SSgA site provides advisors with information ETFs, markets and strategies. State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) has launched a website, centered on ETFs, to give brokers, RIAs and other wealth managers information on index-tracking products, investment markets, portfolio strategies and practice management.

The site, called SPDR University, helps intermediaries earn continuing education credits toward the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) accreditations and provides education materials for end clients.

Pioneer

"Offering the opportunity to receive [continuing education] credits while accessing a wealth of thought leadership on key trends and developments in practice management, exchange traded products, and the markets, SPDR University underscores State Street's commitment to providing innovative solutions to financial professionals," says SSgA v.p. Gary MacDonald.

Among the practice-management topics covered at SPDR University are the suitability of ETFs to specific kinds of advisors, best practices for discussing risk with clients, principals for "strategic wealth management" and a discussion of investing opportunities in China.

"As the market for ETFs continues to grow, it is important for us as the market pioneer to continue to deliver innovative solutions that bring clarity to this evolving industry for financial professionals," adds MacDonald.

Assets under management in ETFs came to $5.7 trillion at the end of March 2007, according to the Investment Company Institute (ICI), a better than 760% increase since March 2001. In the same period mutual-fund assets increased about 77% to $11.7 trillion.

SSgA is the money-management division of Boston-based State Street Corporation. State Street introduced the first ETF, the S&P 500-tracking SPDR, in 1993. It managed $159 billion in ETF assets across 71 funds at the end of March 2008. -FWR

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