What happens if everyone buys into index funds? For years Jack Bogle and other proponents of index funds have brushed aside that question.

There's very little real difference between the performance of mutual funds and ETPs in the commodity space, but there's a whole lot of difference in the products' risk characteristics.

In an effort to ramp up its ETF offerings, Charles Schwab announced today that it has acquired an ETF-focused money management company with nearly $4 billion in assets. Schwab paid $150 million in cash and stock for the company.

Considered by some to be a latecomer to the ETF party, Vanguard yesterday beefed up its exchange traded fund and mutual fund offerings. The company that made its reputation with low-cost indexed investments said it will launch 19 new index funds...