... I don't know if ETFs will eclipse mutual funds on a net asset basis - an ...

* Crazy ETF Ideas
Funny Matt Hougan should mention active ETFs... 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.

* Dollar-Cost Averaging With ETFs
It is a particularly popular strategy among mutual fund investors, as mutual funds (particularly in the context of 401(k) plans ) have such low investment minimums that investors can systematically deposit amounts as small as $25 (or less) without worrying about their investment returns being diminished by transaction costs. Exchange-traded funds. ETFs.

* When It Comes to ETFs, Keep Your Eyes Open
Exchange traded funds (ETFs) can have a number of objectives for the investor, aside from the immediately obvious ones. Beyond the goal of building wealth for the investor, ETFs have several other functions, suggests Peter Way for Forbes. Protection from general market adversity, such as with short and ultra short funds.

Mutual Funds News Roundup

* Second-Quarter Mutual Fund Update
...according to Lipper, a New York company that tracks mutual fund performance, U.S... Murphy Second-Quarter Mutual Fund Update.

* Alternatives to putting your cash in the mattress in July
What individual investors should consider are mutual funds that go up in value when interest rates go up ... Mutual funds such as these can be charted just like stocks although ... This is because most mutual funds report only one value per day -- their closing net asset ... long rates will rise, similar to the Rydex and ProFunds mutual funds.

* Your Mutual Fund's Hidden Costs
When looking for a mutual fund, most Fools make sure to check out its track record ... Suppose you're looking at two higher-risk mutual funds that both aim for robust capital appreciation... Your Mutual Fund's Hidden Costs.

* The Cost of Active Investing
... in a bundle of carefully selected individual stocks, or select mutual funds that concentrate on a specific subsector of the market, such ... It's no piece of cake finding a winning mutual fund... Remember that if 75% of managed mutual funds fail to beat the market average, that means 25% of ...

* Vanguard's Patent
The other thing that's keeping mutual fund companies out of the ETF arena is Vanguard's patent... the only company that can launch an ETF as a share class of an existing mutual fund... writer and biotech analyst for the first (and so-far only) fully transparent actively managed mutual fund, OpenFund.

* Small differences in fund fees can add up to big savings
... rocky last year, Tim Koehler starting paying attention to his mutual-fund fees... developer had relied on his financial adviser to select the mutual funds in his Roth IRA, and they all carried sales charges ... the expense ratio paid by the average investor in retail mutual funds stayed level last year at 0.9 percent, according to Morningstar ...

* Morningstar: ETFs Will Never Replace Mutuals
... and communications, told JoAnne Von Alroth of Investor's Business Daily that ETFs will never replace mutual funds... have the time to get the diversity exclusively from ETFs that they can get in mutual funds. The traditional open-end mutual fund will continue to be the building block of most people's portfolio.

* Women and Money: Save your money, avoid these five financial pitfalls
... company, and the money you invest is used to buy mutual funds within the annuity... Compare that with many mutual funds that charge 0.5 percent or less... a lot more sense to go with a low-cost mutual fund rather than a variable annuity... And the tax bill when you sell your mutual fund can be a lot better than the deal on your ...

* Vanguard's New Total World ETF
The sister mutual fund ( VTWSX ) has a higher expense ratio and charges a 2 ... In the short term, the mutual fund would be a better choice if you have a time ... The mutual fund will definitely execute at NAV on the day you place ... ETF sponsors don’t have — the ability to offer a mutual fund or an ETF for the same objective (actually the same ...

* Separately Managed Accounts: A Mutual Fund Alternative
On one side are the traditional products designed for middle-income individual investors, like the retail classes of mutual funds ; these have modest initial investment requirements... Separately Managed Accounts: A Mutual Fund Alternative.

* Mutual funds that flower at midyear can sour by year-end
Some investors look through the midyear mutual fund results searching for "new names," the next hot fund on ... The column has just one ongoing tradition, specifically that a mutual fund leading the pack at the mid-way point always gets ... Mutual funds that flower at midyear can sour by year-end.

* How our 10 investment themes for 2008 are faring at midyear
... that can win championships in every season, all on MarketWatch's Mutual Funds/ETF page this week... The veteran mutual-fund manager blames this latest slump directly on former Federal Reserve ... Stock and bond mutual-fund managers face a tattered investing and economic landscape... Eastern Europe is enjoying a wave of economic growth, and mutual-fund manager Agne Zitkute is positioning her shareholders for the ride ...

* Pay Attention to Turnover
You're all excited -- you've found a mutual fund that looks terrific... isn't about the manager's pastry preferences -- it reflects the percentage of a mutual fund's assets that have turned over in the past year.

* Where to park your inflation-struck funds?
Investing in systematic investment plans (SIPs) of mutual funds, whereby you invest a certain quantum every month, is a ... invest, put in Rs 70 in balance fund schemes of mutual funds, which balance investments in equity and debt, through the SIP ... Actually, SIPs of mutual funds are diversified largecap funds and according to me this is ...