Investment Q&A

Q: Can you recommend any small or medium cap, US dollar denominated ETFs, that don’t have any dividends, phantom dividends, ROC, etc? Only looking for a capital gain/loss.

Q: 3 years ago I divided my pension 50/50 between MFS Global Equity and Schroder Emerging Markets in an effort to increase my international exposure. I had been 100% in the MFS Global Equity Fund and would have been much better off had I stayed there. I have a couple of options as I see it:

1) Move back to 100% MFS Global Equity Fund (portfolio drops to 20-25% international)
2) Stay the course (portfolio stays at 30% international)
3) #1 plus allocate some non-registered funds to an international ETF to get portfolio back to 30% international (suggestions?)

Q: Dear 5i,
Could you please add this new US listed ETF: Cambria's MYLD
Could you also please provide your high level thoughts on it's investing strategy to gain exposure to micro and small caps stocks. AUM is low at 2.5M but it headed by Meb Faber who is fairly well known in the investment community. He uses a similar strategy for Cambria's other shareholder yield products; SYLD, FYLD, EYLD

Q: The last question for this ETF was in August of 2021. What is your latest assessment?

Thanks.

Q: I am thinking of adding some HSUV.U to my cash account to earn interest on some U.S. cash that I hold. Do you think that this is a good time to purchase this fund, or is it selling at a premium now, and would it be better to wait? Also can you confirm that the gains are taxed as capital gains in Canada, and is there U.S. withholding tax on the gains? Also, can you suggest a better option with better tax treatment?

Q: Happy New Year 5i group,

My son setup his FHSA with TD bank, the advisor set up his account and bought "TDB866" mutual fund. Could you please provide comments on this fund's future prosperity? He hopes the money in the account can grow nicely to purchase a property in a few years. thanks.

Q: If an ETF distributes a high proportion of ROC every year ,and if I never sell this ETF,could the adjusted book value become "negative" at some point ? If not,this would mean that the maximum capital gain would always be limited to the NAV if sold ,even if the distributions ,after many years, would exceed the adjusted book value ! there is also a tax advantage as long as it is not sold..

Q: Hello and Happy New Year,

Can you please provide a simple ETF portfolio for the average middle-class Canadian, with no private pension, and who has some time to watch the markets but not a lot, and who just wants to commit to a dollar-cost averaging investing plan for the next 20 years?

Thanks,
Robert

Q: With the pull back do you think this is a good way to play US home builders?

Q: Could you please recommend a couple of equal weight S&P 500 ETF's with low MER's, thank you. Please note if there is any hidden fees outside the MER.

Q: Please suggest some defence spending etfs. Thanks.

Q: Indications are that the market breathe is improving and therefore various analysts are recommending the small cap Russel 2000 index. Would you agree and therefore have a suggestion or suggestions of how to invest in this potential opportunity. My other question is would there be a Russell 2000 ETF that you would recommend and a Russell 2000 high growth ETF that you know of?

Thank you

Kim

Q: SRLN looks unsafe at first glance. the yield at over 8% p.a. looks high. Morningstar gives SRLN a neutral rating (forward looking) and 2 stars looking backward. Morningstar is often out of date, and there is better information at ETF.com. Your Bloomberg is not available to us commoners.

I ask this this question because bank-owned brokers make it difficult and/or expensive to buy bonds. Information and pricing on bonds are not easily searchable. Every time I force myself to look at asset allocation, the robotic tools I use scream at me that I am mad in that I zero fixed income. This brought me to look at bond ETFs and I acquired some USHY which looked decent, but that doesn’t quieten those pesky AI tools that help self-directed investors.

Is SRLN a reasonable enough proxy to add to the fixed income part of one’s portfolio? Or is it risky compared to other available US$ bond ETFs? I’d welcome substance in your response and if you care to add links to materials that pedestrian investors like me should look at, that could help. Many thanks.

Q: I am considering investing in the S & P . I am interested in an ETF that covers the S & P 500 equal weight. Can you give me a couple of ETF`s that fit this description and your thoughts on this idea. I prefer to invest in Canadian dollars. Thank You.

Q: Please provide your comments on the risk for the above ETFs (low to high) and rank them for potential growth. Are there Canadian equivalents to the US ETFs? Would it be a good idea to purchase the US ETFs in a TFSA? Would these ETFs currently be considered to be a buy, hold or sell?
Thank you

Q: I am following the ETFMU Balanced ETF Model Portfolio. WXM has a high MER at .66. Could you recommend another ETF from one of the model portfolios that would give me about the same level of potential and risk? It could be either Canadian, US, or international.
thanks

Q: do you have any guidance on rules to follow for tax efficiency? I came across a chart from one of the magazines (either money saver or ETF update) a while ago that was very handy but I can't seem to locate it.
thanks

Q: I am assuming that VGG should be purchased in an RRSP to maximize tax efficiency. if I can't purchase VGG in a RRSP, where is the next best place to hold it?
thanks

Q: I have about $250k that I am looking to park for up to a year not in equities, what are some low risk options? And as a side note can you clear up what a 'money market' account is and invests in typically?

Q: Hello
Could you list a few Canadian ETFs which have broad US market holdings, but do not have high concentrations of the magnificent seven, and which have a high or decent growth potential.
Thanks
Jeff