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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: Thanks for my div. answer. Now with US Cash from my netflix sale to increase my div. income would you agree that buying some US div.payers would be wise. If so please advise some worthy candidates or div. ETF, to stay in the stronger US market. Thanks.
Read Answer Asked by Peter on August 14, 2018
Q: Good morning, my US equity is entirely in ZWH, VGG, and VIG. Each about 5% of total portfolio. Monthly income from ZWH is convenient for RRIF withdrawals (over 80) but both VIG and VGG have significantly outperformed ZWH over at least the last 2 years. I am thinking of disposing of the ZWH (covered call ETF) and using equal amounts of VGG and VIG to total 15% of portfolio. I have available $US cash to do so. Any other ideas for US equity exposure are welcome.

Regards Ted
Read Answer Asked by Ted on July 30, 2018
Q: Dear Mr. Hodson and Mr. Modesto,

I'm helping a friend construct a portfolio worth $375,900. She is a single mother who is planning to retire in a few years. All her children have grown up and no longer require financial support.

Besides CPP and OAS, she also has some other income from other source and wish to supplement her spending with dividend income from the portfolio. She's asked me to help her to contruct a moderate growth portfolio. She said a yearly dividend income of $10000 will be sufficient.

Now, her trading accounts have:
BCE- 73%, SLF- 12%, BMO - 11%, Cash - 4%

Here are my questions. Please deduct as many credit as you wish from my question credits.

Her new portfolio will generate a yearly dividend income of $12954 (yield 3.44%) from $375,900.

Financial -22% - keep the BMO(11%), SLF(12%)
Utitility -16% - AQN, BEP.UN, H, KWH.UN
Energy -10% - ENB, WCP, PKI or TRP
Consumer -16% - PBH, ATD.B, DOL, TSGI
Industrial -11% - NFI, WSP, TCL.A
Health - 4% - CSH.UN, GUD
Technology - 12%- CSU, ARKW, Please suggest: Nasdaq index?
Telecomm - 6% - BCE
Cash - 3%

My questions are:
1) For a moderate growth portfolio, is the sector allocation appropriate?
2) Do I need to further diversify BMO and SLF?
3) In each sector, do you have any suggestions for the right stocks? Feel free to add or delete.
4) Please let me know which stocks you would recommend to add first?
5) For a person close to retirement age and no experience investing in US, is it necessary for her to invest abroad? What's your opinion?
6) All the above proposed stocks, which growth stocks should go into the TFSA? What are your top 5 picks among the growth stocks above?

Thanks as always
Esther
Read Answer Asked by Esther on July 11, 2018
Q: In my daughter's RESP I hold TD(39%)up 13%, PBH (39%)up 110%, GUD(17%) down 20% and 5% cash.
I still have 9 years to go before the first withdrawal.
I was thinking of diversifying TD and/or PBH. Which dividend ETF (with growth potential) would you recommend?
Read Answer Asked by JR on May 31, 2018
Q: In our RRSP we hold the above etfs for US exposure. Does 5i see any sector not covered with these ETFs?
Or would you recommend selling any of these ETFs due to too much overlap? We are approaching retirement, but I don’t think that would be a factor in this question. Thank you
Read Answer Asked by Kim on May 09, 2018
Q: I have Student Transportation in my US account. What would be some good US dividend Stocks and/or ETF's I could invest in to replace the lost dividends that I receive when it is sold later this month? I am looking at 3 or 4 stocks and 1 or 2 ETF's.
Thanks for the advice as it is always welcome.
Read Answer Asked by Kevin on April 25, 2018
Q: Hi 5i,

Can you recommend a Dividend Appreciation/Growers ETF for each of the following regions: CAD, US, Europe, Asia? I would prefer to have all CAD Hedged.

Thx
Read Answer Asked by Christopher on April 02, 2018
Q: Hi 5i,

I have 10k in my TFSA that I'd like to allocate to ETF's. I'm still in school so I won't have as much money coming in to diversify through stocks.

