ETF investing: Watch for these pitfalls

Article Excerpt

The best exchange-traded funds offer investors well-diversified portfolios of high-quality stocks with low fees. Still, investors need to be aware of some potential pitfalls with ETF investing. First, investors need to be sure they know all the ins and outs of what they are investing in. In North American markets, investors have the choice of hundreds of ETFs, each with its own unique investment objective. Subtle differences may deliver very different investment outcomes. For example, an ETF may invest either in physical gold or gold producers—an important difference which carries different risks and returns. Second, ETFs let you jump on short-term investment outlooks. However, this can result in big losses, especially with, say, inverse ETFs, which let you bet against the direction of markets. Far better to buy ETFs holding stocks with sound long-term prospects. Third, ETF providers are quick to respond to the latest investment fads by issuing and promoting ETFs that fit trendy themes. However, these fads often don’t last very…