If you’re thinking about retirement, whether it’s in two years, 12 years, 22 years or beyond, there’s an exchange traded fund (ETF) for you.

XShares Advisors launched a series of target date ETFs that definitely have a place in investors’ retirement plans. But they aren’t just for retirement, reports Billy Fisher for The Street. Michael Case Smith, director of Index and Allocation for Zacks Investment Research, says the funds are more than that: they emphasize goal-based planning, too.

The ETFs provide a glide-path investment approach that adjusts an allocation mix between equity and fixed-income investments based upon one’s target date. The target audience for this kind of fund stretches far beyond the retirement set.

The line could soon face some competition from State Street Global Advisors, which filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for its own line of funds.

The current offerings from XShares include:

• TDAX Independence In-Target (TDX)
• TDAX Independence 2010 (TDD)
• TDAX Independence 2020 (TDH)
• TDAX Independence 2030 (TDN)
• TDAX Independence 2040 (TDV)

Tags: Retirement