Mutual or Index Funds or ETFs

Lets pick the good ones interms of performance , low risk factors and widespread sector .

As I am new to this , I would like to know the best picks based on the above criteria, for a period of 1 year investment

check out morningstar.com you can find all the etf's. i think its a great site to break down stocks. for etf picks it will show you the top 25 holdings, etc

Also, you might consider a subscription to kiplinger ($10-$20/ year) and they always discuss mutual funds with some really good insight. There are just so many mutualfunds/ETFs that it is hard to really say which is best. They actually had an article this month or last month on the worst mutual funds and why.

The Spider Sector ETFs offer a chance to invest by sector.

iShares has a slew of ETFs covering various sectors, market caps, countries, and other sundries. Their fund screener is a good place to start.

When looking at sectors or countries, it really helps to do the due diligence on the fundamentals of those sectors or countries. No shortcuts here that I know of.

I use a little bit of everything.

Some that I am watching to buy:

Domestic ETFs: QQQQ (which I like a lot), SPY, MDY
Int'l ETFs: FXI, EWH, EWT, EWS, EEM
Closed End: IFN
Mutual Funds: CGMFX, DODFX