ETF Prime

With stocks struggling to begin the year, we evaluate the state of the U.S. economy with the help of Michael Strain, Deputy Director of Economic Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute.  We also discuss The Economist Magazine’s latest Big Mac Index and spotlight a pair of WisdomTree currency-themed ETFs.

2015 was another banner year for ETFs, with investors putting more money into ETFs than the flows into index funds, active mutual funds, and hedge funds combined!  We explain the significance.  Wes Gray, CEO & Chief Investment Officer at Alpha Architect, also spotlights their new momentum-focused ETFs.

At the beginning of every new year, so-called experts run rampant with financial market predictions.  We explain the allure of such predictions and examine their track record of accuracy.  We also spotlight the recently launched Pacer AutoPilot Hedged European Index ETF (ticker PAEU), which offers a unique twist on currency hedging.

We revisit some of our favorite guest interviews from the second half of 2015 including Morningstar’s Ben Johnson on active versus passive management, ETF.com’s Matt Hougan on the continued rise of ETFs, and Vanguard’s Ed Saracino on bonds and bond ETFs.

Tushar Yadava, Investment Strategist at iShares, looks back on the year that was in stocks and looks ahead to 2016. Nate & Conor also discuss recent ETF fee reductions from iShares and spotlight the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG).

Jeremy Schwartz, Director of Research at WisdomTree, breaks down the decision of whether or not to hedge currency exposure in your international stock positions.  Nate & Conor also spotlight the WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity ETF (ticker DXJ).

Jimmy Houlehan, CPA & Partner with Boan, Connealy, & Houlehan, joins us in studio to talk year-end tax planning moves.  Nate & Conor also explain why ETFs can offer greater tax efficiency than mutual funds.

Nate & Jason discuss key items to tackle before year-end to keep your investments and finances on track. Sean O’Hara, Director of Pacer Financial, spotlights the Pacer lineup of ETFs including the Trendpilot 750 ETF (PTLC).

Alpha Architect’s Jack Vogel, one of the authors of “DIY Financial Advisor“, discusses key investor takeaways from his new book including why you should be wary of “investment experts”.  Nate & Jason also spotlight the ValueShares International Quantitative Value ETF (ticker IVAL).

Ed Saracino, Senior Investment Analyst at Vanguard, discusses navigating bonds in today’s challenging environment and also spotlights several Vanguard bond ETFs.  Nate & Conor explain the differences between investing in individual bonds, bond mutual funds, and bond ETFs.