Investment Q&A

Q: I have some extra USD money from a small US pension that is used for going to Florida in the winters. Since we have not gone in the last two years, I would like to put some of it in our TFSA. My questions are, if I buy say TD on the NY stock exchange would the dividend in US dollars be subject to 15% withholding tax. Could you please give me several companies I could buy into if this is true. Could you also give me several US companies or ETF's that would give me a dividend and hopefully growth for a long term hold. Thank you for all the help I get for being a member. Gary

Q: Do you recommend a level of international exposure in a TFSA even though there is a withholding tax? Would the best strategy be to overweight international exposure in the RRSP and underweight in TFSA.

Q: I am a 49 year old Canadian with $50,000 Cdn in TFSA and $25,000 in RRSP. I would like some names to build a portfolio. High growth. Risk tolerance high. How much cash should I hold for dip buying. Right now I am overweight TSLA. It seems to me MSFT is a very good stock and I like its outlook and steady growth. A trusted friend recommends TSLA. Please suggest other names including ETFs. Could you rank the names with percentage allotments? 15 year outlook.

Q: What 4 dividend stocks or ETFs would you suggest for a long term hold to see the power of compounding

Q: I am looking for your opinion on tech weighting. My USA exposure is currently VIG, SPY and IWO. ( 40-40-20%). This puts me a bit underweight tech relative to the overall USA market ( and globally in my portfolio). I've had in my "plan" to shift a small amount of spy and vig to xqq to get my tech allocation up from low teens to high teens.

So long way to ask: Is now a good time to add XQQ or has the run been too good to keep going.

Q: My 22 year old daughter has $7G to invest. She has dual citizenship with the US and has been told that she will be taxed on TFSA gains. Do you have any recommendations for her based on this?

Also, could you recommend some ETF’s for her?

Thank you so much.

Q: In a tax free account, between these two, which would you recommend for a long term hold? Or is it a wash?

Thanks.

Q: Hi
in regards to the Balanced ETF model portfolio, which ETFs that trade in USD would you recommend in place of VGG and ZSP?
I assume that both of these ETFs provide dividends and would best be held in an RRSP - is that right?
thanks

Q: My husband and I are in our early 60’s. We do not have a company income. The bulk of our assets are in my RRSP and LIRA accounts.
We are converting his RRSP to a RRIF and my LIRA to a LIF this year and waiting until I am 65 to convert my RRSP so we can take advantage of pension splitting.
We are conservative investors and just want to keep up with inflation.
Would you please suggest a few ETF’s for diversification and a few income ETF’s for our LIF, RRIF and my RRSP accounts. If there are stocks you would would like to include that would be appreciated. Thank you.

Q: My 31 year old daughter has $50,000 cash in her US TFSA account. What investments would you recommend for a mid to long term hold.

Thanks

Q: I was just reading about thematic investing in ÈTF's and wanted to get your opinion on it? I have some BAC I want to sell and find something newin US, this is in RRSP so looking for higher dividend, would you have any recommendations?

Q: Hi, can you please recommend an ETF which is similar to VIG that can be bought in CAD? Thanks.

Q: You’ve mentioned that you generally like to keep single ETF exposure to 15%. Since VGG and VGH invest in the same underlying ETF (VIG), should I keep exposure to 15% between them, or could they each still be 15%?

Thank you.

Q: Hi folks, I am expecting an inheritance of about $50-70,000. I currently have what I would consider a med-high risk portfolio for retirement. I'm 46 so I am a ways from retiring but would rather put that $50-70,000 in a small number of low-med risk equities or an ETF with a good dividend and just let it grow slowly but surely. Can you provide any recommendations?

Thanks!

Q: A bit of USD cash to deploy in an unregistered account. Hit for the average with SPY, pick the safer large cap div payers with VIG or growth is the next big thing with IWO. Not a large sum so just topping up one of my 3 USA focused etfs I already hold. Which is the best buy right now, +5 year hold.

Q: Good Morning Peter & Team,

Can you please a recommendation for a U$ ETF with a good dividend, reasonable MER & some growth.

Thanks for all you do

gm

Q: Although I currently hold VYM and VIG in my RRSP, SCHD has been on my radar for a few years and would appreciate your thoughts on adding this particular US$ ETF in my US$ Non Registered account. More specifically,
Q1. Would the withholding tax be eligible for the foreign tax credit when filing my tax return,
Q2. Would the US dividends be taxed as income, and
Q3. Of the three ETFs mentioned above, which one would you recommend for a US$ Non Registered account and your reason for the recommendation.
As usual, your sage advice is much appreciated.

Q: I had a portfolio review many years ago when you did them individually, personally by human! At the time your suggestions were right on and cleaned up my ETF's. Now I have over ten and according to your metrics it should not be so. Given those above, is there anything that is not required? I am up 25%- 150% on all of them. I am happy with all of them. I have a balanced portfolio in all 11 sectors with 44 stocks all doing quite nicely thank you. Following the income portfolio with some of my own additions from 15 years ago. I do not see any major conflicts.I am s a buy and hold dividend investor with some growth ( lightspeed, Leon's).
Thank you for your million dollar service!
Stanley

Q: VGG has an expense of .28 but holds 100% VIG at an expense of .06. Why is there such a difference in expenses? What factors should an investor use to decide between the two.
Mike

Q: Hello 5i,
As I approach 70 years of age I am trying to prepare for my impending RRSP - RRIF conversion. One move I am considering is to move VIG over a period of years from my RRSP to my TFSA. The rationale is that it is a relatively low dividend stock but the capital appreciation is huge - I am currently up about 76% - and this means the increase in VIG value affects my minimum withdrawal required each year while contributing relatively little in the way of dividend income to cover the mandated minimum withdrawals.
One note - for the past several years we have been taking our TFSA contributions from our RRSP's but seem to always end up with a tax refund anyway, so we are not so concerned with the tax issue on that front.
So, to the question (finally): do you see any problems at all in such a move for VIG or any other U.S. ETF or Global ETF? The withholding tax on U.S. holdings in the TFSA is not an issue. Any other comments or suggestions?
Many thanks!!
Cheers,
Mike