If you do any investing there is a good chance that you’ve heard the words, “Exchange Traded Funds (ETF).” ETFs have become the fastest growing financial tool used by investors to build their portfolios. I have found many people who call me ask about ETFs but don’t really understand what they are.  ETFs are defined as “securities that track an index, a commodity or a basket of assets like an index fund, but trade like a stock on an exchange, thus experiencing price changes throughout the day as they are bought and sold.” In other words, an ETF is a security that tracks some kind of stock or bond index and allows the investor to closely track that specific index through buying this one particular product. For example, if an investor wants exposure to the S&P 500 stock index, he can either buy all 500 stocks, which would be very costly and time consuming, or he can purchase an ETF. The ETF will track the S&P index nearly point for point. Due to their low costs and simplicity, many investors are very keen to buy ETFs.

Overkill?

The first ETF was launched on the Toronto stock exchange back in 1990. Three years after that, the first one was launched in the United States, and they have been gaining in popularity ever since. Over the last three years, there has been an explosion of new ETFs, with hundreds of new products hitting the market, leaving investors trying to work out which product is best for them. As is usually the case, when Wall Street senses that something is popular, it will produce it in mass quantity in order to profit. Because of this, all kinds of esoteric ETFs were launched on all kinds of bizarre indices. There is even an ETF that specializes in metabolic endocrines, whatever that is? 

Interestingly, with the recent market meltdown, many of these more innovative ETFs have actually closed down due to lack of interest. Still, there are hundreds and hundreds of ETFs in the market. With this burgeoning industry coming up with all kinds of new and innovative products, ETFs seem to have moved away from their initial role of allowing investors linkage to a broad market index. Instead, they are leading investors into a false sense of security that they are indeed diversified, when in actual fact they are far from holding a well-diversified portfolio.

Advantages

There are many advantages to purchasing ETFs. First and foremost is diversification. By definition, ETFs give the investor potential exposure to hundreds, if not thousands, of different stocks, providing a well-diversified global portfolio, while investing passively without having to watch and follow a myriad of securities. Another benefit of ETF investing is liquidity. Because they trade like individual stocks, ETFs can be bought and sold throughout the trading day, thus allowing active traders to try and time the market and cash in on intra-day market moves.

Managed Portfolio

How can an investor capture the advantages of these products while trying to wade through all the minutiae out there? More and more financial advisers have begun offering what are called “Core ETF” portfolios. The idea is that these portfolios are globally diversified using basic ETFs. However, they follow mathematical models that help the investor obtain a well-diversified portfolio, while limiting some of the volatility that comes with investing. This creates the benefit of being linked to many stock indices, with the knowledge that the most appropriate ETFs are being used. In this case, the client does not need to worry about which ETF to use. Rather, he relies upon the analysis and expertise of advisers who specialize in this particular field.

Many investors find ETFs useful in building their portfolio. Be aware, when you look at their results, that past performance is no guarantee of future returns. It may be worthwhile asking your investment adviser if ETFs can be used to diversify your portfolio in a low-cost, efficient manner.

Aaron Katsman is President of Global Investments at Profile Investment Services.  He is a licensed financial professional both in the U.S. and Israel, and helps people who open investment accounts in the U.S. Securities are offered through Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. a registered broker dealer, Member NASD, SIPC, MSRB, SIFMA. For more information, go to www.profile-financial.com or call (02) 624-2788 or (03) 524-0942, or email aaron@profile-financial.com