Investment Q&A

Q: I have transferred my RRIF account from a broker and I plan to self-mange that account. The cash balance as of today is $290,000. I'm 88 years old so I need strong cash flow and/or capital gains to meet the required annual distribution. Please provide a list of stocks and ETFs that 5i would recommend for that purpose. Thanks for your valued assistance.

Q: I have too much exposure to the CAD market and too less internationally.

Could you provide me with 2 etfs that have caught your attention the past 12-24 months. One which is A growth oriented etf with more risk as well as another which is a slow boring low MER etf with a 2-3% yield which less risk.

Thanks for the recommendations in advance.

Q: Hi Peter and team,

I'm overweight tech and underweight the US and international by a lot.

I hold XAW at roughly 20% in my RRSP.
Currently have 13k in cash and will have another 15k once PEO shares get tendered in a LIRA account.

Can you recommend an ETF or two that can address both my problems. One that has zero to very minimal tech exposure, no canadian exposure. Preferably trading on the TSX.

Thanks,

Rino

Q: I am not well diversified into the US market.

I would like to sell some Canadian Banks and put that capital into US equities.

I would like to consider an ETF or a mix of ETFs.

I would like to stick to my investment personality,
long term hold, would not need money for well over 10 years.
Large Cap, Blue Chip dividend paying and "dividend GROWING" equities.

1. Can you make a recommendation for a low cost / mer etf.
2. Do I need more than one ?
3. Should I buy this in Canadian or US funds ?
4. What are the pros and cons of the purchase in Canadian or US dollars

thanks

Ernie

Q: Hi, currently holding VGG, VEE, and XEF. Since the CAD$ has rallied against the USD, would you switch these cad etfs to US etfs now for the lower MER going forward? How big of a difference would this make in the the long term, say 20 years assuming all other variables stay the same? These are long term core holdings for me. All in RSP and only fees would be commission on the sale and of course one time FX conversion. What would be the best US etf to replace XEF and VEE? Thanks!

Q: I own XEI in a TFSA and am looking for better growth prospects with an ETF or MF. I prefer CDN denominated but with some US holdings is fine. Thanks Cal

Q: The geography of the following according to my Alpha-Balanced portfolio are US.
BEPC-3.55%: CRWD-3.42%: VFV-3.59%:VEEV-1.99%: VGG 3.95% for a total of approximately 17%. I would like to increase this to approximately 25%.
In addition to the above I own the following dual listed stocks.
LSPD-10.28%: SHOP-5%: T-3.61%
Moving cash from unregistered C$ to unregistered U$ account. Would you consider adding to any of the above or do you have an alternate suggestion,
In the portfolio I’m overweight tech & industrials.

Underweight materials and energy. Not a fan of oil or gold .

Roy
In addition I own the following that have dual listing.

Q: I have a DOY balanced portfolio (Alpha-Balanced for guidance) , with less than 10 year timeframe.
I’m underweight communication services, and energy. Not a fan at this stage of oil or precious metals. Overweight in industrials and technology.
My concern is with my overweight in technology. Reading a number of opinion articles that refer to the tech boom as another dot.com. The reply often is oh but this is different.
Here’s my two cents worth especially related to tech stocks I own. First of all investors/traders seem to be jumping in and out of technology based on the latest COVID-19 / vaccine news.
Re KXS; will still be in demand long after Covid-19. LSPD; somewhat sensitive to Covid-19 but have done a good job diversifying and adapting restaurant services etc. Will do well in recovery.
Maybe more acquisitions.
SHOP; like Amazon will carry on even though the valuation is high. Younger generation will still shop on line.
Now comes the tricky part. WELL and VEEV. I don’t quite have a handle on. Not sure if the demand for their service will still be there post COVID-19.
Your comments and/or thought would be greatly appreciated. I have a feeling that many of your clients would be interested in what you have to say.
I’m an experienced investor but don’t have access to the kinds of info I once did. I depend a great deal on your unbiased expert opinion.
Merry Christmas

Roy

Q: I need to increase my us exposure, any suggestions for etf in non-registered, 5-10 horizon?

