Investment Q&A

Q: What is your top pick for a high-quality dividend grow to ETF for a long term hold (25+ years)? I have heard SCHD and DGRO are top choices.

Q: Hi, are there any Canadian dollar alternatives to SCHD.?

Thanks!

Q: Out of these four, which one do you think would have the best return over a 3 to 5 year time period? Looking for something "safe" and steady.

Thanks

Q: Hello 5i,

Could you please expand on an answer to V on the 20 stocks to purchase today if you were to start over? We are assuming that stocks/ETF’s are equal weight and the recommendation is considered a growth portfolio. If not, please elaborate. We were also surprised to see Prudential on the list.

If you were 70+ would you alter the list slightly?

If you were in your mid 30’s and 40’s now and have limited funds (30k-70k) would you recommend purchasing all the stocks/ETF’s equally and expand over time or are there specific stocks/ETF’s that would be considered a “starter pack”?

Thank you so much for your website and advice.

D&J

Q: Hi,
I believe VEQT pays an annual dividend at the end of December. What would be the pros and cons of borrowing some money, depositing it in an RRSP, buying VEQT and repaying the loan when the tax refund from this and other RRSP deposits earlier in the year comes in April 2025? I realize the loan interest will have to be paid as a cost, and the higher dividend amount on the added funds would be the benefit. Thank you. Michael

Q: 1. What is the best Bitcoin and Ethereum Fund to Purchase to Invest in these 2 Crypto Currencies that are as closest to buying the actual currency on Netcoins , Coinbase, Etc

2. I have dealt with Netcoins and Coinbase in the past, but lately I am having issues dealing with them to purchase these currencies... They do not make it easy for me with their security features...
- Their websites and Apps dont give proper access to their services or how to access them to change settings... Especially Netcoins...
- Coinbase is troubling in the fact that you can only transfer funds back to Canadian or US dollars by using Paypal

3. Please provide answers & thoughts ...

4. I know this is not your main specialty, but I would appreciate your take on these questions and your overall opinion...

Thanks,
M

Q: Hi,

If I invest in a high interest savings ETF like CASH, am I taking risk on my principal? Or am I just taking risk on what interest rate I'm earning?

It seems like there is a bit of a principal risk. Would the price go down if the rates go down?

Thanks,

Q: For TSX exposure do you prefer XIC or XIU (or something else?) and why? Thanks.

Q: Which one do you prefer?

Q: Seniors, late-80's, no debt, with a DB pension.
Looking to transition out of individual equities and into an ETF portfolio that we can 'set-and-forget'. This is a non-registered account (C$), looking to avoid tax implications (return of capital, etc.). Thx for some guidance.

Q: I am 83 years old and thinking of reducing my portfolio of stocks and putting the monies in Dimensional Funds in my RRIF. Returns seem to be excellent and I would like to get your opinion on these funds. I have no pension so I rely solely on the income generated by these Funds
Second question: The other option is trading my stocks for ETF's therefore what 5/6 ETF's would you recommend that would make a nice balanced income producing portfolio

Wayne

Q: I hold positions in these two funds as part of the fixed income portion of my portfolio. Looking at their current yields (3.1% & 2.27%) I'm starting to wonder why I don't just put that money into CASH.TO, which is currently at 4.52%.

Am I missing something? Are there other, better funds I should be moving them to?

Q: In an effort to minimize currency exchange costs, I am using separate all-in-one etfs for my CAD and USD accounts. The xbal for the CAD and the AOR for the USD account. I would be interested to know your thoughts and whether this merits attention. The xbal and others similar have huge Canadian weight which I would be happy to avoid. On the USD side they seem to have this sorted. My biggest beef there is that it is very US heavy and frustratingly, not visible in the 5i database. Could you please advise on option of xbal and aor, and also please look into integration of the AOR and comparable series?
Thanks
Peter

Q: In response to your market update of Nov.26; can you recommend an ETF for the S&P 600?

Q: In an answer to Numa this morning you stated that HYPT was down 1.1% this year. Just for clarification does that include the 17.27% dividend ? Thanks Garth

Q: Donald Trump is causing so much uncertainty in both Canadian and US markets. Canada might even go into a recession.

I know that you mentioned that we should not react to the Trump threat.

However, if I had to sell all my stocks and ETFs ($400k) and start from scratch today, what would be the top 20 stocks/ETFs ( US and/or Canadian) that that you would invest in.

Would you just buy SPY/ZSP.to/ VGT/ SCHG ETFs in the USA market for safety?

Fyi, I don't like bonds.

Q: If I am wanting to move money into an index fund next year, what are your thoughts on RSP versus VOO? I see they have more of a weighting in Financials and Industrials. Thanks.

Q: In a best case scenario, I think 4 years of Donald Trump in power will be chaotic and discruptive in the US and globally. In a worst case, I believe the US is heading for internal unrest/violence, and the certain parts of the globe will be at war. If you were a 74 year old investor who has done well listening to 5i the last 2 years, how would you now hedge against these scenarios?

Q: I have several 'Growth' companies which have grown quite large in both Cdn and US markets (Thanks). While I plan to let winners run, I am looking to take some capital out of those, and shift to areas of the market which are trading below their historical averages. Could you suggest some areas of both US and Canada to look for those areas? (Specific companies or ETFs which would target this both welcome)

Q: Can you go over your thoughts (other than sector differences) between these 2 types of products. I know they both use covered calls to generate additional income and that one is a split share.

Would a product like umax typically keep its payments at some level more consistently (as there is no preferred share to protect)? Is the upside (downside) potential higher on the split?

That is what I am thinking are the main differences but wondering if there are any other differences in how you see them.

If one was lookig at a swap from FTN to umax to keep a similar yield and lower leverage risk is that a reasonable view?