Investment Q&A

Q: I am getting older and I am trying to simplify my accounts in case my wife or daughter have to take over for whatever reason. I am moving to VBAL and VGRO as all in one type ETFs to make that happen. My question is about taxing: how are these viewed by the CRA?

Q: Thanks fo r this mornings reply which was great except one question you did not answer and it is this,
From all of the etf's listed which do you suggest to be in TFSA or RRIF?
Thanks.
Terry

Q: At age of 85 is it worth for me to consider converting my present holdings of 20 diversified ETF's to All-in-One ETf's?
If yes can you give me an idea as to the negative or positive reasons behind this decision and which ones from your blog list that should be considered! All the present holdings are in RRIF and TFSA.
Thank you for taking the time for your reply & Merry Xmas!

Q: Hi team,

Could you come up with a list of « sleep at night » ETFs, with a 5-10 years horizon, ranking them from best to lowest potential growth and from highest to lowest risk ?

Please deduct as many credits as you see fit.
Gratefully,

Jacques IDS

Q: Creating TFSA for 25 year old daughter. Started off really timid with VBAL then slowly started to add individual names. Small quantity in US names. If 10,000 left to add, what would you suggest to balance it out and be diversified, based on current prices, value, potential upside, while managing huge swings in price with things like metals/oil/gas? I want her to see the benefits of investing and feel the pressure so don't want to make any huge mistakes. Thanks for your great advice!!

Q: I would like to set up a portfolio of approximately $250,000 for my son who is in his mid forties who has zero interest or ability to manage the portfolio. Half the money would be in a TFSA and the other half in a 'cash' account. One possible option is to invest in a number of ETF's along the lines of the MoneySaver, Model Portfolio but not certain that this would be a good option as rebalancing would be required on a regular basis.
The other option that I am considering is to invest in one or more balanced ETF's or mutual funds such as VBAL, VGRO, XBAL, ZBAL, etc, or perhaps MF's such as the TD Balance Index Fund or the CIBC Balanced index Fund.

How would you structure a portfolio that would require little / preferably no maintenance over a long time frame. Thanks

With ETF's such as VBAL, XBAl, are dividends or interest payments reinvested by the 'fund. or is reinvesting of any proceeds necessary?

Q: Is it a good one

Q: I was intrigued by this ETF and also looked up these other fidelity funds. can you give me your assessment of these three as a one stop shop for a retired senior looking for some fixed and growth investments being somewhat conservative. Any other suggestions for a income/ balanced, and equity ETF

Thanks Dave

Q: I am looking for some suggestions for good balanced funds now that I am retired.

Q: Hi 5i Team,
My husband and I are in our RRIF years so we have large injections of withdrawn cash into our investment accounts throughout the year. We also sell stocks from time to time when they reach a target price and end up with more cash. The intention is to reinvest but often deciding what and when to buy means that large sums are sitting idle for long periods. HISAs, GICs and other interest bearing alternatives are generally not worth the effort given how they are taxed.

We would like your recommendations on what to do with these funds while researching and waiting for appropriate investments to surface. I’m thinking index funds and ETFs - things that are taxed efficiently and are liquid.

Have you any specific, short term recommendations? They could be Canadian or US as long as they can be bought and sold easily and quickly.

Thank you for your thoughts!

Q: Which growth/balance Canadian ETFs would you recommend for a 2 year hold?
Thanks

Q: Hi 5i, Trying to move into more ETFs in our RIF & LIF accounts from individual stocks for income and preservation of capital. Please rate these ETFs for a long term hold. Any additional suggestion would be appreciated. TIA

Q: Hello 5i,

We have a bit of a conundrum on our fixed low-risk investments for our RRSP’s. We have laddered GIC’s (@5%-5.4%) that expire each year to cover costs + we sell some USD fixed income for vacations. We are running dry on GIC’s and our fixed income (BIL) may have rates reduced. We need to replenish Canadian and USD fixed income as those investments are our safety net in case everything goes for a crap for 1-2 years.

Our standard decision in a lower rate environment is to purchase stocks or ETF’s with decent yields but the market is very high, 5-10 year Treasuries seem to be risky now due to Trumponomics, and our time-line is always short for that strategy.

Our goal is to have a 5% increase per year (thru yield or ETF or stock increase). Do you have a few suggestions?

Thank you
D&J

Q: Seeking an conservative - balanced ETF portfolio of $800,000 new money in Canadian Dollars.
Could I have your opinion and thanks for your service.
Rick

Q: I switched jobs and am looking to convert my pension into a lira. Want to put into a low maintenance type of portfolio of ETFs or one balanced growth etf. What would you recommend I consider for a balanced portfolio with 20+ year horizon.

Q: Good Morning;

I am looking for two ETF (preferred) recommendations that as a stand along investment product would include first, holdings representing a well rounded Growth portfolio (for a TFSA) and second, holdings reflecting a well structured Balanced portfolio for an FHSA. My preference for these products is because there is not enough money in either to create that portfolio of stocks and bonds, and I do not want to be trying to pick a solitary stock "winner". The holders of these portfolios do not have the time to learn investing at present, so this approach seems "easiest".

Thanks very much

Q: if a conservative investor wanted to invest in one ETF or stock in their TFSA today was would you suggest? Although the question was one, I would like a ranking of the top 3, Canadian only. please.

Q: Goldman has ETFs that are advertised for downside protection. The 3 ETFs that I stumbled across are GBXA , GBXB AND GBXC. Are these good for investors who find their portfolios are heavily tilted towards aggressive growth? If not these ETFs, any other method or ETFs you can suggest ? (US markets only). This question is prompted by an uneasy feeling that too many US businesses are again overshooting to unjustifiably high valuations. (I did trim but the related capital gains taxes around 34%, make me wonder if I should perhaps have left all those flowers in peace. Understood, one should not allow tax considerations to influence a decision to trim. Nevertheless, I am reluctant to trim more than I already have. Hence the search for a safety net that is available at a reasonable cost for downside protection. Thank you.

Q: I am 25 years old and have my TFSA and FHSA maxed out. I will likely buy a house in 1-3 years. Should I start contributing (and investing) any additional money in my RRSP or in a cash investment account? Which ETF should I invest in? Thanks!

Q: What ETF would you buy to be long the market in this volatile environment (moderate risk - some income if possible)? If you can suggest 3 with a brief comment that would be great. Thank you.