Deals & People July 27, 2010

ETFChannel Comes Online

BNK Invest, Inc. has launched an exchange traded fund (ETF) research website. 

 

Reported by

The site, ETFChannel.com, says it is aimed at providing retail investors, along with small and large financial advisers, access to the types of data and tools that larger hedge funds and institutional players leverage to their advantage each and every day.” 

The announcement notes that the site “includes a number of ground-breaking features that allow investors to dig deeper into ETFs than ever before”, purporting to act as a “one-stop source for aggregated data on more than 800 ETFs”.  

For more stories like this, sign up for the PLANADVISERdash daily newsletter.

An ETF look-up on the site will provide investors with information about the fund’s net asset value, Average Broker Ratings, in-depth fund holdings, sector and country concentrations, as well as a current quote for the fund.   

According to a press release, another unique feature is the ETF Finder, a tool that the firm says allows investors to identify ETFs that hold certain stocks, as input by the user.  “For example, an investor looking to buy into a fund that holds stock in top consumer electronics companies can enter the symbols of several individual companies into the ETF Finder and discover unique ETFs that hold their desired stocks,” according to the press release. 

The site also analyzes trends in the ETF data to create Top Lists to help users, including the Most Heavily Shorted ETFs (with data from ShortSqueeze.com) and the Top Ranked ETFs by Average Broker Rating with data from Zacks Investment Research.  According to the firm, the most interesting Top List of all may be the “Unloved ETFs” List, those ETFs with at least six months of trading history, with the lowest total dollar amount traded in the last 20 trading sessions. Historically certain ETFs have been shut down due to low investor interest, according to the firm. 

BNK Invest, Inc. develops, owns and operates financial web sites which it says enable individual investors and financial advisers to “gain valuable insight into, and stay informed about the financial markets.” 

Data & Research July 27, 2010

Women More Aware of Need for Financial Help

The 10th anniversary edition of Prudential’s Financial Experience & Behaviors Among Women finds the economic crisis has heightened women’s recognition of the need to develop a financial plan that will meet long-term financial goals.
Reported by

However, according to the study report, just one-third of women have a detailed financial plan and, among the youngest segment (ages 25-34), just one in 10 has such a plan. Barriers to developing a detailed financial plan respondents cited include lack of time, the pull to meet shorter-term financial obligations, lack of knowledge, and for many, an unmet desire for assistance and help.  

Although a majority of women (55%) now believe they will need to work longer than they expected, and, as a result, postpone their retirement, three-fourths believe they are financially on track to meet their long-term goals, or are well-positioned to catch up.  

Want the latest retirement plan adviser news and insights? Sign up for PLANADVISER newsletters.

However, many women still lack confidence in their ability to make sound financial decisions, and lack knowledge about sophisticated financial products. Fewer than two in 10 women feel “very prepared” to make wise financial decisions. Half indicate that they “need some help,” and one-third feel they “need a lot of help.”  

Nearly nine in 10 of those who are looking for a lot of help need guidance on how to choose financial products that meet their needs. They say their knowledge of annuities, mutual funds, and individual securities is limited.  

More than half of those surveyed are very willing to have retirement planning decisions made by others, but this wish is often complicated by a lack of trust, as only 19% are very comfortable letting a financial professional lead their financial planning. Over six in 10 rely on family and friends, rather than financial professionals, for investment information.  

However, those who currently use financial advisers are more likely to feel that they are financially on track than those who go it alone.  

Among the women surveyed, 95% indicate they are directly involved in their households’ financial decisionmaking; 25% are the primary decisionmakers. Eighty-four percent of married women say they are involved in financial and retirement planning and, of these, 15% have sole responsibility.  

For the 10th anniversary study, 1,250 American women were polled. The survey was administered from February 10-26, 2010.  

The study report is here.

«