Exchange Traded Funds, an alternative way to invest.

timarr wrote: »

On the ISA / US ETF thing I'd guess this is because ISA regulations only allow UK listed shares to be included - I've never checked but I'm pretty sure ETF's are listed and treated like shares rather than closed end funds. If so I'd be a bit surprised that any provider would allow them to be included - it's worth double checking this because I've been caught before where the provider allowed me to buy a stock, then decided it didn't qualify and dumped it without my knowledge.

Personally I wouldn't buy a US tracker because of the currency risk but it'd be nice to have a bit more choice. Some of the TER's on UK index funds are ridiculous.

timarr

That's an interesting point to consider, re allowing you to buy a stock and dumping it, if that had been me I would have pursued them for any loss incurred as a result of liquidating the position early, as far as I am concerned, though I haven't read the small print yet the owness should be on them to know what is allowed and what is not, let's face it if they can't work it out how could you possibly be expected to, this is why I am getting stocks approved in writing first.

As regards US trackers, whilst I do have some, most are simply US based tracking forein stocks so they will be reactive to USD weakness, otheres are commodity and resource producers, and commodities themselves which are again USD sensitive, along side that I can hedge currency if necessary, though I would personally say that given the current state of events, I doubt the pound is going to be staging too many major rallies against any currencies, other than a short lived tradeable one.

As far as US choice goes:
Courtesy of Seeking Alpha, this is quite a comprehensive list of the range of ETF products available on US exchanges

Individual ETF families include, but are not limited to;

Claymore Securities

Market Vectors

US iShares

Invesco Powershares

Proshares

SelectSpiders

Wisdom Tree

Holders

State Street Global SPDR

First Trust

Vanguard

Currency Shares

United States Commodity Funds LLC

tradetime wrote: »

Interesting, it's really difficult to work out just how they arrive at their decisions sometimes, and I'm not entirely convinced that they know either sometimes.

Just to further emphasize that point
http://www.h-l.co.uk/shares/security_details/sedol/B3DWRT1

ozzage wrote: »

I should clarify, I wasn't even trying to hold it in an ISA! It was just in a normal share-trading account.

I would open a normal H-L trading account but they don't do the cheap £1.50 trades so I've been hesitant.

Ah ok, I understand, I guess that's a trade off you have to make, at the end of the day you have to use what's best, I hold a Claymore Securities shipping fundoutside an ISA, and will be looking to include it in an ISA so I will see what iii say, if they can't include the Claymore one, I'd likely go after that one, though I'd need to study the components first, Ill let you know what iii say, because I know they do one of those £1.50 things.
As an afterthought, were you trying to buy it through the £1.50 purchase?

ozzage wrote: »

No just through the normal trade. I didn't get as far as trying the cheap way!

Odd, I can understand it to a point where an exceptionally cheap offer is being made, but in the main UK brokers are expensive, it really is about time they started justifying that expense with some decent service.