Why Exchange-Traded Funds May Not Be Right for You

The U.S. has many, many ETF products, but some countries only have a few exchange-traded funds in which you can invest.

Regions that do offer market ETFs usually only include large-cap products, leaving a lack of mid- and small-sized funds.

If you want international exposure in your portfolio, additional information can help you overcome the ETF disadvantages involved in foreign investing. 

The advantage of purchasing an ETF over an index or equity diminishes when ETFs have low trading volumes. The bid-ask spread can be too wide to be cost-effective. Barring any unforeseen news or circumstances, market makers tend to be tighter on securities that are more liquid.

The intra-day trading opportunities created by ETFs might not fit into a long-term investor’s strategy. This is more of an advantage for short-term ETF traders, but it's a disadvantage for long-term traders. It's important to layout your investing goals before you decide how to include ETFs in your portfolio.

Some ETFs aren’t as actively traded as others. This might happen because of a sector-related issue or even due to a regional issue. It might be more effective to invest in a managed fund when activity is higher and this situation occurs.

Although mutual funds have their disadvantages as well, an active mutual fund might be the better fit for your portfolio in the case of inactive ETFs.

In the case of foreign ETFs, there can sometimes be a tax advantage in opting to invest in an international portfolio. Tax laws vary from country to country, so it might be beneficial for your tax situation to find other foreign investments.

There are many benefits in including ETFs in your portfolio, but it's important to understand that they're not the ideal investment for every situation. ETFs should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis for ​every investing strategy. Understand all the risks involved with ETFs before you get started.