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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: Hi Guys,

My 82 year old parent's new financial advisor ( the other one just disappeared without notice) has propose the following for their TFSA:
Mr.; MER Allocation
Fidelity Global Monthly Income F .80% 20%
Fid Monthly Income F .70% 20%
Fiera Income Opportunities F .82% 20%
First Trust Senior Load ETF ? 10%
Northwest Healthcare Property 10%
Pro Real Estate Inv. Trust 10%
Healthcare Leader Inc Fund EFT ? 10%

Mrs.;
Dynamic Blue Chip Eq. Fund FE ? 30%
Dynamic Global Value Fund DSC ? 3%
Dynamic Stragic Yield Fund LL ? 21%
Fidelity Strategic Income Fund F .75% 26%
Cibc Cdn Equity Auto ? 6%
CI High Income FE ? 8%
CI High Income Dsc ? 6%

Both are low income and live off their dividends.

What I am looking for is a general answer; yes it looks OK or are they still paying way too much for fees (the advisor is charging 1% + to handle their investments).

thanks,

Jim
Read Answer Asked by jim on November 14, 2016
Q: My 25 year old Son started a new job with a group retirement or savings plan, the plan suggests for an aggressive investor; 60% Canadian, 25% foreign and 15% specialty equities. They offer asset Allocation Funds, for instance the Aggressive Growth has a 10 year return of 6.24% with an MER of 2.018, also several individual Funds like the True North Fund (Fidelity) with a 10 year return of 8.3% with a MER of 2.313% The other managers of individual funds are; GWLIM, Mackenzie, Beutel Goodman Montrusco. I,'d appreciate 5i's opinion on what advice to give a young investor on how to pick from the limited options all of which have 2% + MER fees.
Read Answer Asked by Charles on November 07, 2016
Q: Excluding mutual fund management fees for the moment, is it not better to own the entities within a fund vs the fund itself? Putting it another way, if the stocks go up, I go up 'x' percent. However the funds holding the stocks also have to be 'popular' with other investors, so money flows into them, for me to make any money. Have I got that right?
Are we, as investors, getting a continual watered down effect with the many funds out there?
You commented briefly on the industry decline on the past while reviewing CIX for another member.
Read Answer Asked by Randy on November 07, 2016
Q: Our advisor has recommended that we sell some of our equities and purchase more fixed income funds. His recommendations are Manulife Strategic Income F (CAD); TD Retirement Balanced Portfolio F Series; Fiera Defensive Capital Global Equtiy Fund and Lysander-Canso Corporate Value Bond Fund. We are already invested in Pimco Monthly Income Fund (PMO 205), DFA Five-Year Global Equity and CBO. We are leaning in favour of investments we already own as well as XSB, XBB and CLF. We are looking for Canadian, US and International diversification. What would you recommend?
Read Answer Asked by Bradley on October 14, 2016
Q: Hello.
Thanks for the ongoing investing commentary.
Given the results I have experienced with a few individual investments over the past 8 months, it is clear I either do not have time to keep up with small cap growth stocks' activity, do not know how to make buy sell decisions, do not have the stomach for the ride or just completely outside my sphere of investor ability. In reviewing my experience with buy sell of Phm, I was up 8000 and ended up selling at loss of 6000. Ad recently up 7000 and end d up selling for 3000 loss. Painfully sitting on a 35,000 loss in Cxr.....largest loss ever in 16 years of direct investing. Can not make money this way. Clearly I should be handing over small company decision making to someone else.

The question.......what Canadian and USA mutual fund or strategy would you have me consider to help capture some of the growth available through small company / special opportunities investing ........ Without being directly involved with the buy sell decision?

I am okay with long term but long term with current results will land me in the poor house.

Appreciate your thoughts on this topic.
Dave

I already own Mawer global small and global mutual funds but they are not invested like 5i portfolio
Read Answer Asked by Dave on September 26, 2016
Q: An article in the Globe w.r.t Segregated Fund.
Can you help me to understand how can Segregated fund guarantee to retain principle of invested money? Can you suggest such funds to invest in. Also, I am considering to increase my investment in healthcare stocks, I have EXE, HIG.un, considering NWH.un, CSH.un and NHC. Would appreciate your help to select, perhaps others you can suggest.
Regards, J.A.P. Burlington
Read Answer Asked by Joseph on September 22, 2016
Q: I would like to have a decent return but preservation of capital is a priority. Please provide your opinion on CIBC Canadian Bond Index Fund – Premium Class CIB585. I am aware that you recommend the ETF CBO so would appreciate your comparison. This would be in a non registered account.
https://www.cibc.com/ca/mutual-funds/no-load-income/can-bond-indx-fund-premium.html

Thank you,

Read Answer Asked by Nadine on September 09, 2016
Q: I have 73 % of my investment portfolio in stocks. I'm 80+ years of age and have not need for income from the portfolio; it will be transferred to a future generation. My advisor recommends reducing the stock component to 60 %. He suggests purchasing large amounts of Manulife Global Tactical Credit Fund & Manulife Asia Total Return Bond Fund. Please provide me with a critical review of those funds. Do you have other suggestions in the fixed income area?
Read Answer Asked by George on August 30, 2016