Avoiding bear traps

Juliette Shields, investment manager at Charles Stanley, talks to Emma Cusworth about the changing uses of ETFs and the need for greater risk-awareness How has your use of ETFs evolved during the recent turmoil? We started using ETFs in late 2002 as a proxy for getting exposure to entire markets like the S&P 500. They eliminated the charges and trading delays associated with mutual funds, Oeics and unit trusts, providing easier, passive access for the core of clients' portfolios. The way we use ETFs has evolved over time as it's very market dependent. Today's market is much more b...