Mutual Fund to ETF/ Index mapping website ?

[Delawaredave]

Any good websites / analyses that suggest a corresponding Index or ETF for a given mutual fund ?

I have a bunch of managed funds - interested in finding the "best matching" index or ETF.

I'd like to make a table of my current managed funds and the "best match" index or ETF.

Thanks !

[LOL!]

Here is a good web site:
http://early-retirement.org/forums/i...?topic=10663.0

What you do is post your funds in a message and the friendly folks there suggest an ETF that matches each fund.

[justin]

check out the vanguard tool I linked to here:

http://early-retirement.org/forums/i...2753#msg192753

It will give you the vanguard equivalent fund(s), and they have a pretty broad selection of index funds available, many with ETF equivalents.

[Delawaredave]

Originally Posted by LOL!

What you do is post your funds in a message and the friendly folks there suggest an ETF that matches each fund.

Cute... here's some I'm pondering:

FIREX - fidelity international real estate
SJPNX - japan fund
FGIRX - fidelity growth and income
FCNTX - fidelity contra fund
FLPSX - fidelity low price stock fund
FEMKX -fidelity emerging markets

Thanks !

Originally Posted by justin

http://early-retirement.org/forums/i...2753#msg192753

Thanks !

[LOL!]

For starters, there are a few easy ones to map (without any delving into holdings whatsoever by me):

FEMKX == EEM
SJPNX == EWJ
FGIRX == SPY

[JJac]

Please forgive the ignorant question: What are the main advantages of an ETF over the MF?

I assume more liquid (trades like a stock so you can sell anytime) and lower expense ratio? Anything else?

[justin]

SJPNX - japan fund
VPACX mutual fund or VPL in ETF version - ~75% Japan, 25% other australasian countries


FEMKX -fidelity emerging markets
VEIEX mutual fund or VWO in ETF version - broad emerging markets index.

[LOL!]

Originally Posted by JJac

Please forgive the ignorant question: What are the main advantages of an ETF over the MF?

I assume more liquid (trades like a stock so you can sell anytime) and lower expense ratio? Anything else?

Sometimes ETFs have a lower expense ratio. Sometimes the mutual fund does.
Generally, the ETF does not distribute capital gains at all, but it will distribute dividends. Thus, the ETF is generally more tax efficient.

If you have a brokerage account, the commissions are often less on ETFs than on Vanguard funds. Of course, you can purchase Vanguard funds directly from Vanguard without commission. The minimum purchase for an ETF can be a fraction of a share. The minimum purchase of a Vanguard index fund can be in the thousands of dollars. Some Vanguard funds are closed to new investors. ETFs are not.

Your ETF shares can count toward your margin requirements.

We own both ETFs and index mutual funds. I prefer the ETFs for tax reasons.

[Nords]

Originally Posted by JJac

Anything else?

An actively-managed fund will occasionally struggle to put cash to work and popular ones have to deal with fund bloat. Meanwhile ETFs (and index mutual funds) can remain fully invested.

You can short ETFs, although I think that's a lot more risky than shorting individual stocks.

ETFs aren't necessarily a good deal if you're dollar-cost averaging. It's usually cheaper to go with an index fund (buying shares with no commission) or making fewer purchases during the year. It all depends on the expense ratios.

[LOL!]

One can use a limit order to buy ETFs, but not mutual funds.

I like to purchase ETFs on big down days in the market. This is because studies show that if you miss the worst N days in a give time span, that you come out ahead of the market averages. It is very easy to determine when a day is a "worst" day just by looking at the stock market about 15 minutes before the close of trading. So that's when I tend to purchase a chunk of shares. I use a limit order so I know the max price I am going to pay. It's probably not an advantage, but it seems so to me.

[FinanceDude]

Originally Posted by Nords

You can short ETFs, although I think that's a lot more risky than shorting individual stocks.

Just curious why you think this, because most ETF's are tied to a larger sector and/or index, and there's impuned whipsaw that could happen inside, or what?

I have had pretty good success shorting certain ETF's in the past 5 years.........as part of risk management strategy.......better luck than I have had shorting individual stocks...............

[Nords]

Originally Posted by FinanceDude

Just curious why you think this, because most ETF's are tied to a larger sector and/or index, and there's impuned whipsaw that could happen inside, or what?

I think it's easier to short individual stocks because it's easier to find declining trends in a filing, shenanigans in a financial report, jerks in the front office, downside surprises like a failed drug trial, or a coordinated bad-news campaign.

I think it's harder to short an index (even the NASDAQ) because the gains of the 10% of the stocks which don't get the word can easily wipe out the losses of the rest of the index...

[Delawaredave]

Stupid question: what's the difference between an Index fund and ETF ?

Thanks !

[LOL!]

Not much difference. I own both. To me the major differences amount to how the shares are purchased.

https://flagship.vanguard.com/VGApp/...sMFContent.jsp


Added: An ETF does not necessarily try to track an index, just like a mutual fund does not always try to track an index. An index ETF and an index mutual fund are pretty much the same. You can compare VTI and VTSMX and they are the same.

[Cb]

For a listing of the "best" MF's & ETF's in a number of asset classes:

http://www.altruistfa.com/dfavanguard.htm

For costs of MF's vs ETF's:

http://assetbuilder.com/?cat=8

Cb

[LOL!]

And

Originally Posted by Delawaredave

Stupid question: what's the difference between an Index fund and ETF ?

Thanks !

And Scott Burns answers the question:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...1.31b4a84.html

[Delawaredave]

Originally Posted by LOL!

And
And Scott Burns answers the question:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...1.31b4a84.html

Wow - yesterday's column - talk about timely - thanks !

[JohnEyles]

Originally Posted by LOL!

I like to purchase ETFs on big down days in the market. This is because studies show that if you miss the worst N days in a give time span, that you come out ahead of the market averages. It is very easy to determine when a day is a "worst" day just by looking at the stock market about 15 minutes before the close of trading. So that's when I tend to purchase a chunk of shares.

What sort of thresholds do you use ? I guess it depends on how volatile the
index in question is - assuming you're purchasing index funds or ETFs.

[LOL!]

Originally Posted by JohnEyles

What sort of thresholds do you use ? I guess it depends on how volatile the
index in question is - assuming you're purchasing index funds or ETFs.

I do not use strict thresholds. I usually want to see a 150 point drop in one day in the Dow, but if had a 100 pt drop yesterday and a 75 point drop today, then I think about buying anyways.

For any given ETF, I do not really look at the drop it has, but look more in the overall market. OTOH, I am not adverse to doing a short term trade. Let see, checking my brokerage account, I have less than 24 trades in 2006. Here's an example of two of those transactions:

Buy EWJ on 1/18/2006 for 13.24, sell on 1/19/2006 for 13.55 ( EWJ was above 14 on 1/13/2006).

Is it market timing? Yes, but this activity is outside of my normal monthly investments.

[LOL!]

Originally Posted by Cb

For a listing of the "best" MF's & ETF's in a number of asset classes:

http://www.altruistfa.com/dfavanguard.htm

For costs of MF's vs ETF's:

http://assetbuilder.com/?cat=8

Cb

Hey Cb, thanks for the altruistfa link ... good info there. Also I did not realize that assetbuilder was Scott Burns's new web site.