Investment Q&A

Q: I currently have equal weights in ZAG and VFV (about 6% each) and a fair chunk of "cash" for stability. Rate drops seem to be stalled, so ZAG is going nowhere fast. OTOH VFV is flying high and might have temporarily peaked. I don't want to lose out on the eventual bond bounce, but I wonder if I should dump ZAG to get the potential VFV upside. I realize this might be crystal ball territory.

Q: I have these in a robo managed portfolio and am down 25% on ZFL and 5.4% on ZAG and 8.2% on XSH.
Since it appears interest rates appear to be stabilizing should one hold on for a recovery or try a different strategy or different holdings. Perhaps maybe moving to GIC or HISA EFT or other holdings you may suggest. Or do you think the same recovery may be seen by continuing to hold?
This loss seems to be an issue with those that have to go managed funds and mutuals with a balanced EFT portfolio.
I am going to transfer from so called managed to my own managed EFT's to avoid the fees. Think I can do just as well (or poorly depending on how you look at it) but wondering if I should switch holdings when moving funds to self directed EFT's.
I do have a separate portfolio with individual stocks, so this is basically a portfolio to minimize management and time requirements.

Q: Hi. Which bond ETFs do you currently recommend? US or Canadian. Thank you.

Q: Do you think it is a good time to add bonds? It seems the most likely scenario's (slow growth with moderating inflation like now, or full blown recession) will be more favourable to bond investors than equity holders. What is the asset mix you would employ and do you favour longer bonds today? Thanks.

Q: We have 30% allocated in our registered accounts for fixed. (currently 10% each for CBO, ZAG and XBB) Are these the best options for today and the next year(s)? Also see XLB recommended recently and wondering if we should be adding or replacing any of the above?
Appreciate your opinion
Thanks Doug

Q: I am thinking of taking a capital loss on 3 securities:
ZAG, TIXT, TCL.A-C
What securities could I replace them with while waiting for the 30-day period before a possible repurchase of these securities?
Second question:
What is your opinion of TCL.A?

Q: What bond funds are the best to invest in right now for the long term? Currently I hold ZAG.TO and CVD.TO. Should I continue buying them? I would prefer a higher dividend than what the ZAG gives.
Thank you!

Q: Hi there,

Can you please suggest Canadian-listed ETFs for the bond portion of a long-term portfolio? I'm interested in diversification.

Thanks,

Chris

Q: I have 2 unregistered accounts and hold too much money in HISAs. I would like to invest more in Horizon's total return ETFs that pay no distributions. I have been looking at HBB but the chart looks nothing like similar Canadian bond etfs. Today, July 10th, HBB is trading at the same level it did 5 years ago but XBB is 13% lower today, VAB 13% lower and ZAG 15.2% lower. Can you explain this large difference? Should HBB now track in a similar way to XBB? Thanks!

Q: Hi 5i,
Someone recently recommended Ewing Morris Flexible Income Fund as a solid and safe investment in the current environment. Would you concur? Any thoughts or alternate recommendations appreciated.
Many thanks.

Q: In a registered account as a single long term etf for bonds is hyi an acceptable choice over zag? If interest rates go furhther up or down, is there more risk with hyi? These are currently showing monthly distributions of HYI: 6.72% and ZAG: 3.56%.
Retired investor...

Q: Hello, 10% of my portfolio is in bonds equally weighted amongst the three. Should/could I get rid of one? Which would be the best for risk/reward and total return?

Q: I keep hearing about the 60/40, 40/60 ratio of what you should be invested in with regards to Stocks and Bonds...

- I have Never held Any Bonds of Any Sort...Just Stocks...

- Please recommend some sort of Bond Investment I can consider that is somewhat safe, but Not ultra conservative...

- I remember when my parents said that Canada Savings Bonds were a good and reliable investment...a vintage memory...

Have a good weekend
Thanks
M

Q: Any thoughts on David Rosenberg article in the Globe today? Are we that close to a shift to a a profitable bond market? If so your top two picks. Thank you

Q: I currently hold ZAG in a RRSP account and wonder if you feel ok with averaging down on this ETF. It is a 4% holding at the moment.

Thanks

Q: What would be your top 3 bond ETF picks for both Canadian and US bonds? Is now a good time to put money into these?

Q: I'm confused when looking at the value in bond funds going up when the talk in town is that the rates will continue moving up even in Canada maybe a bit later this year. How is that? How do one reconcile that the the rise in yield moved in tandem with the rise in value Thursday and Friday?

Yves

Q: I am looking at adding a 15 to 20 percent bond component to my portfolio. From the mix of laddered, aggregate, short/long term and high yield ETF’s listed. Which would you recommend and why? Please let me know if you have other possible suggestions? Thank you

Q: Hello Team
I am a retired income investor. I have calculated that my RRIF needs to yield about 4% in order to last until age 93( using my targeted withdrawal rate )I am happy with ZAG which now pays 3.53% and has a yield to maturity of over 4%. Does this gap in yield mean that ZAG unit price is over valued or is that where the the yield is moving towards? Should investors ignore the yield to maturity or just focus on the general trend in rates( I hope to buy more ZAG as rates move further up)thanks Gary

Q: I'd like your assessment of MKB versus aggregate bond etfs like XBB, ZAG, and VAB. Has MKB performed better than the listed etfs? If it has performed better then is it because the etf has taken on additional risk to achieve the higher return? How might one incorporate MKB into the bond portion of their portfolio? Is it worth the higher fees?