ETF Tip No. 5: Putting It All Together
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Here's the right way to use exchange-traded funds.
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Did you see Alan Greenspan on 60 Minutes tonight?  What a revelation, one of the most powerful political and economic forces, but until now, basically silent. There were so many interesting things in the interview, but one of them left me with an urgent action item. Lesley Stahl, the interviewer, asked what currency he got the advance on his book in? He said it didn't matter, because he could convert to whatever currency he wanted, begging the question. She pressed, and he volunteered that the best choice is to be diversified. Which of course is a conclusion every money manager would reach on their own, it's just like stocks and bonds, you never want to have all your eggs in one basket, the best strategy is to be diversified.  I've wanted to be diversified in currency for quite some time, but have found it's not so easy. I have an investment account and a checking account, both are in US dollars, and neither offers the option of anything other than that. I just spent a couple of hours with Google trying to figure out where I could open an account that would allow me to keep cash in euros, yen, yuan, dollars (Canadian, US, Australian or New Zealand), pounds, or... ? I found that I could become a currency trader, which is absolutely not what I want. What I'd like is something like a mutual fund for currency. Or failing that, a certificate of deposit that allowed me to specify what currency it would be in.  So I thought I'd ask the smartest people I know, the readers of this blog. Do you keep your savings in more than one currency? Is there an online bank that does this well, one that a US citizen can use (that is, it sends 1099's to the IRS). Any ideas would be much appreciated.
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Opinion Long live the trading grid
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Exchange-traded funds offer flexibility for investing in gold.
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Here's your game plan for finding the best funds out there.
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A few simple steps can supercharge your portfolio.
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A Fool traces the evolution of the ETF market.
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How to begin and maintain an investing life.
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Here's a small-cap investing plan to help you get it done.
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Now is the time to take your portfolio to higher ground.
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Whitney Tilson demonstrates how to beef up your portfolio and beat the market.
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Yesterday, I asked how an ordinary American investor could hedge against weakness in the dollar.  To clarify, I wasn't thinking of converting stocks or bonds to currency. I keep a certain portion of my portfolio in an interest-bearing account, it's that portion of my portfolio that I'm interested in diversifying.  Anyway, this is something that a fair number of Scripting News readers know something about, and lots of great advice came back in short order. 1. ETFs are stocks traded on the NYSE that track various currencies. It may be the simplest way to diversify cash holdings. 2. HSBC and Everbank have multiple-currency accounts. But watch out for commissions every time you convert from one currency to another. They could wipe out all the gains you may have from holding assets in one currency vs another. 3. Becoming a currency trader may not actually be so hard, and you get the best rates on currency exchange.  4. Paypal lets you store value in a variety of currencies. Thanks everyone for the excellent info!
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Sometimes, an ETF is better for your investment needs than funds.
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It's time to think a little about asset allocation.
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Take the first step on the road to proper asset allocation.
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The tried-and-true way to pick the market's best stocks.
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A quick primer on investing in tumultuous circumstances.