Innovation Update

Cramer's Tip for Investing in a China Rebound

Stock quotes in this article: CHN  

I can't stand ETFs. These "exchange-traded funds" are an affront to my stock picking abilities. Be darned if I am going to own some instrument that has stocks I like -- and stocks I hate -- in the name of not being able to do the homework or discern among the best or the worst.

It just seems like something, still one more gimmick, Wall Street generated to take more money away from hard working people who don't know enough to do the job.

Believe me, I know this is a minority position. People use ETFs everyday and they have become an important part of an individual's arsenal to diversify for those who are unsure of a sector but recognize the need to diversify.

I was reading recently about the problems of the workers, for example, who toil at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and have their income and their retirement tied up with those two ne'er-do-well stocks. I know that anyone there who said "wow, this financial sector is awful, I want to be in anything but financials for my retirement" would have been well served by ETFs.

I also have no quibble with the structure: mutual funds often charge too much for the same performance that an ETF can give you. The ease and simplicity of ETFs make them good tools, too, for those who don't want to set up individual mutual funds at different places.

Even though I don't like them, I may have come up with that particular dilemma that an ETF can solve: China. Click here for Cramer's China pick.

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Jim Cramer is a director and co-founder of TheStreet.com. He contributes daily market commentary for TheStreet.com's sites and serves as an adviser to the company's CEO. Outside contributing columnists for TheStreet.com and RealMoney.com, including Cramer, may, from time to time, write about stocks in which they have a position. In such cases, appropriate disclosure is made. To see his personal portfolio and find out what trades Cramer will make before he makes them, sign up for Action Alerts PLUS. Watch Cramer on "Mad Money" weeknights on CNBC. To order Cramer's newest book -- "Jim Cramer's Stay Mad for Life: Get Rich, Stay Rich (Make Your Kids Even Richer)," click here. Click here to order "Mad Money: Watch TV, Get Rich," click here to order "Real Money: Sane Investing in an Insane World," click here to get "You Got Screwed!" and click here for Cramer's autobiography, "Confessions of a Street Addict." While he cannot provide personalized investment advice or recommendations, he appreciates your feedback and invites you to send comments by clicking here.

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