US ETF\'s: Which one, if any?
 

Hi,

I have €6,000 (about $9,000?) to invest and was thinking about lumping it all into a US ETF. Having read a couple of other posts I see that there is one called a VTI (not sure about this) that is broader and more diversified than most others, which would be the sort of characteristics that I'd be looking for.
Would this be a reasonable investment for someone who doesn't want their money just lying in a bank account, or are there better options out there for such a small amount?
I am Irish and have an account with Davy stockbrokers. I have already invested some cash into an Irish ETF and was charged a flat a 1.65% fee on the transaction.
There was an option of trading electronically, but this wouldn't have made sense for the amounts I am dealing with.
Are there any other brokers out there where I could get a better deal?

Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks.

Re: US ETF\'s: Which one, if any?
 

There are a ton of cheaper brokers. ScottTrade, Ameritrade, sharebuilder, Zecoo(completely free) and others 1.65% fee is very steep.

Zecco
 

I'd like to take this opportunity to comment on Zecco. I got an account there about 6 months ago and have had mixed feelings. It took a long time to set up the account which was frustrating, but it could be the case with any broker (Zecco is the only one I have used). It also takes longer than I would like to transfer money onto the site (4ish days which may again be completely normal).

Other than that I have been very happy with them. I love the fact that I don't get charged a transaction fee. It has allowed me to dump some of my money and then go back and put more in later. Obviously this is possible with other brokers but you would be charged multiple times so I probably would have waited until I was really really sure I was ready before investing which would have cost me money.

Lastly, I posted a while ago that I got a notice about them charging $15 per quarter to hold securities. After I investigated it more I learned that they only charge that fee if you have them hold stocks that you purchased through another broker so I have not been charged anything at all.

Re: Zecco
 

For someone who won't be actively running their portfolio but rather buying an index fund and just letting it seat, which one of these online brokers should I look into?

Re: Zecco
 

The brokerage you choose won't make too large of a difference. To name a few, Zecco, Wells Fargo, SogoInvest, FirstTrade, and Scottrade are relatively cheap. Just try to avoid high commissions, maintanence fees, etc. I can give you a referral to Scottrade if you want one (it will net us each 3 free trades).

Re: Zecco
 

Thanks, I was comparing them and I think I will go with Zecco since it looks like an awesome deal. Scottrade actually has some fees and they are, by comparison to ameritrade more expensive. But you are right, it's not that big of a deal. Thanks!

Re: Zecco
 

if this is long term, its hard to imagine that the us is going to grow faster than china, brazil or another developing country.