By: Larry MacDonald

I recently came across a website that offers a web-based screener for exchange-traded funds (ETFs) listed on Canadian exchanges. It’s free and apparently the first of its kind (so the site claims).

You’ll find it on the website of PUR Investing Inc., a Canadian investment counseling firm that designs tailored ETF portfolios for investors. One of the principals is Mark Yamada, who has had over 30 years of investment experience as an analyst, portfolio manager and chief investment officer (at Manulife Financial, Sun Life Investment Management Co., Guardian Capital Advisors LP, etc.).

The screener, called PŮR CONSTRUCTS Screener, filters ETFs by five factors: 1) diversification, 2) cost, 3) liquidity, 4) tax efficiency, and 5) tracking error. It’s fairly easy to use: just move the cursors up or down on one of more of the five factors to see which are the best ETFs for your preferences.

The website also has other tools.