Industry News, Items of Interest, Databases and Other Links

News Links & Databases

ETFguide.com - ETFguide.com releases news, comment, and has a database that uses an ETF classification methodology developed by Richard Ferri. The method categorizes ETFs according to the investment strategy used in the underlying index.

IndexUniverse.com - A comprehensive site on index fund investing that included breaking industry news, commentary, and database of index funds and ETFs.

Morningstar.com - Morningstar provides excellent news, information and a robust database on mutual funds and ETFs as part of their comprehensive coverage of the mutual fund universe.

Major Fund Providers

Vanguard Group - The Vanguard Group is a leader in low-cost mutual funds. Besides one of the best places to shop for index funds and ETFs, Vanguard's Education, Planning, and Advice section is one of the best on the web. There is lots of good information in the "Plain Talk Library".

Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) - DFA began operations in 1981 to provide institutional investors with investment vehicles based on academic research. Since its inception in 1981, DFA has had close ties to many leading financial economists, including Gene Fama, Ken French, Don Keim, and Nobel Laureates Myron Scholes and the late Merton Miller.

Barclays Global Investors (BGI) - BGI iShares are the world's most extensive family of Exchange-traded Funds (ETFs). iShares are liquid, easy to use, provide diversification, market tracking, and low expenses.

State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) - SSgA is another leading in low cost ETF management around the world. State Street’s S&P 500 SPDRs is the largest ETF on the market. The firm offers many online tools and much information.

Major Index Providers

MSCI/Barra - MSCI/Barra is a leading provider of index data on the US equity market. They have teamed up with S&P to provide many of the popular growth and value index fund benchmarks.

Standard & Poors (S&P) - S&P offers comprehensive analysis and commentary on all their global market indexes. S&P indexes are the leader in the amount of assets managed.

Wilshire Dow Jones - Wilshire Dow Jones offers a lot of great information on the markets and a wonderful historic section featuring charts that include major economic and world events. Wilshire indexes are considered the most complete U.S. equity benchmarks covering over 6,500 U.S. companies.

Frank Russell - Comprehensive information about all the Russell Indexes and methodology. The Russell 2000 index is a popular benchmark for small cap investors. 

Lehman Brothers Indexes (now owned by Barclays) - Lehman Brothers indexes are the most widely used fixed income benchmarks in the US. The family of Indices are used by a majority of U.S. and European investors and a growing share of Asian investors.

Interesting SEC Sites

Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) Beginners' Guide to Asset Allocation, Diversification, and Rebalancing
http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/assetallocation.htm

Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)
http://www.sec.gov/answers/etf.htm

Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) Mutual Fund Fees and Expenses
http://www.sec.gov/answers/mffees.htm