How would you have liked to increase your portfolio earnings by 74.46% last year?

That is exactly what Yiannis Mostrous’s did for his readers last year. Yes, up 74.46%.

But Mr. Mostrous and Benjamin Shepherd have found a better way to invest than individual stocks.

They have identified three specific investments, from ultra-conservative to rather aggressive, from which he anticipates 2010 gains of 86% or more—plus a fourth play that promises gains of 36% in the next few months... 273% by 2015... and belongs in every portfolio in America.

You can buy any of these investments in the same few seconds it takes to buy an individual stock. From the same broker you now deal with. At comparable commissions. Or even less.

But none is a stock.

Could you spare 75 minutes and $99 to discover what Benjamin Shepherd and Yiannis Mostrous have learned?

If it’s a “yes,” please mark your calendar for Wednesday, March 17, 1–2:15 pm (EST)... and keep reading.

OK, you’re thinking, so it’s not stocks. It’s got to be mutual funds.

Nope. Mutual funds are so 20th Century.

What the team of Ben Shepherd and Yiannis Mostrous have discovered—and what they’ll share with  you when you dial in for this special 75-minute teleconference set for March 17—is how to make your next fortune... by investing in Exchange-Traded Funds.

Exchange-Traded Funds—or “ETFs,” as they’re called—are what mutual funds would be... if only they could.

1. Mutual funds are costly; ETFs are cheap. Some mutual funds charge management fees exceeding 1% per year. Studies have repeatedly shown that, over time, management fees alone can grind your profits down to zero. But management fees for most ETFs are tiny by comparison—as low as 0.05% per year—leaving more money on the table for you.
   
   
2. Mutual funds are “smart” (haha!); ETFs are “dumb” (yay!). The reason for those whopping mutual-fund management fees is the genius stock-pickers who run the funds. (Oh, yeah... plus the armies of high-paid salesmen and back-office drones, full-page ads in Barron’s, and, um, multimillion-dollar bonuses). But guess what? Over time, high fees and bad years wear down mutual-fund performance to the mean, studies show. About 70% of investors would beat the averages simply by buying a basket of S&P500 stocks. Well! Why pay up to 1.5% a year so a mutual fund can manage your S&P500 stocks when an ETF will do the same thing—with the same S&P500 stocks—for as little as 0.13%?
   
   
3. Mutual funds often sock you with year-end tax problems. They are required to pay out capital gains and income realized during the calendar year, meaning you are liable for a year-end tax on any distributions—and maybe even a double tax for liquidating prior to year-end. But ETFs are not required to make year-end payouts, meaning you won’t be taxed until you liquidate—and you’ll never be taxed twice.
   
   
4. Mutual funds are sluggish; ETFs are nimble. Remember Nov. 19, 2008? On that day, the S&P500 lost nearly 6% of its value between the opening and the closing bells. If you were in mutual funds on that day, you have my sympathies. That’s why I’m so frustrated with mutual funds: I can’t trade them like stocks.

You can trade ETFs precisely the same as stocks. Just punch in the symbol, or call your broker, and you’re in business. So why would anyone still be in mutual funds?

Well, there are reasons. For buy-and-hold investors, they offer a sense (sometimes illusory) of security. And some mutual funds really do boast star stock-pickers. These dudes can do a job for you, but you have to watch them like a hawk. The moment the star moves on to greener pastures, start thinking about switching to a different fund.

In contrast, only a handful of ETFs are managed. Most are simply baskets of stocks. But what baskets! More than 900 ETFs are now available, from the broadest-based (the Dow, the S&P500, the Russell 3000) to micro-slices such as the Brazil stock exchange and “green” energy producers.

However, unless you’re one of those set-and-forget investors—and I doubt you’d be reading this letter if you were—there’s no good reason to keep on paying premiums to mutual funds for whatever dubious pluses they offer. Especially when ETFs are plentiful.

The choices are dizzying.

New ETFs hit the market every few days. Typically, the newest ones slice and dice sectors ever more finely. The Vietnamese stock market, to take just one example, is now represented by not one but two ETFs. One has outperformed the other significantly. Without coaching, would you know which to buy?

At first, all ETFs were unmanaged—that is, they were merely baskets of stocks representing a country or sector. But recently, managed ETFs have started to hit the market. More are expected. Could you tell a good ETF stock-picker from a bad one?

And then, not all ETFs are alike. Take the S&P500. At least 50 ETFs purport to represent a basket of S&P500 stocks. But the most expensive ETF costs you 1.5% per year to own, while the least expensive costs you only 0.05%. Are you prepared to slog through financials to figure out which is the better buy?

Finally, not all ETFs do what they imply. Take healthcare. Two ETFs currently are available. Both invest in baskets of mostly U.S. health stocks. But one is up 27.5% for the past 12 months, while the other is up only 18.61%. Do you have the expertise to forecast which will outperform which?

The award-winning investment advisory team of Ben Shepherd and Yiannis Mostrous has been studying ETFs for years. Now they’re ready to share what they’ve learned—the best of the best...

ETFs for Higher Yields and Less Risk

Dial in Wednesday, March 17, at 1:00 p.m. EST and discover three stellar recommendations that will send your portfolio through the roof in 2010—and beyond!—plus a bonus ETF that belongs in every investor’s portfolio, from Bar Harbor to Beverly Hills.

