Investment Q&A

Q: Is there any downside to buying ZWE for very long-term income purposes, i.e., would you anticipate a nasty price drop to this particular ETF?. Thank you.

Q: My question is about ETF weighting. For a stock I don't like to exceed 5% but is it okay to go higher for an ETF ? I am considering increasing my weight in QYLD from 4% to 6 % and ZWE from 3% to 6% . What would 5I consider a maximum weighting for these two ETF's or ETF's in general ?

Q: Hi 5I.

I'm looking for ETFs that are comparable to ZWH and ZWE..
I have these in my RRSP now and would like similar ETFs for my TFSA for more diversification or these are diversified enough?

Thanks

Q: Hi 5i- The 4 etf mentioned are all ca. hedged. As such my concern is the cdn. dollar direction going forward. I don't see any good non hedged options. Should I stay the course or do you have a better suggestion. thanks for yur input.
peter

Q: I'm looking for some safety in European Investments. As a quick way in to Europe's best ZWE seems to have it all (at least what I am looking for; income, some growth, great companys). With a P/E less than 20 and P/B less than 2, and with a high dividend, great ROE in the high teens not bad MER of 0.7%, playing the devil's advocate, what could possibly go wrong?

Thank You

Q: I am interested in zwe for the European exposure and the high dividend. However I don’t understand what a covered call etf is or how it works. Can you
explain the mechanics in layman’s terms.

Thanks

Q: Just doing some more work on ZWE...confused on some beta #s. Globefund has the beta = 2.07. Fundata has a 3 year beta of 0.53. 5iR has it at 0.91. Can you please provide some insight...is it simply different timeframes? I am trying to derisk my portfolio (reduce beta), while at the same time increase dividend income...adding to ZWE seems logical, but the beta numbers are confusing. Thanks...Steve

Q: I have a half position in ZWE...good time to add to it? My understanding is increased volatility is good for the covered call option. Is there any chance of the dividend being reduced? I am retired.

Thanks...Steve

Q: I currently hold the above etf's, which totals 25% of portfolio. Equities held are US and Canadian and am invested in all sectors with financials@17%,Tech 10% and Utilities 8%. Remaining 40% equally allocated to the other sectors. Am looking at reducing ETF's and would appreciate your thoughts on which ones are good holds and which could be sold due to over diversification! Thanks for your valuable input!

Q: I am a senior and rely on my dividends for income in a RIF. I would like to know what I should do with ZWE, I own a 4.8% position and I own ZDI 6% position. DO I sell one and combine? I have a balanced income portfolio of 5i approved stocks with a 10% weighting in ZWH. Thanks for all the help, I use you for 99% of my decisions. Great job on the new web sight. Gary

Q: Further to the previous question regarding withholding tax on foreign stocks inside a TFSA...

Is this tax on foreign dividends paid before receiving the dividend payment (what is deposited to my account is the after-tax amount) and is there any witholding tax on gains when a foreign investment is sold?

Thanks again!

Q: Would there be any withholding taxes on dividends from these products when held in a TFSA ? Joe

Q: Regarding asset allocation, I need to do some trimming and adding. I need to trim RY and use the proceeds to add to ZWE. In a perfect world, I'd like to nail both dividends, so I wanted to bounce the plan past you.

The ex-div date for RY is Oct 25 and the ex-div date for ZWE is Oct 27. So that means I would get the RY dividend if I sell on or after Oct 25. I would get the ZWE dividend if I buy on or before Oct 26. Did I get this right? Thanks, Steve

Q: I am looking to add an ETF with european exposure and a relatively good dividend. Could you recommend any that fit the bill.

Thanks
David

Q: I am a retired, conservative dividend-income investor with a company pension, CPP, annuities, Fisgard Capital and the following equities:
1. 17% Mutual funds (RBC Cdn Equity Income, Sentry Cdn Income, Sentry REIT)
2. 10% ETFs (ZLB, XIT, ZWE)
3. 41% stocks (listed above)
4. 32% fixed income (annuities, Fisgard, but not including my pension nor CPP).

I plan to reduce my Sentry Cdn Income holding from 9% to 5% and purchase ZWC. The benefits would be a) saving $1k in hidden MER fees, b) receiving an extra $1k in dividends and c) a better asset allocation. I like the covered call strategy that ZWC provides, as well as the 30 companies inside the ETF.

Question = is this the right ETF product? Are there other Canadian Covered Call ETF choices that offer this diversified asset mix that I should consider? Are their other ETFs that have slightly less financials, less utilities, and more industrials that would result in a better asset allocation for me?

Thanks for your help...Steve

Q: I am a retired, conservative, dividend-income investor with a well diversified portfolio, including a company pension, CPP, annuities, Fisgard Capital, and equities via RBC Cdn Equity Income, Sentry Cdn Income, Sentry Global REIT, ZLB, XIT, AS, ALA, AQN, BCE, BNS, CSH, CGX, ECI, FTS, PBH, PEY, ABT, RY, WCP, WSP and a small position in Sprott Energy. Looking under the hood, this portfolio has 33% of its value in non-Canadian assets, which is at my comfort level.

Question 1 = I know portfolio make-up is very personal, but when is there too much foreign content in a conservative retirement income portfolio? Adding ZWE pushes my foreign content over 35%.

Q2 = most of the distribution for ZWE is capital gains, ROC and about 30% interest income. I plan to put ZWE in my cash account...make sense?

Q3 = I already have roughly 22 securities, which is plenty enough for diversification. I am hesitant to add more, but I think ZWE makes a good fit. A second alternative would be to continue to "trim and add" as the allocation #'s make sense. A third alternative would be to simply add NFI to top up my industrial allocation.

Thoughts please...thanks. Steve

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

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

Q: What is 5I's current position on hedging the C$ when buying/holding Int'l ETFs. Do you suspect that this is a short-lived situation?

Carl

Q: I hold small weightings in cdz,zwc,zwh,zwe as well as holdings in Canadian utilities. I am thinking of replacing cdz with either zdh or cyh to increase my international holdings. Would you please look under the hood of zdh and cyh and would you recommend this move or do you have another recommendation?. Thanx. Great service.