Investment Q&A

Q: Let's say a conservative investor (i) wants to invest US dollars in US ETFs, (ii) wants principal protection above all, for example by investing primarily in BIL.

If this investor wants to move a little bit up the risk ladder with a view to getting more yield, by adding one or two other conservative ETFs (while continuing to hold BIL as the primary holding): what would you suggest?

Q: Hello 5i,

We currently have IEMG and AIA at 2% positions. Would EMM be a complimentary ETF to increase foreign exposure as it also has NDIA (India) and BRAZ (Brazil),

Would you have any concerns if all three were @2% positions?

Thank you
D&J

Q: I am currently shifting some of my assets into ETFs. I’m looking for some low to medium risk Canadian ETFs with low management fees and a five to ten year investment outlook. Could you give me a few suggestions?

Q: If I were to reduce my overweight positions in a few FANGMA stocks and instead use Evolve’s TECH.U ETF for more balanced long-term tech exposure, how would you assess the trade-off? Other than the MER, are there any concerns with TECH.U—such as index methodology, rebalance schedule, liquidity, tracking error, or concentration—that should factor into the decision?”

Q: Is VIU actively managed? What or who determines weightings in each international country ? Or is it just by stock screening that certain countries get a higher percentage weighting? Finally, if VI is the hedged version, what is it hedged against ? The Vanguard website says USD but this ETF is ex North America.

Q: Hi,
We own no crypto stocks. I feel that we should have some exposure in our portfolio. Now there has been a bit of a pull back… I cannot decide on what combination of stocks or ETF’s (cnd or US$) to buy in this sector for total portfolio weight of approximately 4-5%. What 3 combination of companies and/or ETF would you buy for a balanced exposure to the sector.
Thanks for all that you do!
K.

Q: If I sell FBTC & IBIT for tax loss reason , would I allowed to buy FBTC.U & BTCC within 30 days ? Thanks a lot.

Q: Critics are so frequent (and factors well explained) concerning covered call ETFs or covered call ETFs + leverage . My own experience is surprisingly positive since I keep about 10-20 % of those specialized ETFs( carefully selected though) in my portfolios , the results are excellent since, after 2-5 years , most of them show significant capital gain (often up to 50%) and no decreased NAV ..What strategy ( ETF vs stocks,or covered call ETF,ETF+leverage) do you suggest for a long term dividend investor ?

Q: XLV had a good run. Would you buy it here or wait for a pull back, Do you think that the healthcare sector has more momentum to the upside?
Thank. Cheers

Q: I am considering VEE within a Non-Registered Account and wondering about the consequences in doing so.

- Regarding the impact on my OAS clawback: I don't believe that VEE's current 2.26% dividend is grossed up like Canadian dividends. However, it would be treated like regular income and there is also a slight withhold tax. So to me net-net, with focus on its affect on the OAS clawback, it would appear that holding VEE in this account would have a slight edge compared to holding a Canadian dividend-payer. Would this be correct?

- Regarding Tax Form T1135: Vanguard is a U.S. company, but VEE trades on the TSX. Does VEE need to be included when considering Foreign Income Verification on T1135 ? Or does the fact that it trades on the TSX exempt it?

Q: Good afternoon Troops. 65y/o retiree looking to reduce my holdings and consolidate into an easier to manage portfolio. I have chosen six ETFs to give me some international and US exposure, some using covered calls for income. For the Canadian side of my portfolio I have chosen these ten stocks that would be my core holdings going forward. Can you please comment on this strategy and if these stocks are suitable for my situation. Cheers.

Q: I am an 80 year old value investor. In a diversified portfolio in all sectors, covered call ETF's as per above, make up 10% of my portfolio. I am satisfied with that and all but two are up. 30% of holdings are ETF's including the covered calls.
QUESTION:1. Am I holding too many covered call ETF's? They seem to take the stairs up and the elevator down faster than single stocks. 2. Is it supposed that the covered call ETF's will plunge faster than the single stocks in an expected steep correction?
Thank you

Q: Hi, can you give me a top level summary of the differences between Mutual Funds and ETF's? And which would you prefer when choosing funds to allocate dollars to the Global Market?

Thank-you!

Q: Wanting to diversify my holdings to include international markets.

Could you please recommend an ETF for India, Japan, Europe and emerging markets.

What percentage do you recommend to be outside North America?

Thanks Dave

Q: I hold VEQT, QQC, XDIV, QDAY & GIAX. I am selling all stocks and moving to ETF. My goal is to keep it simple and less monitoring.

Do you think there is a need to own SP500 & TSX ETF. If yes which one would you recommend.

Thanks for your excellent advice.

Q: Please give your opinion on the following "F" series funds. Any comparatives would also be appreciated Deduct as many credits as necessary.

rgCF
LYZ801F5.cf
RCDB-NE
GIDY-T
PMIF-T
QTIP-NE
DXP-T
GOC703.CF

Thank you

Paul

Q: I currently hold modest positions in both FEZ and VGK, and I am evaluating whether to add to my European equity allocation despite the generally weak performance over the last decade. I would value your view on:
• FEZ’s concentrated Eurozone-only exposure vs. VGK’s broader developed-Europe approach (includes UK, Switzerland' I am unsure about the UK’s prospcets),
• how their sector weights differ— financials, industrials, and consumer names,
• concentration risk in FEZ versus the broader diversification of VGK,
• the impact of European macro conditions, rate cuts, and currency trends on each ETF,
• whether it makes strategic sense to overweight Europe at this time,
• and whether increasing one fund offers a clear advantage or if adding to both provides meaningful diversification.
Your reasoning would assist greatly.

Q: Do you have a preference between DXJ and EWJ for Japan equity exposure? DXJ has outperformed historically—largely due to currency hedging but this may not continue. I would value your detailed view —and reasoning on:
• attractiveness of hedged vs. unhedged Japan exposure in the current reckless debt levels,
• fundamental index differences (TOPIX-based vs. WisdomTree dividend/quality tilt),
• concentration risks and sector biases of each,
• DXJ is already held and I could add to it but I wonder what you think of how each ETF fits into strategic vs. tactical allocations,
(whether holding both funds offers diversification? Or would that be unnecessary overlap?)

Q: Do you have a preference between FXI and MCHI for China equity exposure outside pure tech? I would appreciate your rationale e.g. index methodology and coverage (large cap vs broader market), sector weights, liquidity and cost, risk concentration.
Any structural advantages or drawbacks? Assuming portfolio capacity permits, does holding both make sense from an incremental diversification standpoint, or does one ETF sufficiently capture the intended exposure?

Q: these ETFs are my main yield workhorses. Can you suggest others to compliment them?