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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 have about 10% of my portfolio in these bond ETFs XBB 2%, CLF 4%, XSB 2%, XSH 1%, PMIF 1%. They have shown a negative performance recently with CLF down 7%. The coupon reduces the losses. Will increased interest rates improve their performance? An alternative is to reduce my exposure and buy something like BCE with a low beta and a better yield (5% +). I am 79 years old and have pension income. My portfolio is conservative holding a large proportion in banks, telecoms and utilities. I am looking for stocks, ETFs with a low beta and good yield..
Read Answer Asked by Donald on January 03, 2022
Q: Thanks for your comprehensive answer to my question on fixed income. Just a further clarification. I have often wondered about the usefulness of preferred shares. It seems to me that they are just as vulnerable as stocks, so why have them rather than stocks? I know that you get paid first if the company goes under. But I am not sure that is a big consideration in most cases.

Secondly, i wonder if you might suggest some symbols that correspond to such an arrangement for fixed income.
Thanks for the excellent service
Read Answer Asked by joseph on December 15, 2021
Q: hello
can you recommend what types of bonds should be held in a rising rate environment and can your recommend some ETFs?
thanks
Read Answer Asked by Mary on December 14, 2021
Q: I need to shore up my accounts with some fixed income (low risk) positions. All indications are that interest rates are likely to rise, which makes me nervous to hold bonds or bond funds. I am not sure where to turn - maybe Bond ETF's? I don't want to micromanage a specific bond portfolio either. Do you have any advice on the best approach? I am still 10-15 years from "retirement" (whatever that means), so my investment horizon is still pretty long term.

Thanks in advance
Read Answer Asked by Don on December 13, 2021
Q: Can you suggest some short-term bond ETFs that are investing in government and/or large blue-chip companies? 3 for Canadian market and 3 for internal markets please? This is to provide regular income after retirement.
Read Answer Asked by CK on December 06, 2021
Q: I am looking to finally replace the following mutual funds held in a self admin RSP account, to equivalent ETFs.
FID269 - Fid Monthly Inc;
FID5973 - Fid Global Innovation;
FID207 - Fid Global Concentrated Equity;
RBC460 - Sel Bal Ptf
TDB2760 - Td Retirement Balance
TDB652 - Td Global Entertainment & communication
TDB976 - Td Health Science
TDB2580 Td Tactical Monthly Inc
My goal is to replace these mutual funds with long term, high yielding where possible, low MER, CDN or US $ equivalent ETFs. Please provide 2 or 3 suggestions for each. Please deduct as many credit s as need.
Thank you for all the invaluable investment help you provide.


Read Answer Asked by Mark on October 15, 2021
Q: Long term bond prices rose during previous tapering periods (following 2014 QE for example). Given this, and the relative certainty tapering is coming soon, would now be a good time to add to one's long and short term bond holdings? If I'm incorrect, please explain why? Thank you, great service.
Read Answer Asked by Curtis on September 22, 2021
Q: I have 25K that was in a GIC, making basically nothing (or losing money when considering inflation). Can you recommend something that is likely to retain the principal and earn more in 2 years than the 1.5% 2-year GIC? Thank you.
Read Answer Asked by Jo-Anne on September 08, 2021
Q: Hello, could you please provide some of your favourite ETF's to fill the fixed income portion of a portfolio?

What about cash?
Read Answer Asked by lorraine on July 22, 2021
Q: In my balanced cash account I hold CBH as the fixed income portion and while I thought the laddered approach would be beneficial, it has not performed well over the past years. After reading about Real Bond ETF's, I am wondering if I should replace my CBH with a real bond ETF (either XRB or ZRR) for the next few years. What do you think of that strategy? FYI, I also hold XBB in my RSP.
Read Answer Asked by Joseph on July 16, 2021
Q: Hi I have this etf in my account . Should i sell some and buy stocks or add some i am looking for dividend income.

Thank you
Read Answer Asked by Francis on July 12, 2021
Q: Thanks for the great work in educating and helping us. Currently I have no exposure to Debt and all Investment is in Equity Stock or Pref. I was trying to use Preference shares as a proxy for Bond. Is that a wise strategy? Want to move some fund to Bonds/Debentures. With a long term view of 10 + years in a registered account can you recommend 2 bonds and 2 ETFs. Thanks
Read Answer Asked by Nimish on July 08, 2021
Q: The fixed income portion of our portfolio includes XBB@15% and ZIC at 6%. Portfolio analytics is suggesting fixed income assets @40%. I am not keen on adding more bonds and would be comfortable at 30% in FI. Can you suggest 1-2 alternatives for someone entering retirement?

Read Answer Asked by Rosemin on July 06, 2021
Q: Please recommend 4 index etf's Canadian for my TFSA and 4 US for my RRSP. If you recommend Bonds make it number 5 Looking at 15-20 year DRIP and hold.
Thanks
Cec
Read Answer Asked by Cecil on June 30, 2021
Q: Within my fixed income allotment I've recently favored short term bonds over long term bonds on the advice that they will react less to changes in interest rates. However, since the Fed's meeting last week the opposite has occurred, as there has been a flight from short term bonds into long term bonds. Can you please explain why this is the case and then, given the current environment could you also rank the above ETF's in order of preference. If there are better fixed income suggestions please indicate. Thanks.
Read Answer Asked by Curtis on June 21, 2021
Q: Hello,
I am nearing retirement. I have CBO, CPD, VAB and XHY at 20% of my fixed income portfolio. All these ETF's exist in my unregistered account. I wanted to add XBB in my RRSP account. Any concerns about too much overlap by adding this position? This will add 7% to my fixed income position. Portfolio analytics recommends a 30% position.

Thanks for all your help.
Read Answer Asked by Mauro on June 02, 2021
Q: Good morning,

Two general questions:

1. I am fortunate in that I have now maxed out my TFSA contribution. Could you give me an idea of what sort of investments I should have in a TFSA vs. a cash account? 

2. According to portfolio analytics I am underweight in Fixed Equity. Underweight, in that I have none. Could you give some direction as to what to include for the fixed equity portion of a portfolio and provide some suggestions. 

Thank you for your help!
Read Answer Asked by Stefan on May 25, 2021
Q: In my RRSP I would like to take a long term, very low maintenance approach. For this reason I have it all in index funds. I have a 30 plus year time horizon. Which funds would you recommend here? I currently have $60,000 invested in VFV, VUN, VGRO and XAW. Looking to front load these with $2000/ mo for the next 3 years and then stop contributing as I will be "semi-retiring." I'm 29 for context
Read Answer Asked by Danielle on May 11, 2021
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