When you think of investing in stocks, you probably think of considering each company one by one, researching that particular player -- and then buying if the investment case looks solid. You can do this by getting in on a good exchange-traded fund (ETF),

A seemingly unstoppable flood of money has Vanguard Group Inc. on the brink of claiming a crown that State Street Corp. has held for decades.

Investment management firm Vanguard offers a variety of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that allow investors to target a specific theme or sector at a low cost. With just 0.04% expense ratios, meaning $0.

This is a low-cost index fund that invests in a portfolio of real estate investment trusts, or REITs. REITs are income-focused stocks, but they also have lots of potential to generate market-beating total returns over time.