• Aggressive ETF: Playing the China card. It’s a little-known fact in the U.S. that the Hong Kong dollar is pegged to the U.S. dollar. Hong Kong has no monetary policy of its own; it follows the U.S. Federal Reserve’s policies. So interest rates in Hong Kong are as low right now as they are in the U.S.—but, unlike the U.S., Hong Kong’s economy is booming. And when Hong Kong residents have a few bucks in their pocket, they like to buy real estate. This more-aggressive ETF pick plays the China and Hong Kong real estate market, for anticipated gains of 40%.
  
  
• Middle-of-the-road ETF: Your friendly neighborhood... ? Sometimes the best investment opportunities are sitting right under your nose. An overlooked sector of small-town America is poised to benefit big-time from current Washington policies, and one ETF is perfectly positioned to capitalize. Expectation: A 100% gain by mid-2011.
  
  
• Super-conservative ETF: It doesn’t get safer than this. Make 30% on U.S. government bonds? It doesn’t sound possible... until you consider Japan. Japan has been betting against the U.S., buying Treasury bonds aggressively in the expectation that our economy will experience deflation during the next several years. No nation understands deflation better than Japan, whose economy stagnated during the ‘90s and beyond. Our team is putting their money where Japan’s is... but even if the bet doesn’t pay off, you’ll still have the safety and security of being in U.S. Treasuries via the lowest-cost, most efficient ETF around.

Finally, the ETF that belongs in everyone’s portfolio, with a short-term expected gain of 36% and a five-year outlook to nearly triple in value. But this is one you want to buy soon—because prices of the underlying asset are poised to rise. What is it? Find out—by dialing in on March 17.

Here’s how:

1. Register today by clicking here and following the easy instructions.
   
   
2. We'll email you the toll-free conference number and entry code on the morning of March 17th. You’ll also receive follow-along charts, graphs and other materials prior to the teleconference.
   
   
3. Dial in before 1:00 p.m. EST and enter your code to listen to Mr. Shepherd and Mr. Mostrous’s live presentation.
   
   
4. We'll email you a post-conference PDF brief with the written answers to all your questions.

The 75-minute teleconference is your introduction to ETFs, the safer, more effective way for individuals to invest.

Then the good stuff really begins.

Teleconference participants are automatically registered to receive a three-month FREE subscription to Global ETF Profits, a new KCI service for individual investors.

Edited by Ben Shepherd and Yiannis Mostrous, this monthly Web-and-email-based advisory service covers the fast-growing new world of ETF investing. You’ll discover—

1. New ETFs as they come to market...
2. ETF companies to trust... ETF companies to be wary of...
3. Newest wrinkles in ETF investing—latest sectors and innovations...
4. Managed ETFs—are they for you? Plus... managers to trust, managers to avoid...
5. And most important, which ETFs are likely to be the winners!

At the end of the FREE three-month subscription, you’ll have the opportunity to extend your subscription at the lowest rate available—just $24.99 per quarter.

Since the depths of the stock market crash, investors with nerve and moxie have recouped much (but not all) of their losses. Many others, not so bold, have done less well. But at other times in history, slow-and-cautious has beaten hot-and-heavy. It’s a rare investor who knows, every time, the best way to play his or her hand.

Couldn’t you benefit from the advice of a trend-spotter whose portfolio rose 74.46%—during a time when the S&P500 rose only 33%?

Isn’t it time you took a new approach? One that opens the door to growth and opportunity, yet spreads risk across dozens or hundreds of stocks... and lets you sleep better at night in the bargain?

Win more. Lose less. Sleep peacefully. Nothing wrong with that.

Find out how. Open your world to growth, income, greater safety, and a better way to invest. Register now.

Sincerely,

P.S. Still thinking it over? Let me send you a hot-off-the-press Special Report, “The ETF Edge,” to serve as your introduction to ETF investing. Specially prepared by Ben Shepherd and Yiannis Mostrous, “The ETF Edge” traces the history of ETFs from the false starts of the ‘70s and ‘80s through the current boom in ETF investing...  imparts easy-to-follow advice and pointers on what to look for and what to avoid when selecting ETFs for your portfolio... and recommends can’t-miss ETFs in four currently super-hot sectors and regions.

“The ETF Edge” is FREE. Just sign up now for the teleconference and I’ll rush your copy via e-mail. It’s yours to keep, even if you change your mind.

And by the way...

... there’s no penalty for doing that, either. Cancel at any time prior to the teleconference and we’ll return any payments already charged to your card.

And by the way...

... every KCI product and service is backed by a 100% Money-Back FULL REFUND Guarantee. What that means to you—

1. Can’t attend the teleconference? FULL REFUND!
2. Didn’t like the teleconference? FULL REFUND!
3. Dissatisfied at any time, for any reason, with ANY product or service from KCI?

The unused portions:

FULL REFUND!

We make this guarantee with a confidence based on 38 years of serving individual investors with award-winning advice and guidance. You risk nothing when you participate in KCI conferences, purchase KCI subscriptions or buy any product or service we offer. That’s my personal guarantee.—Phillip Ash, Publisher