India ETF

Wisdom Tree India Earnings Fund and PowerShares India Portfolio

Two India-focused exchange traded funds or India ETF, have become available in 2008, one being the WisdomTree India Earnings Fund (EPI) and the PowerShares India Portfolio (PIN).

Starting off with the Wisdom Tree India Earnings Fund (EPI), the fund seeks investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the WisdomTree India Earnings Index.

Here are the top Holdings for the WisdomTree India Earnings Index Fund as of 09/03/2008

1. Reliance Industries Ltd	14.49%
2. Oil & Natural Gas Corp Ltd	8.39%
3. Infosys Technologies Ltd	7.48%
4. Bharti Airtel Ltd	5.72%
5. ICICI Bank Ltd	3.25%
6. Hindustan Unilever LTD	2.38%
7. Sterlite Industries India Ltd	2.12%
8. Reliance Communications Ltd	2.11%
9. Satyam Computer Services Ltd	2.09%
10. Indian Oil Corp Ltd	1.81%

And the top Sectors as of 09/03/2008

1. Energy	27.81%
2. Materials	15.01%
3. Information Technology	14.07%
4. Telecommunication Services	7.83%
5. Financials	7.74%
6. Industrials	7.04%
7. Utilities	5.52%
8. Consumer Staples	5.17%
9. Health Care	5.05%
10. Consumer Discretionary	4.65%

And here is the breakdown of the PowerShares India Portfolio (PIN) by Holdings as of 09/04/08

Infosys Technologies Ltd.	11.01%
Reliance Industries Ltd.	9.62%
Oil & Natural Gas Corp. Ltd.	8.75%
Reliance Communications Ltd.	4.96%
Hindustan Unilever Ltd.	4.39%
Reliance Petroleum Ltd.	4.15%
Bharti Airtel Ltd.	3.93%
HDFC Bank Ltd.	2.70%
Indian Oil Corp. Ltd.	2.34%
NTPC Ltd.	2.29%

And by Sector as of 09/04/2008




Graph courtesy of Powershares.com

All Holdings and Sector Weightings may be subject to change.

And here is a chart that compares the two funds with the S&P 500, Nasdaq and the Dow over the last 6 months.




If you would like to learn more about ETF Funds please see the following ETF Funds Overview. Another great resource is our list of single-country and commodity ETF Funds.

As always, please consult a licensed financial professional before making any investment decisions. Information within this blog is factual information only and is not a solicitation, promotion of any investment strategy, or form of financial advice in any way. The Financial Planner Alliance does not recommend any investment specifically. It intends to provide education on many financial planning and investment trends and options available to investors today.

-Chris

Permanent Link: India ETF

Tags: India ETF, PowerShares India Portfolio (PIN), WisdomTree India Earnings (EPI),Indian ETF, International ETF

Singapore ETF

iShares MSCI Singapore Index Fund (EWS)

Recently I did some research on Singapore ETFs and found the following fund that tracks the Singapore Index. The iShares MSCI Singapore Index Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of publicly traded securities in the Singaporean equity market, as measured by the MSCI Singapore Index. It is interesting to note the funds top sector as of 06/30/2008 was the financial sector coming in at almost 50% followed by industrials at 23% and telecommunication services at 14%. If you know of any other funds that track the Singapore market please feel free to email us at christopher.hege@gmail.com. We are always looking for more great resources that would be valuable to add to the Financial Planner Alliance Community.

Top Holdings *(Monthly) as of 6/30/2008
14.30%	SINGAPORE TELECOMMUNICATIO NS
12.08%	UNITED OVERSEAS BANK LTD
10.61%	DBS GROUP HOLDINGS LTD
10.12%	OVERSEA-CHINESE BANKING CORP
4.87%	KEPPEL CORP LTD
4.77%	CAPITALAND LTD
3.94%	SINGAPORE AIRLINES LTD
3.26%	SINGAPORE PRESS HOLDINGS LTD
2.88%	SINGAPORE EXCHANGE LTD
2.67%	FRASER AND NEAVE LTD

*Holdings are subject to change.

Top Sectors as of 6/30/2008
5.31%	Consumer Discretionary
5.75%	Consumer Staples
49.21%	Financials
1.10%	Health Care
23.05%	Industrials
1.16%	Information Technology
0.02%	S-T Securities
14.30%	Telecommunication Services

Here is a chart of the Fund Performance over the last 5 years:



You may also review the iShares fund fact page for more information. If you would like more fund details you may find a prospectus on the iShares website.

If you would like to learn more about ETF Funds please see the following ETF Funds Overview. Another great resource is our list of single-country and commodity ETF Funds.

As always, please consult a licensed financial professional before making any investment decisions. Information within this blog is factual information only and is not a solicitation, promotion of any investment strategy, or form of financial advice in any way. The Financial Planner Alliance does not recommend any investment specifically. It intends to provide education on many financial planning and investment trends and options available to investors today.

