Investment Q&A

Q: Hi, I'm thinking of gradually reducing my individual stocks and moving into etfs for an all around set it and forget it roughly $3 million portfolio for someone retiring in the next few months. Can you give me your suggested etfs and percentages to hold to accomplish this balance? A chunk of these funds are not invested yet so I'd also like to know how you would suggest deploying these funds? Would you edge in gradually over a period of time or just get the money working? I'd really appreciate any advice you could give me in this format.
Thank you as always!

Q: Hello 5i team,
You recommended in a previous question TUHY instead of HYI (being terminated in March of this year). I also have XHY in my TFSA. Is not TUHY and XHY almost the same except that XHY is CAD-hedged and is larger in market cap?

I am wondering which one has Canadian high yield bond exposure as well as US? Or is it that there is not much coverage in CAN in general?

Andrew

Q: SRLN looks unsafe at first glance. the yield at over 8% p.a. looks high. Morningstar gives SRLN a neutral rating (forward looking) and 2 stars looking backward. Morningstar is often out of date, and there is better information at ETF.com. Your Bloomberg is not available to us commoners.

I ask this this question because bank-owned brokers make it difficult and/or expensive to buy bonds. Information and pricing on bonds are not easily searchable. Every time I force myself to look at asset allocation, the robotic tools I use scream at me that I am mad in that I zero fixed income. This brought me to look at bond ETFs and I acquired some USHY which looked decent, but that doesn’t quieten those pesky AI tools that help self-directed investors.

Is SRLN a reasonable enough proxy to add to the fixed income part of one’s portfolio? Or is it risky compared to other available US$ bond ETFs? I’d welcome substance in your response and if you care to add links to materials that pedestrian investors like me should look at, that could help. Many thanks.

Q: In many of the investment articles I have been reading Bonds are being touted as a good investment in 2024. Do you agree? If yes, what Bond ETF's would you recommend?

Q: Right now a large % of my portfolio is in TD 8150 money market paying 4.55%
If rates start to drop it will be hit right away---Some corporate bonds are paying over 5%---I like the liquidity of the 8150s and will continue being in fixed to perhaps a lesser extent---do you think I should lock in one of these corporate bonds for maybe50% of what I have in 8150s now?
Thanks
Peter

Q: Is this a good time in our current economic cycle to buy US high yield bonds, with the US economy still on unstable ground? Or am I better buying a Canadian high yield dividend ETF? Income investor and will be held in a registered account.
Thanks!

Q: Curious about yields. It feels like the yield on ETF XHY remains around the level it was several years ago (~6%) despite other stocks yielding much higher returns. Shouldn't those ETF holdings (high yield corporate bonds) be ticking upwards too which should drive the ETF yield higher? Maybe there is a time-delay as they have to reset?

So with various stock yields as high as they are I would like to try to benefit from the yields AND set up for capital gains on the same stocks that *should* pop as interest rates normalize and fall a bit. What are 3 CAD and 3 USD stocks that fit the bill? (High current yield AND good likelihood to strong share price increase in 1-3 years.) And where would ENS fit relative to those suggestions?

Q: HI;
Would you be kind enough to explain the differences and similarities between these two? Is xhy the canadian version of hyg? Is it hedged?
Is there wh tax on xhy. Level 1 or 2? Can I avoid the wh tax by buying hyg? Is hyg a us or canadian listed etf? Is hyg hedged?
Thanks, BEN.

Q: These two US Corporate bond ETFs seem quite similar. How would you decide which of these two to buy in a registered account?

Q: Can you help further clarify your answer to Ian's question on high yield bonds? You mentioned you prefer an active strategy, wouldn't that translate to holding HYI in the Income Portfolio instead of the current passive XHY? Then again passive XHY has outperformed over 1,3, 5 years and since inception.

Q: Hello,

I am trying to determine whether tax loss selling would make sense in my current scenario. I have an over 20% weight position with CSU. I want to reduce this position which will trigger a large capital gain. Does is it make sense to sell my fixed income positions in CBO, XHY and VAB which will trigger a tax loss to help offset the CSU capital gain? I can also leave as is and hope the interest rate situation turns around in 2024?

Thanks for your help.

Q: I looked at the graph for XHY on your site and noticed that it is different from the one I find on the TMX site. For example on the 5i site the closing value for February 2nd is listed as $15.469 and for the TMX site it is $16.53. That is substantial.

Q: I don't have any ETF's and I would like to have one of Canadian stocks and one for US stocks. What do you think of the above etf's or could you suggest another one for each of the markets.
Thank you Dorothy

Q: Hi 5i,
if one was interested in getting exposure to the US or Canadian High Yield Bond market would you lean toward active management or a passive index ETF? I would appreciate some suggestions to further research for both US and Canada markets.

Q: Hi there, with all the buzz about fixed income, Gics, bonds etc. I feel like maybe I should be increasing my exposure in my RRSP. I am retired and definitely have a diversified portfolio more slanted toward div paying solid equity companies.

I know you can’t give personal advice but what might be a good way to tweak my portfolio to increase fixed income exposure for 5-10 years ie gic or bond ladder, ETFs, individual bonds or?

Or should I stay in dividends and forget about it?

Ok thank you!

Q: Hello 5i, common question for you but I have very little bond exposure and was looking to start building a fixed income portfolio. Can you give me your current top 5 bond picks (assuming ETF's). This can be USA or Canada bonds.

Q: We have 30% allocated in our registered accounts for fixed. (currently 10% each for CBO, ZAG and XBB) Are these the best options for today and the next year(s)? Also see XLB recommended recently and wondering if we should be adding or replacing any of the above?
Appreciate your opinion
Thanks Doug

Q: hi,
looking through the 5i model income portfolio, these entities are all down in share price. for an investor looking for income and growth (both capital appreciation and dividend growth to keep up with inflation over long term ), are all these a buy today? any a sell? any others in the income portfolio you are more interested in today?
cheers, chris

Q: I am attempting to increase the bond exposure in my portfolio. Would you consider XHY as a good option or a combination of other bond ETF's, if so what others would you recommend?
Thanks
Kim

Q: hi,
can I get your opinion on the Aug. 9th Globe and Mail article by David Rosenberg and Bhawana Chhabra, "...It's time for investors to revisit their asset mix." And are you able to provide a few Canadian dollar ETF's to buy ( US treasury index? other? ), if you would in fact recommend that?
thanks, Chris