I was wondering what would be the best way to allocate (how many, what percentage)? I was thinking along the lines of XIC, SPY, and VIG.

Also, what do you think about investing purely in ETF's?

Thanks in advance,

Jon
Read Answer Asked by Jonathan on April 02, 2018
Q: I have approximately 2% of my portfolio invested in MMM in a RSP and with decreased share price and current outlook of industrials would it be a better choice to sell and add to either SPY or VIG for the long term ? I would appreciate your opinion.Elizabeth
Read Answer Asked by Elizabeth on March 26, 2018
Q: Peter,
I have looked at the rate of dividend growth of many Canadian companies over the last 15-20 years. There have been many substantial increases. I fully realize that dividends are completely at the discretion of the board of directors and are really dependant on income. However from your time in the business have you seen periods of say 5-10 years where there was very stagnant dividend growth or alternatively has it been more of a consistent upward trajectory? I also am aware of this can vary very much from sector to sector, but am looking more at the type of stocks that would be categorized as dividend aristocrats.

Thank you

Paul
Read Answer Asked by paul on March 15, 2018
Q: I have 3 big losers in my US account, MITT, IPCI and IVR. MITT and IVR pay good dividends and the stock price loss over the last few years has been mitigated by the great dividend. I would like to sell each of these stocks and buy a good US growth ETF. These are the only stocks I have in the US account. Can you suggest a good ETF? I am retired so any one with a dividend would be nice but not essential.
Thanks for your great service
Kevin
Read Answer Asked by Kevin on March 06, 2018
Q: Hi 5i, 2018 is off to a intereting start!
Thanks for your great service and guidence in these uncharterted times, it is much appreciated!
I have 100,000. to invest in my RRSP acct looking for 7 etf' or stocks, am intereted in CSU however with the high $ run do you think it is still a buy.
Thanks PS
Read Answer Asked by Paulette on March 05, 2018
Q: Good morning.... we are 15 years away before we may need to access our RRSP..
We sold all enegy (although would be okay with one "best of class" or ETF)..
I have a solid mix of similar weightings (BCE,BEP.UN,BNS,PBH,ATD.B,FSZ,SJ,GUD SIS). I would like fixed income/US/International exposure...I will be adding XHY..
I am looking for suggestions for either a few ETF you recommend for US/International exposure...keeping in mind we would not need to withdraw for at least 15 years..and if you think should have a minimum of 5% in energy or alternate AI ETF...

Thanks
Matt
Read Answer Asked by Matthew on February 15, 2018
Q: As a retired couple looking for div. Growth, not to happy with 5% weight in zgi in our rrif. Could u please give a few better options.
Read Answer Asked by Peter on January 26, 2018
Q: Hi 5i team,

Enjoy reading the blog on power of dividend growth stocks. I want to invest in US, Europe and Emerging Market. Would investing in ETFs that track dividend growth stocks be better than the overall indexes?
Please provide your ETFs picks, in US$ and in C$, that invest in dividend growth stocks in US, dividend growth stocks in Europe and dividend growth stocks in Emerging Market. Would these etfs be best held in RRSP account? Thanks.

Read Answer Asked by Willie on January 22, 2018
Q: I am setting up an all ETF portfolio for a 20 yr plus holding period and I have a two-part question. The first part concerns the makeup of the Canadian/US component. Is it better to go with a combination of SPY and XIC or would including CDZ and VIG provide stability and perhaps a bit more growth to the mix (keeping in mind that I intend to hold at least 5% of each but don't need income yet)?

Secondly, I am looking for higher risk assets for my TFSA. I was thinking of IWO. I know that there are specialized sectors I could include but I looking for a fairly hands-off approach. Do you think this approach would serve me well - I know that it is only one asset type - or is there a better mix out there that would still be quite manageable?

Appreciate your insight.

Paul F.
Read Answer Asked by Paul on January 10, 2018