Navigating the nuances of ETFs

Exchange-traded funds first appeared as simple, transparent trackers, but as different structures and underlyings have been adopted, investors have struggled to keep up. The second annual Structured Products ETF survey asks how much investors understand about the products. By Clare Dickinson

Man with map
Just how confusing do investors find ETFs?

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) first appeared in Canada 20 years ago. Since then their popularity has spread – the first US listings took place in 1993 and the first European listings followed in 2000. They are now listed as far afield as Egypt, Peru and the Philippines.

In the ensuing rush to join the market and cover every conceivable asset class, the original message that ETFs are simple and transparent instruments has become obscured by debates about replication, counterparty risk and complex

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