| Exchange-traded funds have transformed investing over the past two decades. The big question now is: What's next? January will mark the 20th anniversary of the first ETF in the U.S., now called the SPDR S&P 500, whose assets stood at 9% of all U.S. ETF assets on Oct. 18. Individual investors and financial advisers have come to embrace ETFs for their low fees and the ease with which the funds, by tracking indexes, can pinpoint particular trends, styles or risks.
All told, exchange-traded products, which include exchange-traded funds, notes, commodities and currencies, comprise some $1.3 trillion in assets and 1,436 funds and related products. And money continues to pour into ETFs—net new cash is currently on pace for more than $100 billion for the sixth year in a row...............................................Full Article: Source
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