Now, more than ever, use caution when picking ETFs

Article Excerpt

In the 1950s, some shoe stores kept a specialized x-ray machine on the sales floor. The ads in the window said you could use the machine to check the fit on a new pair of shoes before buying them. Critics called it a gimmick to speed up shoe sales, and warned about the risk of needless exposure to x-rays. Something like this happens today with ETFs. For instance, fund marketers see ETFs as a potent selling tool. They can attract buyers for all sorts of investments that may be riskier than they appear. The ProShares Decline of the Retail Store ETF on the previous page provides an example. Its selling proposition is that you can make a lot of money by betting against bricks-and-mortar stores in the face of online competition. You do this through an ETF framework, which cuts your expenses. Adding the cost-cutting appeal of that second feature draws investor attention away from risk of the ETF’s strategy. Specifically, the unanticipated…