Comments on: The Best (Low-Cost) ETFs to Buy & Hold http://www.obliviousinvestor.com/the-best-lowest-cost-etfs-to-buy-hold/ Index Investing: The Oblivious Investor Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:27:23 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Lalith http://www.obliviousinvestor.com/the-best-lowest-cost-etfs-to-buy-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-3721 Lalith Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:29:18 +0000 http://www.obliviousinvestor.com/?p=5222#comment-3721 Nice lits of ETFs, Mike. Which ones do you recommend in tax-deferred and taxable account for each of the asset classes? Nice lits of ETFs, Mike.

Which ones do you recommend in tax-deferred and taxable account for each of the asset classes?

]]> By: The Biz of Life http://www.obliviousinvestor.com/the-best-lowest-cost-etfs-to-buy-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-3606 The Biz of Life Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:45:21 +0000 http://www.obliviousinvestor.com/?p=5222#comment-3606 For those who can't afford the brokerage fees for ETFs, Schwab provides index funds with costs that come close to matching these ETFs. For those who can’t afford the brokerage fees for ETFs, Schwab provides index funds with costs that come close to matching these ETFs.

]]> By: Dave http://www.obliviousinvestor.com/the-best-lowest-cost-etfs-to-buy-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-3597 Dave Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:19:03 +0000 http://www.obliviousinvestor.com/?p=5222#comment-3597 International bonds - BWX Int'l inflation-protected bonds - WIP International bonds – BWX
Int’l inflation-protected bonds – WIP

]]> By: Rick Francis http://www.obliviousinvestor.com/the-best-lowest-cost-etfs-to-buy-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-3596 Rick Francis Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:42:39 +0000 http://www.obliviousinvestor.com/?p=5222#comment-3596 Mike, It's a great shopping list! I had an interesting thought for follow up: It should be possible to figure out which ETFs are different enough to be worth holding. Calculate their correlations coefficient - if the correlation coefficient is close to 1 then there isn't a lot of point in holding both! -Rick Francis Mike,

It’s a great shopping list!

I had an interesting thought for follow up: It should be possible to figure out which ETFs are different enough to be worth holding. Calculate their correlations coefficient – if the correlation coefficient is close to 1 then there isn’t a lot of point in holding both!

-Rick Francis

]]> By: Mike http://www.obliviousinvestor.com/the-best-lowest-cost-etfs-to-buy-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-3594 Mike Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:26:47 +0000 http://www.obliviousinvestor.com/?p=5222#comment-3594 Steve: My reason for classifying VSS as mid-cap is simply that Morningstar classifies it that way. My reason for not including international value and international small-cap value was simply that I hadn't found any with ERs that were particularly low. Thank you for providing your suggestions. Steve: My reason for classifying VSS as mid-cap is simply that Morningstar classifies it that way.

My reason for not including international value and international small-cap value was simply that I hadn’t found any with ERs that were particularly low. Thank you for providing your suggestions.

]]> By: Steve http://www.obliviousinvestor.com/the-best-lowest-cost-etfs-to-buy-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-3593 Steve Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:17:04 +0000 http://www.obliviousinvestor.com/?p=5222#comment-3593 I guess you consider VSS to be mid-cap despite Vanguard calling it small cap. My portfolio also includes the following asset classes: International value: EFV International small cap value: DLS International real estate: WPS Why you didn't include these asset classes? Did you not find funds, or did you not feel they were important? My feeling is that US people have country bias, and if you include small cap, value, and real estate for domestic markets, then you should also do for foreign markets. At 11 asset classes, I am probably on the high end of what most people are willing to manage, but with my monthly (free) ETF purchases I am rebalancing regularly and always buying the cheapest asset class at any given time. I guess you consider VSS to be mid-cap despite Vanguard calling it small cap.

My portfolio also includes the following asset classes:
International value: EFV
International small cap value: DLS
International real estate: WPS

Why you didn’t include these asset classes? Did you not find funds, or did you not feel they were important? My feeling is that US people have country bias, and if you include small cap, value, and real estate for domestic markets, then you should also do for foreign markets.

At 11 asset classes, I am probably on the high end of what most people are willing to manage, but with my monthly (free) ETF purchases I am rebalancing regularly and always buying the cheapest asset class at any given time.

]]> By: Mike http://www.obliviousinvestor.com/the-best-lowest-cost-etfs-to-buy-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-3590 Mike Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:53:10 +0000 http://www.obliviousinvestor.com/?p=5222#comment-3590 Retirement Savior and Russ: Thanks for adding your ETF suggestions. Also, that's great info from Morningstar. Thanks for sharing it. I find it interesting how the median cost data compares to <a href="http://news.morningstar.com/articlenet/article.aspx?id=285982" rel="nofollow">dollar-weighted average cost data</a>. Retirement Savior and Russ: Thanks for adding your ETF suggestions.

Also, that’s great info from Morningstar. Thanks for sharing it. I find it interesting how the median cost data compares to dollar-weighted average cost data.

]]> By: Russ Thornton http://www.obliviousinvestor.com/the-best-lowest-cost-etfs-to-buy-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-3589 Russ Thornton Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:06:11 +0000 http://www.obliviousinvestor.com/?p=5222#comment-3589 Nice post, Mike. Regarding ETFs, I use the following for myself and my clients: VTI - Domestic Total Market (in your list above) EFA - International Developed Markets IEF - Intermediate Term Treasuries Also, Morningstar recently updated their list of median mutual fund expenses. I thought perhaps you and your readers might want to check it out: http://news.morningstar.com/articlenet/article.aspx?id=311379 Nice post, Mike.

Regarding ETFs, I use the following for myself and my clients:

VTI – Domestic Total Market (in your list above)
EFA – International Developed Markets
IEF – Intermediate Term Treasuries

Also, Morningstar recently updated their list of median mutual fund expenses. I thought perhaps you and your readers might want to check it out:

http://news.morningstar.com/articlenet/article.aspx?id=311379

]]> By: Retirement Savior http://www.obliviousinvestor.com/the-best-lowest-cost-etfs-to-buy-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-3588 Retirement Savior Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:05:51 +0000 http://www.obliviousinvestor.com/?p=5222#comment-3588 Great list, Mike! Vanguard definitely has the low cost provider status. The only one I can think of to suggest is MBB, with government backed mortgages at 25bps. Great list, Mike! Vanguard definitely has the low cost provider status.

The only one I can think of to suggest is MBB, with government backed mortgages at 25bps.

]]> By: JC http://www.obliviousinvestor.com/the-best-lowest-cost-etfs-to-buy-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-3585 JC Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:49:06 +0000 http://www.obliviousinvestor.com/?p=5222#comment-3585 Nice to know my entire ETF portfolio can be found on this list! woohoo! Nice to know my entire ETF portfolio can be found on this list! woohoo!

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