Originally Posted by
Bouncerdog
I wanted exposure to China and India and so used USA based ETFs trading on NYSE - which used to be available through the old National Bank/First Capital share broking set up. The new people don't like to do that, which is a shame.
I managed to buy in when the NZD was strong and so am happy with my long-term investment. I like the fact that ETFs/index trackers have low costs/fees. I am allergic to all sorts of financial managers/advisers who take money without adding value. They make me come out in big blotches of poverty and bitterness.
Everything I read about financial planning tells me to look outside of little old New Zealand and spread your investments- but it seems really difficult to actually invest in a focussed international fund that doesn't charge an arm and a leg. The US ETFs sort of offer that, but then life becomes complicated with taxation issues - and the need for full service brokers to actually trade.
We have the SMART products on the NZX already. It would be neat if they could expand that family to provide focussed global exposure in baskets of shares in large cap India, or energy focussed China, or commodities based in Africa, or whatever.
Couldn't Mark Weldon do a deal with some US based ETFs to have them listed on the NZX? And who knows, perhaps the tide would turn, and Aussie dollars would start flow into the NZ Exchange?;)