Small Change: New ETFs Muddy Waters of Small-Cap Index Funds

Buying an index fund is supposed to be simple.

But with the recent explosion of exchange-traded funds, the once-staid world of index funds has gotten complicated. And when you get down to index funds for small-cap stocks, it can get downright murky.

A recent column discussed the new technology index funds that are hitting the market and their obvious and not-so-obvious differences. Today's column will examine small-cap index funds, and advise that, even in this new landscape, investors serve themselves well by keeping it simple. ...