Fund managers wage war against the markets every day, trying to pick stocks or bonds that will push them past their benchmark bogeys. More often than not, the markets win. But investors don’t have to lose out, too. They can choose to invest in exchange-traded funds instead. Broad ETFs can capture nearly all of a market’s returns by passively tracking a benchmark, such as Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index.
Expense ratios are rock bottom — in fact, some firms are flirting with none at all (there are some catches.)
Yet with more than 2,000 ETFs now on offer, picking a few good ones can be daunting. More than a dozen funds track versions of the S&P 500 alone. Plus, scores of ETFs aim to beat the markets by carving out certain types of stocks or bonds, or by emphasizing things such as share-price momentum—anything to give them an edge over traditional indexes.
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Whatever your goals, the portfolios below can serve as the bedrock of your investment program for years. Each basket features a broad mix of common stocks and bonds, all drawn from the Kiplinger ETF 20.
Maximum growth
Fewer stocks, more yield
Playing it safe(r)
Keeping It Simple
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S&P 500 Extends Losing Streak Ahead of Powell Speech: Stock Market TodayStocks continued to struggle ahead of Fed Chair Powell's Friday morning speech at Jackson Hole.
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Tech Sells Off While Trump Stirs the Fed: Stock Market TodayWe've reached another important part of earnings season, though markets remain captivated by the president, the Fed, and interest rate policy.
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Dow Retreats From a Record High: Stock Market TodayQuietly rising since April, Home Depot stock was conspicuously constructive Tuesday as high-profile tech names dragged equity indexes down.
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Stocks Struggle Ahead of Busy Fed Week: Stock Market TodayThe minutes from the July Fed meeting will be released Wednesday, while Chair Powell will deliver a key speech at Jackson Hole on Friday.
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Dow Hits New Intraday High: Stock Market TodayValue-hunters with big stakes in a particular component kept one of the main U.S. equity indexes in positive territory.
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Markets Weigh Earnings and Inflation: Stock Market TodayThe major U.S. indexes struggled Thursday amid a hot inflation reading and seasonal headwinds.
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Dow Jones Adds 463 Points as Rate-Cut Odds Rise: Stock Market TodaySome futures traders are now pricing in the possibility of a jumbo rate cut in September, which lifted stocks today.
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July CPI Report Ignites a Risk-On Rally: Stock Market TodayMarket participants price out worst-case scenarios for tariffs and inflation and will now turn their attention to employment and growth.
