How to Decide Which ETFs Are Best for You

ETFtrends.com is one of the leading blogs watching the industry. It's owned by Tom Lydon, a money manager who sits on the board of Rydex Funds. A true blogger, Lydon links to ETF stories in the mainstream media and gives his personal opinions of what they mean.

Reuters' Lipper Research Center provides the latest stories on ETFs from the Reuters news service as well as Lipper Research reports. The highlight of the site is the snapshot, which gives each fund a Lipper Leader rating for five categories: total return, consistent return, capital preservation, tax efficiency and expenses. The snapshot also compares risk to return, provides in-depth performance numbers and a breakdown of expenses.

Morningstar's(morn Quote) Web site doesn't offer as much information about ETFs as it does about mutual funds. Still, the site is a numbers cruncher's dream. In addition to returns, tax analysis and fees, it gives information on ETF options trading. It also rates ETFs.

You also can research ETFs on the ratings section of TheStreet.com(TSCM Quote). TheStreet.com Ratings' proprietary statistical models uses key financial metrics and indicators to rate ETFs (as well as stocks, mutual funds, banks, insurance and other financial interests).

The finance section of Yahoo's (YHOO Quote)finance websitewebsite is such an omnibus that it really doesn't deserve to be on this list, nor is its ETF section terribly impressive. However, it does offer something no one else has: The snapshots for individual ETFs provide historical prices and daily volumes that go all the way back to each fund's launch date.