A recent forecast suggests that by 2015 exchange-traded funds will dominate the industry in terms of assets under management. That's an unlikely scenario, but ETFs do have their uses. Read More

These are the top funds in five major categories, ranked according to three-year returns. We primarily consider funds with managers in place for at least three years; the only exceptions are managers with at least three years' experience in a similar capacity. We don't rank funds with front or back-end loads greater than 3 percent or funds that are closed to new investors, have less than $25 million in assets, have minimums of $10,000 or more, have trust restrictions or are single-state muni-bond funds. All data as of 06/30/09. Read More

The information technology sector has performed consistently throughout the crisis, but many investors are just becoming aware of this pocket of strength. Although Internet-related stocks have been beaten down, the best companies continue to generate handsome profits by tapping consumers in both the domestic and international market. Here's a fund run by an undisputed expert that will let you ride the digital wave to investment gains. Read More

Despite the troubles in the municipal bond market, muni-bond funds are useful vehicles for many investors, often offering yields higher, than comparable taxable bond funds. If you're mulling an investment in a muni-bond fund, Vanguard's lineup should be on your list. We survey the field and report on the current strategies guiding these top-notch tax-free offerings. Read More

A weaker US dollar is a real risk going forward. We highlight seven ways to hedge against this eventuality. Read More

Regardless of what you think about global warming, countries worldwide will generate more of their energy from alternative sources. And this trend should generate handsome profits for canny investors. Read More

News and views from around the mutual fund world. Read More

Benjamin Bailey and Delmar King discuss bubbles and values-based fixed income investment. Read More

We’re not particularly fond of funds that try to implement hedge fund-like strategies in an open-ended fund structure. But that doesn’t mean they’re all bad--in fact, some are quite good at delivering the results they promise. Read More

You may not have a Facebook page or know how to send a tweet, but technology is changing the way the world communicates. In fact, the US State Dept recently asked Twitter to delay a system upgrade because posts from Iran proved to be a valuable intelligence resource. Here’s how to leverage those sorts of technologies in your portfolio. Read More