-Chris

Permanent Link: Singapore ETF

Tags: Singapore ETF, International ETF,EWS ETF,ETFs,Exchange Traded Fund

South Africa ETF

iShares MSCI South Africa Index Fund (EZA)

Along with all other countries in Africa, I have never been to South Africa but it seems like it would be an interesting country to visit! The iShares MSCI South Africa Index Fund came into the investment world on March 12th of 1996. The iShares MSCI South Africa Index Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of publicly traded securities in the South African equity market, as measured by the MSCI South Africa Index. We are always looking for more funds to write about that focus on single countries or commodities. If you know of any, please email us at christopher.hege@gmail.com.

Top Holdings *(Monthly) as of 6/30/2008
15.88%	SASOL LTD
11.35%	MTN GROUP LTD
9.54%	IMPALA PLATINUM HOLDINGS LTD
5.34%	ANGLO PLATINUM LTD
5.02%	STANDARD BANK GROUP LTD
4.97%	REMGRO LTD
4.31%	ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI LTD
3.82%	NASPERS LTD-N SHS
3.55%	GOLD FIELDS LTD
2.57%	MITTAL STEEL SOUTH AFRICA LT

*Holdings are subject to change.

Top Sectors as of 6/30/2008
6.73%	Consumer Discretionary
3.38%	Consumer Staples
15.88%	Energy
19.59%	Financials
0.94%	Health Care
5.04%	Industrials
0.50%	Information Technology
34.02%	Materials
13.73%	Telecommunication Services

You may also review the iShares fund fact page for more information. If you would like more fund details you may find a prospectus on the iShares website.

If you would like to learn more about ETF Funds please see the following ETF Funds Overview. Another great resource is our list of single-country and commodity ETF Funds.

As always, please consult a licensed financial professional before making any investment decisions. Information within this blog is factual information only and is not a solicitation, promotion of any investment strategy, or form of financial advice in any way. The Financial Planner Alliance does not recommend any investment specifically. It intends to provide education on many financial planning and investment trends and options available to investors today.

-Chris

Permanent Link: South Africa ETF

Tags: South Africa ETF, Africa ETF, ETFs, ETF Funds,International ETF

South Korea ETF

iShares MSCI So. Korea Fund (EWY)

This article was created to outline the only South Korean ETF Fund that I could find, the iShares MSCI So. Korea Fund. This fund was established on 05/09/2000.

The iShares MSCI South Korea Index Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of publicly traded securities in the South Korean market, as measured by the MSCI Korea Index.

Top Holdings *(Monthly) as of 6/30/2008
View All Holdings
15.58%	SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
7.49%	POSCO
4.69%	KOOKMIN BANK
3.59%	SHINHAN FINANCIAL GROUP LTD
3.01%	HYUNDAI HEAVY INDUSTRIES
2.51%	LG ELECTRONICS INC
2.46%	HYUNDAI MOTOR CO
2.28%	KT&G CORP
2.18%	SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS-PFD
1.89%	SHINSEGAE CO LTD

*Holdings are subject to change.

Top Sectors as of 6/30/2008
9.65%	Consumer Discretionary
6.04%	Consumer Staples
2.73%	Energy
18.24%	Financials
20.63%	Industrials
23.89%	Information Technology
12.48%	Materials
0.21%	S-T Securities
3.97%	Telecommunication Services
2.18%	Utilities

Here is a chart of the fund performance over the last 5 years:



You may also review the iShares fund fact page for more information. If you would like more fund details you may find a prospectus on the iShares website.

If you would like to learn more about ETF Funds please see the following ETF Funds Overview. Another great resource is our list of single-country and commodity ETF Funds.

As always, please consult a licensed financial professional before making any investment decisions. Information within this blog is factual information only and is not a solicitation, promotion of any investment strategy, or form of financial advice in any way. The Financial Planner Alliance does not recommend any investment specifically. It intends to provide education on many financial planning and investment trends and options available to investors today.

-Chris

Permanent Link: South Korea ETF

Tags: South Korea ETF, South Korean ETF, ETF Funds, ETF Fund, International ETF

Spain ETF

iShares MSCI Spain Index Fund (EWP)

Recently I did a search for Spain ETF and found that only one ETF is currently available that tracks Spain solely. This Exhcange Traded Fund is the iShares MSCI Spain Index Fund (EWP).

The iShares MSCI Spain Index Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of publicly traded securities in the Spanish market, as measured by the MSCI Spain Index.

Top Holdings *(Monthly) as of 6/30/2008
View All Holdings
20.69%	TELEFONICA SA
19.82%	BANCO SANTANDER SA
9.77%	BANCO BILBAO VIZCAYA ARGENTA
4.98%	IBERDROLA SA
4.83%	REPSOL YPF SA
4.57%	BANCO POPULAR ESPANOL
3.80%	GAS NATURAL SDG SA
2.99%	ACS ACTIVIDADES CONS Y SERV
2.96%	UNION FENOSA SA
2.56%	INDITEX

*Holdings are subject to change.

