Barbara FriedbergInvesting Expert Writer
Friedberg is a former investment portfolio manager, university finance instructor and author of three books including "Personal Finance; An Encyclopedia of Modern Money Management." Her work has been featured in national investment publications such...
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Barbara FriedbergInvesting Expert Writer
Friedberg is a former investment portfolio manager, university finance instructor and author of three books including "Personal Finance; An Encyclopedia of Modern Money Management." Her work has been featured in national investment publications such...
See Full Bio
Written By
Barbara Friedberg
Barbara FriedbergInvesting Expert Writer
Friedberg is a former investment portfolio manager, university finance instructor and author of three books including "Personal Finance; An Encyclopedia of Modern Money Management." Her work has been featured in national investment publications such...
See Full Bio
Barbara FriedbergInvesting Expert Writer
Friedberg is a former investment portfolio manager, university finance instructor and author of three books including "Personal Finance; An Encyclopedia of Modern Money Management." Her work has been featured in national investment publications such...
See Full Bio
Investing Expert Writer
Michael AdamsInvesting Editor
Michael Adams is an investing editor. He's researched, written about and practiced investing for nearly two decades. As a writer, Michael has covered everything from stocks to cryptocurrency and ETFs for many of the world's major financial publicatio...
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Michael AdamsInvesting Editor
Michael Adams is an investing editor. He's researched, written about and practiced investing for nearly two decades. As a writer, Michael has covered everything from stocks to cryptocurrency and ETFs for many of the world's major financial publicatio...
See Full Bio
Michael Adams
Michael AdamsInvesting Editor
Michael Adams is an investing editor. He's researched, written about and practiced investing for nearly two decades. As a writer, Michael has covered everything from stocks to cryptocurrency and ETFs for many of the world's major financial publicatio...
See Full Bio
Michael AdamsInvesting Editor
Michael Adams is an investing editor. He's researched, written about and practiced investing for nearly two decades. As a writer, Michael has covered everything from stocks to cryptocurrency and ETFs for many of the world's major financial publicatio...
See Full Bio
Reviewed
& 1 other
Updated: Jul 1, 2024, 2:59pm
Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.
With more than 400 funds to choose from in the U.S., there’s something for every investor in the iShares ETF fund family. Financial services giant BlackRock launched the first iShares ETFs in 1996. Since then, it has become the largest issuer of exchange-traded funds in the U.S.
The best iShares ETFs depend entirely upon an individual investor’s goals, strategy and time horizon. For the listing below, we sorted the hundreds of iShares funds to find the best offers for average investors given this unusual time in financial markets. Our picks lean toward conservative funds that offer maximum diversification, low volatility and great value.
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Best Ofs
- Best General ETFs
- Best Dividend ETFs
- Best Bond ETFs
- Best Growth ETFs
- Best Bitcoin ETFs
- Best Brokerage Accounts
Show Summary
- The Best iShares ETFs Of September 2024
- iShares Global 100 ETF (IOO)
- iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF (MTUM)
- iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO)
- iShares 1-5 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (IGSB)
- BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF (NEAR)
- Methodology
- Next Up in Investing
BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF (NEAR)
Expense Ratio
0.25%
Dividend Yield
4.97%
10-Year Avg. Ann. Return
1.95%
0.25%
4.97%
1.95%
Editor's Take
Providing monthly distributions, BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF is suitable for income investors. Part of the iShares family, this actively managed short term bond fund is designed for investors seeking current income.
NEAR’s average effective duration of less than 2.00 years means the fund’s price should remain relatively stable and income should rise along with interest rates. At the same time, NEAR’s more than 300 holdings minimize credit and default risk. The bonds are well-diversified across asset classes with a large portion of high credit quality issues.
*Data sourced from Morningstar Direct, current as of June 2, 2024, unless noted otherwise. Returns since inception are through May 31, 2024.
Methodology
When screening iShares’ 396 ETF offerings, we started by separating out the 254 equity ETFs. From that initial list we categorized the funds by region, sub asset class, three to five year return and expense ratio. Then we eliminated any ETFs launched since 2018. Next we eliminated all sector, country and industry specific ETFs.
From the remaining 98 ETFs, we selected a variety of equity funds that might appeal to the general investor. We chose one core U.S. equity index fund. The remaining selections spanned dividend, value, momentum and global ETFs, which yielded five winners.
For the bond selections we reviewed all of iShares’ 114 fixed income offerings seeking two types of funds: one short term income and another intermediate term corporate. We settled on the BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF and iShares 1-5 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF.
Together, these two bond ETFs could yield a complete bond portfolio for any investor. Ultimately, Blackrock’s iShares ETF offerings are so comprehensive and well-regarded that most investors should be able to find a fund that suits their goals.
To learn more about our rating and review methodology and editorial process, check out our guide onhow Forbes Advisor rates investing products.
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