Vanguard's New ETFs for International Stocks

Last week 3 Vanguard "Vipers" (Vanguard Index Participation Equity
Receipts) Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) began trading on the American
Stock Exchange : Vanguard Emerging Markets Vipers (VWO), Vanguard
European Vipers (VGK) and Vanguard Pacific Vipers (VPL) .

All these funds have a very low expense ratio of only 0.18 percent which
makes all three ETFs very attractive investments especially for
diversifying your portfolio either in your taxed or retirement accounts.

VWO is tied to one of the most successful international fund of recent
years, the Vanguard Emerging Market Index Fund (VEIEX) which rose
by a whopping 23% annually over the last 3 years. The fund invests in
developing countries around the globe. Its biggest investments are in
South Korea, Taiwan and South Africa.

VGK, the European Viper tracks large-cap blue chips is a related share
class of the Vanguard European Stock Index fund (VEURX). It does not
include stocks in Central and Eastern Europe, including Russia. Over the
last 3 years it gained 12.5% annually.. one reason being a stronger Euro
with a falling dollar.

VPL, another new viper is tied to the Vanguard Pacific stock index fund
(VPACX) and its main constituents are from Japan, like Toyota (TM) and
Canon (CAJ). Other countries which are represented in this index are
Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore. VPACX rose 12%
annually over the last 3 years.