Top Sectors as of 6/30/2008
2.84%	Consumer Discretionary
4.83%	Energy
40.79%	Financials
0.96%	Health Care
12.46%	Industrials
1.13%	Information Technology
0.67%	Materials
0.01%	S-T Securities
20.69%	Telecommunication Services
15.57%	Utilities

Here is a chart of the fund performance over the last 5 years:

You may also review the iShares fund fact page for more information. If you would like more fund details you may find a prospectus on the iShares website.

If you would like to learn more about ETF Funds please see the following ETF Funds Overview. Another great resource is our list of single-country and commodity ETF Funds.

As always, please consult a licensed financial professional before making any investment decisions. Information within this blog is factual information only and is not a solicitation, promotion of any investment strategy, or form of financial advice in any way. The Financial Planner Alliance does not recommend any investment specifically. It intends to provide education on many financial planning and investment trends and options available to investors today.

-Chris

Permanent Link: Spain ETF

Tags: Spain ETF,Spanish ETF,ETF Funds,European ETF, International ETF

Young Professional

A resource guide to finances in your 20s

What does it mean to be a young professional with money? What kind of strategies are available for young professionals to build wealth? How can I, as a young professional, take control of my income and expenses? What are some valuable tools I can use to track my finances?

The following articles look to answer these questions and provide tips for how young professionals might become wise stewards of their assets.

1. The first article we found is titled "Graduating to a happy, financially secure future." It discusses some basic tips that may be useful to someone that is just entering the workplace out of college. We all know people that generate high incomes but are sucked into generating high liabilities to go with their high incomes. These people typically are good at looking and feeling and acting rich but hidden behind their financial glitz and glamour are poor financial foundations which can lead to mounds of debt that will take many years to repay. The goal of this article is to provide tips that should help you avoid these types of traps and build up financial disciplines that will benefit your long term financial goals.
   
   
2. The next article we found is titled "Planning for Retirement whether you are 20 or 59." This article covers the whole spectrum from 20-59 and has some practical tips that can help young professionals make good choices as they enter into their careers.
   
   
3. The third article is called "How the Young Can Get Rich" and is a mock case study on two young professionals and their progression to retirement. The article compares "Early Shirley" to "Late Nate." Early Shirley contributes less than Late Nate to her retirement plan over time but has the benefit of compounding interest and ends up with a much more healthy retirement fund than Late Nate who pours thousands of dollars a month into his retirement plan. The article focuses on how important it is to start contributing to your retirement plan as early as possible to reap the benefit of compounding.
   
   
4. This article talks about a broad plan for people who want to retire early. I think young professionals now; have a different perspective than their parents towards working and life balance. Young professionals don’t want to work until they are too old to enjoy their savings, so here is a quick guide on how to achieve that goal. Again I thought about timeless material. This article is titled "Retire Early"
   
   
5. This article relates to credit scores and the myths behind them. Surrounded by many college students (I live 4 miles from Michigan State), I constantly hear different theories about credit scores. Some theories are pretty far out there! Believe me, the craziest story that I heard was from a “finance major”; she said that the best way for you to have a high FICO score was to be late on a couple of payments to your credit card, so that the credit card companies make a little bit of money off of you and they like you more!This guide will help answer any questions you may have about how they are formulated. Many of the mistakes young professionals make come when they are just beginning to manage their own money and credit and don’t have a lot of experience yet. Read the article here to learn more about how a FICO score is formulated. What's in your FICO score?
   
   
6. The final resource for Young Professionals we will cover in this entry deals with budgeting. Specifically, one personal finance tool that we have found to be particularly helpful in budgeting and money management is called mint.com. What is even better about this service is that it is free! Mint.com helps you understand how you spend your money, helps you track all of your accounts at once, including investments and liabilities and hosts very powerful and easy to use budgeting tools. When you add all of your accounts to Mint.com it automatically brings in approximately 3 months worth of transactions and also automatically categorizes them for you. The system for categorizing transactions is robust and easy to use as well, so if you do not like the category that the software selected for your transaction you can change it with a click of a button.
   
   Many times as young professionals, with increased purchasing power, we lean on debt instruments like credit cards to feed our desire for toys and luxuries. Often this use of credit can get out of hand because we don't want to take the time to track our expenses. With Mint.com it becomes a much less painful task to stay on top of our accounts. It is an excellent service that anyone, young or old should check out! Here is the link: Mint.com

If you know of any other great resources on money management for Young Professionals please email us at christopher.hege@gmail.com so that we can share them with the Financial Planner Alliance community.

The articles in this post were found by our new contributor, Pedro Gallegos.

Permanent Link:Young Professional

Tags: Young Professional, Young Professionals,Money Management in your 20s,Managing your finances, Budgeting