More Taxing Matters

Analyst John Gabriel of Morningstar takes a very straightforward and objective look at tax situations facing leveraged and inverse exchange-traded funds.

He explains in great detail how ETFs from ProShares and Rydex can wind up paying huge short-term distributions as a percentage of their NAVs. The article also puts those tax problems into perspective and compares how other ETFs don't face the same headaches.

You can read the story here.

The Fate Of GM In The Dow

The buck stops at the door of Robert Thomson, the new managing editor of the Wall Street Journal, in deciding constituents for the Dow Jones industrial average. But he's leaning heavily on John Prestbo, the longtime editor and executive director of Dow Jones Indexes.

In this Associated Press article, Prestbo says the extent of a government bailout of GM could determine whether the automaker remains. GM has been a part of the Dow since 1925. The piece explores the case for kicking or keeping GM in the index.

You can view the story here.

PowerShares To Start Ad Blitz

ETF giant PowerShares is planning to start a new national ad campaign in the first quarter of 2009, reports Euromoney.

Chief Executive Bruce Bond said ETFs that investors could use to lead them out of recessionary times will be highlighted.

You can see the story here.

Financial Planning Groups Joining Forces

This report from Reuters tracks a coming together of "rival" trade groups representing financial planners. The gist is that these normally adverse sets of advisors see more regulation on the horizon and are banding together to put up a unified face of sorts.

Of course, advisors are key contributors to the rise in popularity of ETFs. So this joining of forces in any respect is noteworthy. But the article says that "some industry observers are skeptical" that the differing groups can come together.

You can read the story here.