FAP Turbo

Make Over 90% Winning Trades Now!

Saturday, November 7, 2009

ETF Trading Basics: The Advantages

By Patrick Deaton

There is no doubt that ETF trading is becoming an interesting topic for many people. The Exchange-Traded Funds market is very detailed. There are many different types of trading in this market and there are many moving parts when one starts ETF trading. This is a very brief look at the advantages of ETF trading and some information that may be helpful to a person who is just being introduced to ETF.

The first thing to be aware of with ETF is that when anyone talks about the "history" of ETF, they are not talking about Wall Street. ETF has been around a very short time and actively-managed since 2008. There are some very large financial firms involved in ETF and that is where the history comes in. One can look at the history of a financial firm or company and see how they have done in other areas of stocks and get a fairly good idea of their record of success.

ETF is growing rapidly. There are many financial advisors who are not knowledgeable of all the aspects of the market because of its rapid growth. In 2008 there were 628 ETFs with $562 billion dollars. By August, 2009, there were 858 with $674 billion. This type of growth, in a volatile market, makes ETFs were looking at seriously.

Among the benefits of ETFs is their likeness to stocks. The difference is that they are usually less expensive and are not actively-managed. Buying and selling of securities to accommodate shareholders does not take place with ETFs. Most ETFs don't have 12b-1 fees. And, there are lower distribution, accounting, and marketing expenses.

There is a tremendous amount of buying and selling flexibility. ETFs can be bought and sold at any time during the trading day. A person can purchase shares on margin and sell short which allows hedging strategies to be used. Most of the benefits of stock trading are included in ETF trading. A person can use stop order, limit orders, use stop-loss orders, and buy on margin options (puts, calls, etc).

Just as with mutual funds, ETFs have tax efficiency. There are low capital gains generated due to low turnover in portfolio securities. The trading gives market exposure and an investor has an economical way to balance their portfolio due to the diversity of trading options. One of the greatest advantages of ETF trading is the transparency. Daily transactions are posted on the ETF brokers website each day that gives a detailed analysis of the net asset value and other details regarding trading for the previous day.

The SEC provides an exemption in order for an ETF to be structured. Most are open-end management investment companies just as money market and mutual funds. This gives them greater flexibility in portfolio construction. ETFs participation in lending programs. They also use futures and options to achieve investment objectives. There is a proposal being considered to create an ETF category so that they will no longer need an exemption from the SEC.

When considering ETF trading it is important to talk to a professional who has knowledge about ETF trading and the intricacies of the market. There are many complex details that one should have a solid knowledge in before entering trading. A professional will be able to assist and advise an individual in the best strategy to be successful when they begin trading. - 23196

About the Author:

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home