Investment Q&A

Q: I am looking to sell $100,000 in VFV (it is up ~70%) in a NR account to pay off debt. My income this year is $250K and I have already have ~$40K in capital gains this year. Does it make sense to sell it now or wait until January 1st to defer capital gains tax?

Q: Watching Bermans call. He suggests the midcap space in the US will flourish with Trump.
I have done quite well with VUN. What is your opinion re the large cap space vs the midcaps in the next 4 years.
Do you think this is so and with extra cash in my RRSP, would you just stick with the large cap ETF or go with the small cap ETF.

Which of the large cap ETF would you choose, VFV with a lower MER over VUN?
Is XMC your choice for the mid cap ETF?

Thanks
Jeff

Q: I’m hopeful that 5i can help with sector rebalancing in our combined accounts. Portfolio Analytics currently indicates that Technology is now 20.85% of our portfolio, but recommends a target of 16%.

Of course, this is due to 5i’s recommendation of CSU, which in turn led to positions in LMN and TOI. We’re certainly grateful for this!

In addition to the three stocks cited above, we also have positions in these ETFs, followed by the percentage weighting in the Technology sector:
XCS - 4.68%
VEF - 10.37%
VFV - 33.77%

Is this overweight position in Technology something we should be concerned about? If this was your portfolio, what would you do? We are seniors (76 and 81), and both of us have defined benefit pension plans.

Thanks as always for your insight.

Q: A conservative investor has these three ETFs. For a non-registered account would she be better off topping up one of these, or is there another ETF that would complement this group. With or without a dividend.

Q: What are some ETFs that I can use to diversify my portfolio and have as a buy and hold strategy. 20+ year hold in TFSA. I want a portion of my portfolio that I don't have to look at at all. I currently have VFV and VEQT.

Q: What are your recommended non-Canadian equity ETFs?
Do you prefer US only ETFs, or worldwide non-Canadian ETFs, for a long term hold?
Is it more likely that US equities will outperform non-US, such as Europe and Japan, or is it too hard to tell?

Q: My daughter has a, no work, portfolio of these three ETFs and has averaged 24% for the past two and a half years. I have done only slightly better with my DIY portfolio - mainly thanks to you. With Trump gaining the White House would it be better to load up on VFV rather than XIC. Currently it is VFV 40&, XIC 40%, QQQ 20%.

Q: Hello 5i team, I am a young professional early in my career. I am looking for your top 5 stocks for 20+ year hold. No preference on risk or industry.

thank you

Q: I currently have ~$170K of VOO in my RRSP, up 45%. I notice that ZSP and VFV have better returns. Would it be worth it to sell VOO and go to ZSP/VFV?

Q: Everyone, I would like to buy one Canadian ETF and one US ETF for a long term hold, risk medium. TPU and TTP look interesting but this is an area I have very little knowledge on. Clayton

Q: Hello Peter and Team. I am about to open a new TFSA account with almost 100K. Time frame of 5-8 years. Could you please recommend 4-6 growth/income stocks with 1or 2 ETF’s?

I was thinking BN, VFV, EIT.UN, TVK. Any other recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks for the amazing service. Brian

Q: Hi 5i
I'd like to add to a small TFSA investment, which today is 100% in VGRO.ca.
I will add funds so that 25% will be in VGRO.ca and the other 75% would be spilt between 2 to 3 of these: ZMMK, VFV, ZSP, ZDI, XIU. Timeline is 2 to 3 years and thinking to be more conservative because already have VGRO for growth.
What would be your ranking highest to lowest. Are there other ETF's that I should consider?
Thanks!

Q: I’m considering setting up a TFSA for a spouse who is not interested in selecting stocks/managing investments.
Should I stick to ETFs or mix ETFs with a few conservative stocks?

Q: In a C$Cash account, Is there an advantage buying HXS or VFV? Which one do you recommend and why?

Q: It is my understanding that VFV's holding is VOO, which has some withholding tax implications. ZSP holds the individual stocks, so no withholding tax. Am I correct or has VFV changed. If I'm correct I believe ZSP is a better product for Canadians.

Q: Greetings. Seeking a TSX traded in Cdn dollars ETF non-hedged that holds as a majority of its portfolio US equities the likes of AMZN AVGO MSFT PALO ALTO NETFLIX GOOG META NVDA or most of them and similars since wishing to sell a variety of these types of equities currently held as hedged CDRs in a registered account. Methinks the CDN dollar is destined for a fall at some point so wishing to remove CDR hedging. Please comment if this doesn't agree with your view aside from the difficulty in predicting currency moves. Thank you for any suggestions.

Q: For a CAD denominated S&P500 ETF would you prefer VFV or ZSP and why? In response to similar questions in the past it seems sometimes you suggest VFV, other times ZSP. I’m assuming that for all practical purposes they’re basically interchangeable with little to differentiate one from the other and that either would be fine. Thanks.

Q: I have 3 , 1year old grandchildren starting with 1000 each and 100 a month where should I put money in resp thanks

Q: Hi, thank you for answering my previous question. I wanted to ask a follow up.

[Previous question: "If you were to create a mini model portfolio of an FHSA with a 5-year timeline and low-risk tolerance. What would your holdings look like?" Answer: "Assuming six stocks: BN (20%), TRI (15%), QSR (15%), EQB (15%), CSU (15%), RY (20%)"]

If your were to include ETFs and/or stocks, would your holdings be different? and if so what would they look like?

Thanks in advance!

Q: I am trying to decide which ETF to purchase for an RRSP. VFV and VIG have been performing well. About a 3 year hold. Any other suggestions?
T Steve