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Investment Q&A

Not investment advice or solicitation to buy/sell securities. Do your own due diligence and/or consult an advisor.

Q: I am a long time subscriber and an avid reader of the Q&A. Even with all I have learned, I am still having a difficult time understanding how to invest the fixed income portion of my portfolio. I want fixed income to provide portfolio stability by protecting on the downside while offering the possibility of capital gains along with some income.

I am a buy and hold investor on the equity side and I am comfortable deciding when to sell a company. However, the fixed income side seems to demand a more active approach - or does it? For example, you have been suggesting that interest rates seem likely to decline in the coming months so that would favour long term bonds. But for stability, or as an offset in case I am wrong, should I also hold short term notes? Should my fixed income portion be split 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 among cash, short term and long term and just left at that or is it necessary to continually monitor and adjust these weightings? Or is there one fund that does all that already?

Appreciate your insight.

Paul F.
Read Answer Asked by Paul on March 02, 2020
Q: I purchased these when issued at $115. In a way, CSU used the high issue price to pay the first 3 years of interest payments. I purchased these as part of my bond portion, and had intended to keep this until my end.

For CSU, this interest must be expensive. Given that they released the debentures at a 15% premium, would calling it back be viewed as bad faith?
There is some capital appreciation, should I capture this and flip into a bond etf?
Read Answer Asked by Richard on February 24, 2020
Q: Goodmorning 5i,
You recently recommended shv for a reader seeking to place short term money. I have owned tlt and have found it a bit volatile for my safe money. Although, if this is not too contradictory, i plan to buy it back after the virus scare finishes. But, i was wondering whether in the US, whether you might suggest something between these two, that is, something with a higher return than shv but not as volatile as tlt?
Thanks
Read Answer Asked by joseph on February 20, 2020
Q: Ok now i am 70 i feel myself being dragged kicking and screaming into more fixed income. My 5% exposure to fixed (money loosing) income over the last 10 years has made for a wonderful ride with equities but please recommend your favorite international ETF.
Read Answer Asked by GRAHAM on February 20, 2020
Q: Have a friend who has 50k in GIC's. No other assets. What etf would you suggest that is a safe - minimal risk (realize no guarantee) and should produce a better rate of return than GIC? Timeframe is 10 years.
Read Answer Asked on February 18, 2020
Q: The company just had a new issue announcement for convertible 5.25% debentures with a settlement date around mar 5, 2020. I am interested in buying, but would like to know how the conversion feature works ... will the holders have the option not to convert to common shares? Or it’s mandatory? At what conversion price usually?
Read Answer Asked by Liping on February 13, 2020
Q: I purchased XBB and am looking for another fixed income etf to compliment it. Thanks, Len
Read Answer Asked by Leonard on February 12, 2020
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