Exchange Traded Funds explained visually - Consumer News Roundup for 12/14/11

A roundup of consumer-focused articles from around the web.

• What is an ETF? (Mint.com)
  Exchange Traded Funds explained by Mint.com in a nice infographic.
• Consumer Smarts: Unwanted cell phone calls are tough to avoid (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
  Consumers expect a fair amount of privacy with their cell phones, so when they get unwanted telemarketing pitches on their cell phones the offense seems particularly egregious. In recent weeks, there have been a number of complaints regarding unwanted calls.
• What you need to know about buying bonds (Seattle Times)
  Baby boomers fully embraced the stock market by riding its ups and downs throughout their peak income years. But now that the oldest boomers are turning 65, their focus has turned toward ensuring a steady income from their investments. And they're likely to find the answer is to put money in bonds rather than stocks, as recent market volatility shows.
• Forum highlights financial needs and challanges for servicemembers (US Department of the Treasury)
  Yesterday, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau convened a Financial Fitness Forum, led by CFPB’s head of Servicemember Affairs, Holly Petraeus. The forum highlighted the unique financial needs and challenges of America’s military families, and served as a forum for discussion of some of the financial products tailored to their circumstances.