International index funds and ETFs showed large tracking errors in 2009. In my first post on this topic, I explained how the time differences between North American and overseas markets can make it appear as if international funds are not tracking thei…
In a previous post, I pointed out that many international equity ETFs showed large tracking errors in 2009. For example, the iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund (XIN), which tracks European and Japanese stocks, trailed its benchmark index by 5.34%. The compar…
To be successful with money, it’s not enough to have a good strategy. You also need to avoid the emotional and psychological traps that snare so many investors. Gary Belsky and Thomas Gilovich examine these pitfalls in their eminently readable book o…
When you’re investing a relatively small amount of money — in an RESP or a Tax-Free Savings Account, for example — it pays to keep things simple. That’s especially true if you’re buying ETFs from one of the big banks’ discount brokerages. T…
In my previous post, I looked at the tracking errors on iShares ETFs in 2009. In this edition, we’ll look at how Claymore’s ETFs tracked their indexes last year.
Tracking error is the amount by which the fund’s actual return trails (o…
About a week ago, iShares released its annual Management Reports of Fund Performance, which disclose how well each ETF performed in 2009. I highly recommend that every ETF investor take the time to look at these once a year. You may receive them in the…
[Note: This post was an April Fool's joke!]
If you’re a disciple of the Couch Potato strategy, chances are that you handle your own investments without an advisor. And that’s the right decision for many people. However, over the past few months, I
In my previous post, I looked at the uneasiness many investors have about bonds when interest rates are poised to go up. Some readers of this blog and others (see these discussions on Financial Webring Forum and 50Plus.com) have argued that this discom…
