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ETFs are also attractive because of their low cost (trading fees) and favorable tax exposure — in most cases taxable income can be deferred, while some funds don't have capital gains distributions or pay dividends.

It's worth noting, however, that all ETFs are not created equal. Some are unusually narrow in focus, the antithesis of diversification. Others are leveraged, based not on actual securities and/or indices but derivatives based on an underlying index, and seek to outperform, not mirror what they track.

The verdict on ETFs is still out. Not even 20 years old, the industry's track record is not a long one; many EFTs are not much more than 5 years old.

Our special report, "ETF Strategist," gives investors a better understanding of the wide world of ETFs, providing the pros and cons of investing in various asset classes and sectors (and related portfolios ) that offer diversification.

Having already tackled fixed-income, we're on to commodities in March. Look for more editions each month through June.

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