Scottrade To Enter ETF Game, Price War Could Intensify

Discount broker Scottrade will roll out its lineup of 15 new ETFs on Wednesday, a move that could further escalate the price battle between brokerage firms competing for ETF investors' business. The Scottrade ETFs will track 15 Morningstar Inc. indexes, covering the U.S. broad market, small-, mid- and large-cap stocks and 11 separate sectors, according to the Wall Street Journal. While offering commission-free trades on those ETFs to its clients, Scottrade is also looking to undercut rivals on fees. Charles Schwab SCHW, the largest U.S. discount broker, has made its presence felt in the ETF arena by offering ETFs with low expense ratios and commission-free trades to its clients. Vanguard has become the third-largest U.S. ETF issuer with a low expense approach and the firm also offers free trades on its ETFs to its clients. TD Ameritrade AMTD offers commission-free trades on over 100 ETFs. The Scottrade ETFs will sport the FocusShares as that company was recently acquired by the broker. No bond or international equity offerings will be included among the first 15 Scottrade ETFs. The firm says 42% of its clients are currently invested in ETFs, the Journal reported.