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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: Adding to a TFSA for a 20 year window.
Please advise 5 ETFs to buy and hold for the duration.
Read Answer Asked by Don on November 30, 2023
Q: Can you please tell me how the 10-year total return of XEI compares with XIU and XIC? Do you know methodology used for selecting holdings in the S&P/TSX Composite High Dividend index? Where can I find a complete list of the holdings in XEI?
Thank you!!
Read Answer Asked by Grant on November 07, 2023
Q: Hi, I’m a little overweight in these sectors, and thinking about selling one, and adding XIU or ZCN for diversity and dividend.
Which would you sell ( T or Becp) and which would you add ( XIU or ZCN) for a long term hold. thanks.
Read Answer Asked by Brad on October 10, 2023
Q: Hi,

Can you tell me more about this ETF? Their annual dividend is 10.295% as per tmx money and looking at their holdings are solid dividend paying blue chip companies.Since June 2021 their dividends are increasing. Is this worth investing for income and is dividend safe?

Appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks, Sunday
Read Answer Asked by sunday on July 17, 2023
Q: In the past, you often recommended CDZ as the best dividend focused ETF for Canada. However, when I look at the CDZ performance over YTD, 1 year, 2 years, and 5 years periods, this ETF clearly underperformed index ETFs such as XIU or XIC, even in total return terms (i.e. counting dividends). Unfortunately, I hold CDZ in RRSP and TFSA accounts and clearly not happy with the performance. Do you still keep CDZ in high esteem or would suggest swapping it with something else?
Read Answer Asked by Michael on April 14, 2023
Q: My daughter is planning to start a new TFSA (full $88K) and contemplating the following:
Option#1, Autopilot All in one global index fund, such as XEQT or VEQT.
Option#2, All in Canadian equity index fund, such as XIU or XIC added to XEQT or VEQT.
Option#3, 5i favourite picks, such as BN, GSY, DSG, TFII, TOI and WSP .
Please advise which option is best for a buy and hold long term TFSA investment or suggest a better alternate. Thank you. Bill.
Read Answer Asked by Bill on March 13, 2023
Q: Hi there,

With both ETFs tracking the same index, why with a much higher MER does XIU get so much more volume? Is it because of how long the ETF has been out? I'm a bit surprised to see even with that, VCE hasn't taken in more volume than it has over time as it's not new and the MER is much less. Both are from equally reputable companies also.

Thanks!
Read Answer Asked by Michael on February 17, 2023
Q: My company has a one year horizon before we need the money that is currently invested in stocks and for the better part are under water. We are currently sitting on 50% cash and would like to invest the money to try to make some capital gain to offset the losses. I know as we all know that one year is very little but we trust that the market will be higher in April 2024. Do you agree with that thesis and if so where would you invest money in order to keep a safe and optimal return? Please answer by percentage of where through index funds and secondly would you put time horizon to invest in slices or all in now?
Thanks for your precious help.

Yves
Read Answer Asked by Yves on February 06, 2023
Q: I would like i5R thoughts on how to invest this year’s RESP contribution. Withdraws will occur around 2038. I am trying to decide between, DOO, DOL, ATD, PET, XIC & XIU. Do you have any recommendations or should I just flip a coin. Thanks … Cal
Read Answer Asked by cal on January 31, 2023
Q: Good morning.
We are retired and rely on our investments for income.
We are looking to simplify our portfolios and would appreciate your opinion.
We are hoping to utilize etfs in our rrsp and tfsa.
In our non registered we would like etfs and Canadian dividend stocks to utilize the the dividend tax credit as this is our main source of income.
At present our set up is:
TFSA. VDY
RRSP. VIG
non registered. 70 % (VDY. XIU. VCE with 15 individual canadian stocks )
30%. ( VGG. ZSP. ZNQ)

Is this too simplified?
Are there any etfs we should add or delete or would be better.

Thanks for your help.
Victoria


Read Answer Asked by Anna on January 24, 2023
Q: Can you give me the symbols of ETF's that matches the movement of the tsx 60 , SP 500 and the NASDAQ. With the lower mer or fees. Thanks .. Borrowing money to invest on the stock market was something that was getting very popular. With interest rates now at normal rates in my view I believe this will end. Our economist drop the key interest rate at the beginning of covid to reduce the risk of a recession. In 2022 these same people are raising the interest rates to prevent inflation. I believe they will not succeed. I wish I had a company that could right out checks and not needing any funds to pay them. Only or government can do this.The same people that are raising and lowering or interest rates. Imagine that. Thanks for the great service but with 122 credit questions I guess I'm not using your services to the max. You guys are great happy new year.
Read Answer Asked by Hubert on December 12, 2022
Q: The first ones to forecast next year results are Goldman Sacks and they are pretty bearish on the stock market. They forecast the S&P to finish the year at 4000 after picking up steam in H2 while the first half should be down while traders will adjust their premiums with no gain in profits next year. Do you agree with their thesis? Where do you see the better overweight. In US with blue chips or smb ? Canada with oil and basic material? Look for dividend to try to make some yield? Please elaborate on your rational. Thanks a million$$$

Yves
Read Answer Asked by Yves on December 02, 2022
Q: My Son has $12,000.00 to open a new TFSA. He has selected the following stocks
XIU(50)-ZNQ(50)- VFV(25)- ZUT(100)-ZRE(100)- ZPR(200)
He plans to add $6000.00 plus Dividends each year and buy more of same, for next twenty -five years. Will he get a good return on his choice. or does he need to diversify more or only buy the first three. Welcome your direction to maximum total return or close to it. Can accept risk. Many Thanks---Cec
Read Answer Asked by Cecil on October 13, 2022
Q: Hi, looking to invest long term in one etf for income first , growth second. Would it really matter which one I pick ? I’m thinking zcn for lower mer and higher dividend.
What etf do you like for retired investors (include any other you might consider) Thanks,
Read Answer Asked by Brad on October 06, 2022
Q: 1.For Canadian coverage would you choose xic, vcn or xiu?
2.Would it be worth putting half the total amount in one of the above(xic, vcn, or xiu)and the other half in vdy?
3.For the U,S. allocation should I choose vig or spy which both require payment in u.s. dollars which I don't have, or would it be adequate to simply choose vun.

Thanks in advance. I plan to hold these allotments for many years and I appreciate dividends but do not need them for my living expenses.
Read Answer Asked by Astrid on September 20, 2022
Q: Hi Peter,

Over the next five to ten years, what is your expectation from a risk-return prospective for the following asset classes? Please provide your ranking with a brief explanation for your rationale.

Annualized returns for the past ten years are noted below as per BlackRock:

U.S. equities – 13%
Canadian equities – 8%
Infrastructure – 7.3%
Japan equities – 6.6%
REITs – 6.1%
European equities – 5.3%
China equities – 4.9%
High yield bonds – 3.4%
Emerging Market equities – 3.3%


Thanks George

Read Answer Asked by George on September 14, 2022