Investment Q&A

Q: Ihave never owned etf's and I am not sure how safe they are as investments in a downturn. I think I should start etf's in my RRSP's versus individual stocks as I will need to start withdrawing from a rrif in two years. Where can I get information on what etf's are best for me to start putting in my portfolio. Thanks.

Q: Hello 5i team,
In a recent response to Stanley you said you would consider a pension as fixed income. Tha is not new. But, i was wondering whether you could give a rough approximation of the value of a pension, say arbitrarily, a pension of $30,000 per year, in terms of a percentage of fixed income. Say in a portfolio of one million, if that helps to clarify my question.
All the best

Q: Hi 5i
Did Siemens AG really not pay a dividend last year? I was looking to buy for diversification purposes till I saw this.
Regards,

Q: I have advanced funds to my sons and their wives, ages approx. 40, to set up TFSA's and suggested they invest in Reits and set them up as Drips. I gave them a list of suggested Reits and I believe they have all followed my suggestions. None of them are really into investing. Could I have your comments on this strategy.

Dennis

Q: Peter and His Wonder Team
I am trying to get a better understanding idea of "normal-average market fluctuations".
So for example...Lets say your portfolio hits a high for the year in April and a low in September with just normal conditions and no catastrophic events. So here is the question...What might the percentage difference be...10% 15% or 20%? Please give a number for a momentum-FANG portfolio vs a conservative VALUE portfolio vs a small cap CONTRARIAN portfolio. I think knowing what is normal may reduce the anxiety for us retail investors.
Thanks as usual...
Dr.Ernest Rivait

Q: Hi the great team, short term volatility seems to related to actual quarterly earning vs its estimated. In your portfolios, which stocks have good record of beating estimates most of the time and which stocks don't. thanks.

Q: The couch potato portfolio has an annualized return of about 4% and the cms portfolio has an annualized return of about 7%. Would you please compare the returns of the two portfolios for a common time period ie the couch potato portfolio has gone though the 2008/2009 period while the cms portfolio did not exist at that time. Thanks

Q: A different question. As an active retail investor I often get advice to start trading options. Others claim that trading options often leads to losing money. What is your opinion on trading options for various purposes? Thank you.

Q: I am interested i a portfolio review.

Before diving in to the pool, can
You explain what I need to give you,
And what you will provide me?

Thanks
KC

Q: My first year of my 5 year GIC ladder is due.I have $20,000 /year in GIC's most at 2.75%.Oaken is still maintaining the renewal 5 yr. GIC rate at 2.75% I have a good pension, cash in the bank and debt free. I am 71 with a balanced value /income portfolio.
Should I continue the 5 year ladder within our TFSA ($9000) or add to my ENB, BCE, CSH and NWC?
Thanx
Stanley

Q: Please advise on methodology for new members entering into 5I research model portfolios. Do you ease in with multiple steps based on 5I recommendations of new positions or jump into the entire portfolio? Presently the TSX is in a downtrend and I would probably wait for 10 period exponential crossover of a 50 period simple moving average prior to entry.
Thank You,
George

Q: Is there a place I can find the yield to call for a particular stock ?

Thanks

Paul

Q: This article gives the best explanation I have come across about MERs. It includes some great comparative examples to show how the MER on investments can make a difference to your return.

http://www.urbandepartures.com/effect-mer-on-investments/

Q: I want to setup TFSA account for my son. He will invest 11K equal weight in each below 5 stocks.
SIS, SHOP, CCLB, CSH.UN, TD.

Do you think above stocks is good choice to start or would you recommend something else or ETF.

Q: Hi team,

Just a quick question: If in a taxable account, dollar for dollar, my profit is the same as my loss, do I still have to pay taxes on my profit? or would it be completely cancelled by my loss?

Have a wonderful weekend!

Q: no comments but a good laugh
For What It's Worth... I thought I switch things up a bit today, since its a Fantastico Friday! A few weeks ago in the Dow Theory Letters I wrote about the trend that's taking us to a cashless society... And one reader sent me this response, which if it weren't eerily what I was talking about, would be funny... So here it is... enjoy!

Hello! Gordon's pizza?
- No sir it's Google's pizza.
- So it's a wrong number?
- No sir, Google bought it.
- OK. Take my order please.
- Well sir, do you want the usual?
- The usual? You know me?
- According to our caller ID, in the last 12 times, you ordered pizza with cheeses, sausage, thick crust.
- OK! .
- May I suggest to you this time ricotta, arugula with dry tomato?
- What? I hate vegetables.
- Your cholesterol is not good.
- How do you know?
- Through the subscribers guide We have the result of your blood tests for the last 7 years.
- Okay, but I do not want this pizza, I already take medicine.
- You have not taken the medicine regularly, 4 months ago, you only purchased 30 tablets at Drugsale Network.
- I bought more from another drugstore.
- It's not showing on your credit card.
- I paid in cash.
- But you did not withdraw that much cash according to your bank statement.
- I have other source of cash.
- This is not showing as per your last tax form unless you bought them from undeclared income source.
- WHAT THE HELL? Enough! I'm sick of Google, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp. I'm going to an Island without internet, where there is no cell phone line and no one to spy on me.
- I understand sir but you need to renew your passport; it expired 5 weeks ago........

from the daily pfenning

Q: Peter;,In today's Globe , page B2, there is an article about a film showing at your TIFF regarding the Chinese reverse takeover situation. Do you lend any credence to this and is there any way to identify those companies that were created using this method? Thanks.

Rod

Q: Thank you for your suggestion of books to read on my earlier question. I really enjoyed "what works on wallstreet" and find the quantitative analysis methods really interesting and been applying them on my own excel spread sheets. Just wondering if you have any suggestions of books of similar nature?

Q: Do you have information or advice on this CAAS. It trades at a very low multiple and I believe it now subject to an take out offer. Any info would be very much appreciated. Thanks

Q: Hi Folks:
Do you have any opinion as to where the Canadian/ US dollar relationship will settle?
Thank You
brian