35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The ETF Book, 30 Dec 2007
By Robert W. Uphaus - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The ETF Book: All You Need to Know About Exchange Traded Funds (Hardcover)
Let me say at the outset that I am NOT a professional investor, that I HAVE invested in individual securities as well as mutual funds for forty years, that I now, as a retiree, restrict myself to annuity income and mutual fund investments (mostly passive), and that I have not yet purchased ETFs, though Ferri's book convinces me ETFs could perform a useful function in my portfolio.
If, like me, you have not yet invested in ETFs but want to know how they are constructed, how they function, and what role they might serve in your portfolio, then Rick Ferri's book is the FIRST place you should go for a comprehensive guide to understanding ETFs.
Ferri's book can be read in, or through depending on the reader's interests. By this I mean his book divides into four free-standing, but continuous, parts. The first part deals with ETF Basics--the history, mechanics, and potential benefits and drawbacks. Part Two, a real eye-opener for this reader, focuses on index construction and provides an index strategy box akin to how Morningstar analyses mutual funds. Part Three broadens the discussion to styles and choices--from broad domestic/global indexes to equivalents of slice and dice strategies. Part Four shows, in detail, how investors can incorporate ETFs into their asset allocation plan--whether they are inclined to passive, active, or a combination of portfolio strategies.
Thankfully, Rick Ferri goes to great pains to communicate clearly with his readers. To my mind, he has no axe to grind, although as a professional portfolio manager he advocates passive investing. Ferri provides many alternative portfolios (passive, active, combo) spread along a continuum of life-cycle investing.
It certainly speaks well of this fine book that it receives the ringing endorsements of the likes of Don Phillips, David Blitzer, and Anthony Rochte, Senior Managing Director of State Street Global Advisors. Robert Uphaus
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
This is my 2nd book written by Rick Ferri, 8 Jan 2008
By R. VUNDAVALLI "vrmk" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The ETF Book: All You Need to Know About Exchange Traded Funds (Hardcover)
Rick Ferri has done it again. I got this book as I was looking actively for a good "introductory" book on ETFs. I already read Rick's "All About Asset Allocation" and like it very much. So I did not hesitate to preorder this book.
This book does a great job in INTRODUCING indexing and ETF's. It covers a lot of ground about various types of ETFs their pros and cons. There are lot of finer points spread throughout the book which are interesting for people starting new and are hard to come across on web for an average web user like me - eg: pros and cons of Vanguard ETF (VIPER) structure where its ETFs are another class of shares of its index mutual funds. I would have rated this 5 stars except for some repetition of text multiple times in multiple chapters about types of indexing etc in Parts II and Part III of the book. Model portfolios section could have been dealt better.
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great content; poor editing, 5 May 2009
By Walt Steinbeck "Cabildero" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The ETF Book: All You Need to Know About Exchange Traded Funds (Hardcover)
I found this book helpful to better understand some of the nuances about ETFs that are quite complex, but I couldn't help noticing the many spelling and grammatical errors that were present throughout the text. It seemed like this book was quickly thrown together so that it could be one of the first comprehensive and detailed looks at a new investment phenomenon that is gaining ground on mutual funds and closed-end funds.
The only problem is that some of the errors in this book go beyond simple spelling mistakes, and may even lead to some serious investment mistakes and negative tax implications if readers aren't otherwise familiar with account types that the author misrepresents in this book. For example, Traditional IRAs are not non-taxable, rather they are tax deferred. Be careful, because if you read this book and invest in an IRA because you think it is non-taxable, you will be in for quite a ruid awakening. These kinds of mistakes undermine an otheriwse helpful and useful text about ETFs.
My other problem with this book is the clear bias the author expreses in favor of passive investment strategies. Without the bias, the book would have felt more academic and objective, and not so skewed.
The book is worth reading, but be careful, because there are some serious flaws that can lead to trouble here.