In this conversation, Brad interviews Todd Rosenbluth, an industry veteran and current member of VettaFi. They discuss Todd's background, VettaFi's business, and the upcoming Exchange conference. Todd shares his insights on the future of the ETF industry and offers advice for new ETF issuers. The conversation highlights the collaborative nature of the ETF community and emphasizes the importance of ongoing engagement and communication. Todd provides information on where to learn more about VettaFi and access his research.Takeaways· VettaFi is an ETF services company that aims to educate financial advisors and provide them with content, webcasts, and data to help them make informed investment decisions. · The Exchange conference, organized by VettaFi, brings together industry experts, asset managers, and financial advisors to share ideas, discuss trends, and provide training and education. · The future of the ETF industry is expected to see continued growth in actively managed ETFs, conversions of separately managed accounts (SMAs) into ETFs, and a focus on education and collaboration within the community. · To make the most of the Exchange conference, financial advisors are encouraged to review the agenda, attend sessions that align with their interests, and take advantage of networking opportunities. · The ETF community fosters collaboration and a sense of community, with industry participants willing to help and support each other. · New ETF issuers should engage with platforms like VettaFi to get their word out and stay in front of industry experts and writers who can help promote their products. · To learn more about VettaFi and access Todd Rosenbluth's research, visit the VettaFi and ETF Trends websites, as well as connect with Todd on LinkedIn.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Background 01:35 VettaFi's Acquisition and Products 07:35 Overview of the Exchange Conference 10:09 The Future of the ETF Industry 12:12 Making the Most of the Exchange Conference 15:02 Highlighted Sessions at the Exchange Conference 19:30 Planning for the Exchange Conference 21:45 Information and Registration for the Exchange Conference 23:40 The Collaborative Nature of the ETF Community 27:13 Advice for New ETF Issuers 30:13 Where to Learn More about VettaFi and Todd Rosenbluth
Deeper Dive: Insights from the Full Conversation
Beyond the headline strategy, the full conversation between Brad and Todd Rosenbluth covered several additional themes worth highlighting for advisors and investors.
On Process and Philosophy
I guess I'm a 20 plus year industry veteran. I started my career as a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley. Then went to go do research at Value Line initially, and then went to what is now S&P Global. S&P I was on the non-index non-credit rating side of the business, covering individual stocks. And an opportunity came about to move into ETF and mutual fund research and build a research platform. Which I did over 10 years ago, and while it was there, the business I was a part of got sold to an independent research company called CFRA.
I'm Brad Roth, Chief Investment Officer of Thor Financial Technologies, and portfolio manager of THLV, the Thor Low Volatility ETF. Behind the Ticker, uncovers the inner workings of the ETF industry. We will interview portfolio managers and ETF service providers to dive deep into their work lives and their businesses. We will learn the inner workings of their strategies and what drives them as they continue to grow their company. Many of these individuals are entrepreneurs, and will have unique and compelling insights to share as much goes on behind the Ticker.
Market Context and Positioning
It's great for the industry. It's a sign that the ETFs remain a go-to vehicle to get exposure and we're seeing great trading and great flows, but there are 3,000 other products that people should be paying attention to. In some cases are paying attention to, and it's in the best interest of my readers and my content that I write about something else besides a Bitcoin ETF, because at the most, it's going to make up reasonably a couple of basis points.
I'm sorry, a couple of percentage points of their portfolio and there's other products to consider. Yeah, no, it was, I was following everything on Twitter and it just seemed like it was a roller coaster ride. So if I were in your shoes, I'd probably be relieved that it's over and stop having to write about it all day every day or tweet about it all day every day, so. But anyways, let's pivot over to verify. Can you talk about Vettify's business specifically around how they can help and how they assist ETF issuers and the types of products and services they have?
It feels good to be back, and we start off season two with a big one. He is from Vettify, and we are talking all things. The exchange ETF conference down in Miami. There are a handful of wonderful sessions, great speakers. We talk about the ETF community as a whole. Todd is very dialed in on all things ETF. So I hope that you all find this episode insightful, and if you are listening to this, prior to the exchange ETF conference, I look forward to seeing a lot of you down there.
Key Takeaways
- Todd shares his insights on the future of the ETF industry and offers advice for new ETF issuers.
- The conversation highlights the collaborative nature of the ETF community and emphasizes the importance of ongoing engagement and communication.
- · The future of the ETF industry is expected to see continued growth in actively managed ETFs, conversions of separately managed accounts (SMAs) into ETFs, and a focus on education and collaboration within the community.
What This Means for Advisors
For financial advisors evaluating options for client portfolios, this conversation with Todd Rosenbluth highlights important considerations around active management. Understanding the strategy behind each fund—not just the ticker—helps advisors make more informed allocation decisions and better communicate the rationale to clients.
The themes of active management and crypto & digital assets discussed in this episode are particularly relevant in the current market environment, where advisors are increasingly looking for differentiated solutions that go beyond traditional benchmarks.
Listen to the Full Episode
This article is based on an episode of Behind the Ticker, hosted by Brad Roth, Founder and CIO of THOR Financial Technologies. For the full conversation with Todd Rosenbluth, including additional nuances and details, listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube.