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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 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.
Read Answer Asked by Colleen on December 14, 2023
Q: Why is there such a variance in the performance of these bond funds. XBB seems to be the lowest and FTB the best with PMIF the second. What would you recommend holding in a portfolio. I am a 79 year old with a private pension.

Thank you.
Read Answer Asked by Donald on January 11, 2022
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: 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: How does one approach bond investments given the low interest rates. I see XBB had a significant drop today. Why? How would you compare XBB to PMIF?
I am retired senior 78 with a pension.
Thank you
Read Answer Asked by Donald on February 17, 2021
Q: I just recently retired and within my portfolio have approx 60% in Bonds (As per above) - while these have been a great hedge against the equity holdings, I am considering either selling some of the bonds listed above - approx 10% and moving these monies into either high yield bonds - ie CHB or ZHY or if not into high yield bonds possibly a high yield dividend fund like XEI or ZWC or ?
While I would like to increase the income on these monies - do you think this is a good time to make this move?
Read Answer Asked by Greg on September 25, 2020
Q: How would you rank these bond funds. I sold FTB and bought PMIF but it is not performing well. Bond funds have not performed well due to the drop in interest rates. I am retired in my late 70’s.
Read Answer Asked by Donald on March 24, 2020
Q: I have noted that XSH and ZCS have outperformed VSB every year since their respective inception years. Do you expect this outperformance to continue? In what scenario would VSB outperform XSH or ZCS? Even during recent market downturns (2015, 2018), VSB has underperformed. Thank you.
Read Answer Asked by Walter on January 03, 2020
Q: I would appreciate your help in simplifying my RRIF fixed income portfolio. I am retired at 73, with about 55/45 equity/income split.primary aim is income and capital preservation. I hold positions in zag 10%, xsh 9%, clf 5%, pmif 5%, tlt 5%, xlb 3%, Xhy 2.5%, srln 2.5%, rbf 1340 4%, mdl240 23% and (sadly) preferreds HPR 3% vrp (US) 1.5% .the rest is cash type investments. I would like to switch the canadian PFD to all US: switch xlb for more TLT. I am gradually decreasing mdl240 which has to be withdrawn overtime for another more flexible short duration ETF. Keeping either xhy or srln which ever you feel would improve the porfolio. I would appreciate your thoughts of these etfs, and percentage allotments to them If there are better choices please share your insight. Please use the number of credits appropriate. Thanks very much Tom
Read Answer Asked by Tom on November 07, 2019
Q: Of my bond holdings representing 5% of my portfolio and want to increase to 10%; I'm wondering if anyone listed that I should eliminate/increase in this market environment. Would appreciate any other suggestions. Thanks.
Read Answer Asked by Charles on May 23, 2018
Q: On these 3 bond ETFs I am down between 4-6%. I was thinking of crystallizing
these losses. First, do you think this a good time to 'clean up' ones bonds? Second, could you recommend their replacements.

TIA
Read Answer Asked by Gerald on January 04, 2018
Q: I own equal amounts of these bond funds in an RSP. While CBO has a 2.3% return over the last year, and is considered one of 5Si"s "core" holdings, I am thinking that I should retain this position. XSB is off about 1% in the last 12 months, and its return over the last 5 years is dismal. XSH has about a 0.4% return in the last 12 months , with a 3 year return of 2.1%. Is there a benefit to selling any or all of these positions, and purchasing higher yielding bond etf's? If I were to sell, should I seek US or Canadian bonds fund, and which specific etf's might you recommend?
Thank you for your consistently good advice.
Read Answer Asked by doug on October 31, 2017