DJIA38904.04 307.06
S&P 5005204.34 57.13
NASDAQ16248.52 199.44
Russell 20002060.10 8.70
German DAX18163.94 -238.49
FTSE 1007911.16 -64.73
CAC 408061.31 -90.24
EuroStoxx 505013.35 -57.20
Nikkei 22538992.08 -781.06
Hang Seng16723.92 -1.18
Shanghai Comp3069.30 -5.66
KOSPI2714.21 -27.79
Bloomberg Comm IDX102.90 0.64
WTI Crude-fut91.17 0.01
Brent Crude-fut86.57 1.15
Natural Gas1.79 0.00
Gasoline-fut2.79 -0.01
Gold-fut2345.40 33.50
Silver-fut27.50 0.46
Platinum-fut940.60 -5.50
Palladium-fut1007.40 -23.60
Copper-fut423.60 1.85
Aluminum-spot1815.00 0.00
Coffee-fut212.50 5.75
Soybeans-fut1185.00 5.00
Wheat-fut567.25 11.00
Bitcoin67976.00 304.00
Ethereum USD3328.10 56.27
Litecoin98.71 0.69
Dogecoin0.18 0.00
EUR/USD1.0862 0.0007
USD/JPY151.72 -0.02
GBP/USD1.2678 0.0016
USD/CHF0.9044 -0.0014
USD IDX104.28 0.08
US 10-Yr TR4.4 0.091
GER 10-Yr TR2.406 0.007
UK 10-Yr TR4.064 -0.005
JAP 10-Yr TR0.771 -0.004
Fed Funds5.5 0
SOFR5.32 0
Connect News Money news for every market and every facet, every day.
Connect Money Events Live and virtual events bringing together the best of information and networking.
Financial Industry Events Live industry events.
Connect Creative A full service marketing and PR agency.
Connect Awards View the A-list of money & submit nominations.
Connect Media Kit Advertise, Promote, Attend, Create – Work with Connect.
About Connect Meet the team behind the machine and taste a little of the secret sauce.
Connect News

Your source for clear, concise news of maximum importance to the financial services industry.

Connect Classroom

Offering on-demand online courses that provide continuing education credits for brokers, attorneys, appraisers and architects. Select from easily accessible video and written courses that cover a variety of CRE topics.

Find Your Course
High-rise commercial buildings

STAY INFORMED

News when you need it. All our Breaking News, right to your inbox.

Sub Markets

Topics

Financial Advisory  + ETFs  + RIAs & Financial Advisors  |  March 24, 2025
RIAs Favor ETFs Over Mutual Funds
By: Joe Palmisano

RIAs Favor ETFs Over Mutual Funds

Registered investment advisory (RIA) firms are increasingly favoring exchange-traded funds (ETFs) over mutual funds, leveraging them for diversification and exposure to alternative assets—most notably digital assets—according to AdvizorPro’s Annual 2025 RIA ETF Trends Report.

Analyzing 13F filings from 4,768 RIAs in 2024, the report confirms a broad industry shift toward ETFs across asset classes, driven by their flexibility and cost efficiency. Advisors are also gravitating toward specialized, tax-efficient, and options-based ETF strategies, exemplified by a 124% surge in RIAs adopting products from Neos Funds, a leader in options-based income ETFs.

The ETFs experiencing the steepest percentage growth in allocations spanned multisector bond, derivative income, and growth-oriented equity funds—covering fixed income, small- and large-cap growth, and sector-specific strategies. AdvizorPro attributes this to advisors adapting to volatility and shifting economic conditions.

The categories with the largest increases in RIA participation included muni California intermediate (up 365%), equity hedged (288%), trading leveraged equity (265%), and digital assets (246%), highlighting an appetite for niche, risk-managed, and high-growth options.

Digital assets stood out as a powerhouse in thematic ETF growth. The Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) saw an astonishing 1,510% rise in adoption, while the Grayscale Ethereum Trust (ETHE) jumped 1,274%.

AdvizorPro notes, “The massive growth in GBTC and ETHE suggests that regulatory clarity and institutional adoption are accelerating RIA interest in crypto ETFs, making them a more permanent part of portfolios.”

This aligns with findings from Nickel Digital Asset Management’s most recent study, which reported explosive 1,500% growth in crypto-related ETFs among institutional investors, tying the trend to optimism about the SEC’s new leadership. Together, these insights underscore RIAs’ strategic pivot toward ETFs as versatile tools for navigating today’s complex markets.

Connect

Inside The Story

AdvizorPro

About Joe Palmisano

Joe Palmisano is Editorial Director for Connect Money, where he brings nearly three decades experience of market insights as a financial journalist, analyst and senior portfolio manager for leading financial publications, advisory firms, and hedge funds. In his role as Editorial Director, Joe is responsible for the selection of content and creation of daily business news covering the financial markets, including Alternative Assets, Direct Investment and Financial Advisory services. Before joining Connect Money, Joe was a financial journalist for the Wall Street Journal, regularly publishing feature stories and trend pieces on the foreign exchange, global fixed income and equity markets. Joe parlayed his experience as a financial journalist into roles as a Senior Research Analyst and Portfolio Manager, writing daily and weekly market analysis and managing a FX and US equity portfolio. Joe was also a contributing writer for industry magazines and publications, including SFO Magazine and the CMT Association. Joe earned a B.S.B.A. in Finance from The American University. He holds the Chartered Market Technician (CMT) designation and is a member of the CFA Institute.
Order Reprints
New call-to-action