Topic: How To Invest

I would appreciate your comments on the iShares Diversified Monthly Income Fund. This ETF has a good yield, but I’m wondering if there are any risks. Thanks.

Article Excerpt

iShares Diversified Monthly Income Fund ETF, $11.95, symbol XTR on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 60.5 million; Market cap: $723.0 million; ca.ishares.com), holds units of eight different iShares exchange traded funds. Among these holdings are units of three bond funds that add up to 54.2% of the iShares Diversified Monthly Income Fund ETF’s assets. These are the iShares DEX Hybrid Bond Index Fund, the iShares U.S. High Yield Bond Index Fund and the iShares 1-5 Year Laddered Corporate Bond Index Fund, all of which hold corporate bonds. As a general rule, the safest bonds are issued by or guaranteed by the federal government. Next are provincial issues or bonds with provincial guarantees. After that come corporate bonds. The risk on corporate bonds varies widely. Some corporates are almost as safe as government bonds and offer only slightly higher yields. Some corporates are far riskier but may not offer enough extra interest to offset that risk. Their high yields may signal danger rather…