The Contrarian: And in the red corner... exchange-traded funds

ETFs

Last year was not a great year for the ETF industry.

Passives’ share of the asset management space may be inexorably growing, but that higher profile is also attracting a veritable barrage of negative publicity. The effect has been a noticeable cooling of interest among some advisers for  passive structures. Many IFAs and planners worry investing their clients’ money in these exotic beasts might land them in no end of difficult conversations with clients, regulators and compliance officers. But two recent reports should help to clear up at least some of the confusion, though neither addresses the really big challenges facing passives. T...