Investing in oil: You have a lot of ETF options

— -- Q: Are there any options for people who want to invest in oil other than the iPath S&P GSCI Crude Oil Total Return index oil?

A: Many Ask Matt readers don't seem to trust today's lower oil prices.

Several have asked for ways to profit if oil prices rise again. It was the topic of this previous Ask Matt column.

That column names the exchange-traded fund (ETF) that tracks the price of oil, the iPath S&P GSCI Crude Oil Total Return index (OIL).

But there are other options. First, you could buy an energy ETF that invests in a variety of oil, gas and other energy interests. One is the Vanguard Energy ETF vde.

There are many other options, though. With additional research, using the ETF Screener in USATODAY.com's Stock/Fund/ETF Screener, you can learn how the ETFs differ from one other. I'll list some of the oil and energy ETFs in the table at left.

Matt Krantz is a financial markets reporter at USA TODAY and author of Investing Online for Dummies. He answers a different reader question every weekday in his Ask Matt column at money.usatoday.com. To submit a question, e-mail Matt at mkrantz@usatoday.com. Click here to see previous Ask Matt columns.