By Scott Ronalds

Exchange traded funds (ETFs) are now a fixture on the investment landscape and are among the fastest growing investment products. There’s good reason for their rise in popularity: they’re simple, low cost, transparent and provide market-like returns. But ... they’re not for everyone.

In a newly updated paper, we compare the experience of an ETF investor (Jake) to that of a Steadyhand client (Julie). There are notable differences between the two experiences and it’s important that investors are aware of the trade-offs. The paper focuses on four areas: administration, communication, advice and most importantly, returns (as of December 31, 2012).

For those who are frustrated with the returns and business practices of the traditional wealth management companies, ETFs are a good option. For those who strive to beat the indexes and want more advice and service, Steadyhand may be an even better fit.