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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 retired non-resident and living on dividend income. My portfolio is a collection on higher yielding dividend stocks such as TD, BCE, FTS, AX.UN, ENB etc. (80% of portfolio focused on income)
I also have some lower yielding but higher growth stocks such as SIS, GSY, CCL.B, PBH, WSP. (20% of portfolio focused on growth)
To offset the lower yield of my growth stocks, I am looking into covered call ETFs such as ZWU (yield=6.6%) to bump up my income. I am not concerned with capital appreciation with the covered calls, only safety of dividend. Is a covered call such as ZWU for utilities as safe as it appears for dividend income? Are there any additional risks to be aware of holding a covered call such as ZWU vs the individual holdings within its portfolio?
Are covered calls the safest strategy to generate a 6-7% yield in a portfolio? Any other recommendations for higher yield (such as CEFs, BDCs)?
I am considering investing 10-15% of the income generating portion of my portfolio into higher yielding investments.
What 3 funds/stocks would you recommend I invest in to bump up the yield and thus offset the lower yield of my growth stocks?
Read Answer Asked by Curtis on October 02, 2017
Q: Are covered call ETF's okay to put in a non registered account vs TFSA & RRSP from a tax perspective vs regular dividend etfs? Does this make things more complicated when filing?
Also what is the opinion of 5i regarding PDF?

Thank you!
Read Answer Asked by Kyle on September 20, 2017
Q: I am a fan of covered calls. I am retired and like the income, tax treatment and downside protection. In addition I like the diversity an ETF brings.
I hold all the above but am looking for more diversity. Are there equivalent US offerings? Does BMO have competing products that are more diverse?
Thanks
Read Answer Asked by Don on September 20, 2017
Q: I am considering converting the holdings in our investment account from the couch potato to a dividend portfolio consisting of the 4 etfs listed. In both cases cash replaces the bond component. I want to draw a larger dividend from the portfolio. Do the 4 etfs provide satisfactory diversification and how do you see the pros and cons of implementing this change. Thanks
Read Answer Asked by Richard on September 19, 2017
Q: Hi 5i,

I'm thinking on adding ZWH 5%-10% to my RRSP to cover my US exposure. This is for a income portfolio.
My portfolio now consist of 50% GIC's and
5% in each of the following stock.. BNS,EMA,ECI,ENB,SRU.UN,BCE.
10% in CDV.
Can you suggest another ETF that would fit better then ZWH? Or would you consider ZWU a better position. I see 5i income portfolio doesn't have any US equity holdings.
Would the US dividend be tax excempt within the ETF?

I look foreward to your answers.
Thank for all the excellent info!!
Read Answer Asked by Stephen on August 01, 2017
Q: Hallo I5, is there a tax advantage between dfn, df and zwu, would you please rate or rank them from safety point of view. Perhaps suggesting a couple better ones. I do not have any India holding. Would you consider either of the above safe with reasonable MER, perhaps a suggesting a couple better ones. Many thanks, J.A.P. Burlington
Read Answer Asked by Joseph on May 08, 2017
Q: Hi Peter and Team
Enjoyed your BNN show and picks as always!
I am reasonably balanced in my RSP with your positions in your growth and balanced portfolios but now, at age 68 have to convert my RSP to RIF in a few years. I am considering transferring most "in Kind" and would be looking at 10-20 stocks to hold that are good income generators. Would you consider listing 10 good stocks to continue to hold in a RIF ?
Should I try and hold more "conservative" dividend growers ?
Would you suggest I sell to cash and purchase larger positions of the financials, for example; or is it better to stay balanced?

Complicated question but I appreciate the advice as I have done quite well from you previous guidance

Thanks,
Peter
Read Answer Asked by Linda on April 04, 2017
Q: 5i

What is a covered call and what is the risk level in a covered call ETF in both a rising market and a falling market. Looking at ZWH and ZWU as my utilities segment is low as is my USA segment of my portfolio. Yield on both is good and I am looking more for income with a little growth.

Wayne
Read Answer Asked by Wayne on March 22, 2017
Q: I currently hold ZWE, ZWU, and ZWH in my RRSP for a total weight of 4.8% .
Is this unnecessary duplication and / or is the weighting too high given
the nature of these products ? Joe
Read Answer Asked by Joseph on February 10, 2017
Q: I'm interested in buying into the utility sector through an ETF. ZUT holds Canadian stocks and has a yield of 4.98%. 99% of the distribution are eligible dividends.

ZWU holds a mix of Canadian and US stocks with about 45% each of eligible dividends and ROC along with 10% foreign income. The yield is 6.64%.

If we factor in the DTC, there's not a lot of yield difference. What are the reasons for your choice of ETFs? Thanks
Read Answer Asked by Tim on January 06, 2017
Q: Hello Peter, I am looking for income, safety and some growth, I will appreciate your suggestion, ranking, perhaps a better choice of yours. Many thanks, J. A. P. Burlington
Read Answer Asked by Joseph on November 23, 2016
Q: A recent article by Larry Bermann in the Globe suggested that infrastructure spending to " repair potholes and bridges" would produce limited economic benefit because of the short term nature
of this spending.Money would be better spent on educating people
to adapt to the future realities of employment.In the interim
he has suggested allocating funds to ZWU as a an income source.
Another columnist suggests avoiding ZWU and sticking with ZUT
because of better long term growth.
What is your opinion of impending infrastructure spending and should ZWU be considered over ZUT? Thanks, Joe
Read Answer Asked by Joseph on November 22, 2016