Q: My daughter is looking to invest about $4,000 in an RRSP. She has an investment horizon of about 15-20 years and her current employer provides a secure DB pension. What growth oriented ETFs would you recommend at this time? If she were to add a dividend oriented ETF to the growth choices, what might you suggest? Thanks.

Q: I need to set up an annual income for my wife, for next 25 years. In TFSA and RRSP, using only ETF's. Dividend growth and HY dividends. Should have 5% yearly and 10% total return. Can you recommend the appropate ETF's. Vanguard/BMO/ I Shares (only)
Please NO EM ETF's One European OK--- Key is 5% annual income. Investment .5M$ It has to be buy and collect for 25 years. No input by my wife.
Thank you
Cec

Q: Hi,
if you were putting a fund together comparable to VGG, but for Canadian equities, what might be your first 5 top picks assuming the same criteria for the ETF? Also, what would be your 3 honorable mentions?
When comparing CDZ and VGG what are the main differences in terms of the stocks that make up these two ETF's?
Many thanks,
Dan

Q: Through the pandemic I have decided to remove certain names from my Canadian portfolio that I was less confident in. I am now down to 19 positions from 25 originally. Also with this I have built up more cash than I would typically have. I know you guys advocate being mostly invested, but I am having a hard time finding names that I am bullish on through the pandemic that I do not already currently own. The portfolio is roughly a mix between your growth and balanced portfolios. Would you continue to hold approx 10-15% in cash or add in some sort of growth ETF for the short term until we are through the pandemic and things return to normal where I can expand my portfolio again. If so, which Canadian etf would you add for the short term considering the details i have shared?

Q: Are there any etf's that focus on companies with, strong balance sheets and a track record of consistent dividend growth by sectors, specifically tech, health, cons. staples etc. and if not what would be your recommendation for a general etf that has the same focus. Thanks for expertise.

Q: I started an RESP for my 2 grandsons about 3 years ago. Only 5 stocks in the account: 3 Cdn. banks, BAM and an energy company. It is doing much worse than my RESP or TFSA. I wanted safe, dividend paying stocks. Obviously the lack of diversification has hurt. I have some cash in account I would like to deploy. Please give me a few suggestions of companies I should add. Thx.

Q: Good Day Team,
Looking at VGG and it seems to look quite well. Would this be a good time to purchase?

Thank you,
John G.

Q: This question is about diversification and percentage of stocks vs ETFs. In my overall portfolio (combined tfsa, rrsp, and non-registered), I have roughly 37% VFV/ZSP, and the rest fairly equally weighted across ENB, KXS, SHOP, VGH, AQN, BEP.UN/C, BIP.UN/C, BNS, CPX, GDI, NVDA, RY, TEAM, VGG, TRP, BAM.A. I'm in my mid 30s and have a long time frame, but would prefer to position for short term performance as much as possible. So, with some cash to allocate, can you please recommend a couple US and CAN stocks to add to this mix (or recommend just adding to what I hold)? Also, given your recent market update on covid vs sector performance, what would you do with the VFV/ZSP allocation? I am open to moving that allocation to stocks instead of an ETF, and am wondering if I should take that path, and how best to position there given the big tech names/top holdings in the ETFs, vs some holdings across sectors that are currently down. Thanks!

Q: Hi Ryan, Peter
I am an income oriented investor and I want to increase my US exposure. I am looking for good Canada based ETFs that yield 3 to 5% dividend. I shortlisted ZDY, XHU and FCUD. I am bit concerned about their size, at least the last with less than 150m in net assets. Can you comment on these or suggest alternate ETFs

Q: I have 4 questions:

1. I have not diversified my assets outside the TSX and would like to do so. Between a TFSA, an RRSP, and non-registered account, which is best to purchase US stocks (for tax purposes)?

2. If I wanted to buy an ETF on the TSX for US exposure, what would be a good one?

3. If I wanted to buy an ETF (also on the TSX) for exposure to emerging markets, what would be a good one?

4. Would you buy an emerging markets ETF in your TFSA, RRSP, or non-registered account?

Thank you for answering my questions. The information you provide is very valuable.

Best wishes,
Terri

Q: Hi all, I'm concerned about some of my holdings based on the rising US Covid19 cases. As such would like to raise my cash position for the eventual pullback in USA market. Please select from my list the first to last to sell or reduce in order. Thanks for all you do.