When was the last time you used the yellow pages or any kind of phone book? We all have them and there are times when it can come handy if you know exactly what you are looking for. Hopefully you will even find a few listings worth contacting. But the ease of internet search means that fewer people are using printed books when searching for products and services. So why would you continue putting your efforts and marketing dollars into advertising offline? Will it cost tens of thousands of dollars to create a website? Not necessarily. There are plenty of excellent websites that are produced for well under $10,000 and can help drive new customers... 

The risk of the underlying asset is quite another matter. Each asset class must be examined separately, and risk profiles of assets may change over time. Stocks are clearly risky, and ones in technology or emerging markets particularly so. Long-term bonds and real estate are also risky in their own way. Short-term investment grade bonds, however, have generally proven quite safe. At the moment it seems to be a little risk of abuse of the ETF structure as an investment vehicle. In the US the SEC (Securities Exchange Commission) thoroughly examines any application to create an ETF, and only large and closely watched firms are allowed in on the creation...