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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: Hi Peter,
I really enjoyed your appearance recently on BNN. I like the fact that you appear without notes, printouts, “model” prices or table-pounding buys, unlike some of the other guys.

I read your FP article on the weekend on asset and sector allocation. I agree 100% with getting the sector right - just look at commodities over the past many years. It is the larger asset allocation question (stocks vs. bonds) that puzzles me. For me, I am an equity guy and typically run 90-100% equities for better long run returns. Any remainder is cash looking for new opportunities.

I have never in my life bought a bond (or bond ETF), unless you count CSBs 40 years ago when they were at 12% plus; rates we will never see again in our lifetimes. I understand bonds for reducing volatility in your portfolio. Last fall showed the volatility of an all equity portfolio. Yet today, we are making a nice recovery. My question is if or how do bonds enhance your returns?

In Warren Buffett’s recent interview on CNBC, he said that given a choice of holding a 10 year government bond versus holding the S&P 500 for 10 years, he would buy the S&P in a second. He said the same thing for a 30 year comparison. I just can’t get comfortable with the idea of holding bonds to enhance your returns. If the primary advantage of bonds is to reduce the volatility of your portfolio, then I am fine without bonds.

Thanks again for your insight.
Dave
Read Answer Asked by Dave on March 05, 2019
Q: Hello, curious as to your recommendations for my TFSA. I currently hold all stocks in my RRSP, and a mix of mutual funds and etfs in my TFSA. I will soon be making a new TFSA contribution and must decide between adding a new name or topping up existing holdings. Funds likely to be held for a few years. Current holdings, in equal parts are
ETF's RIT, XWD and ZQQ, mutual funds include Fidelity Far East and Canadian Growth.
Have thought of HMMJ as well as TDB 3098 as possibilities.
Your Thoughts Please and Thanks. Lavern
Read Answer Asked by Lavern on March 05, 2019
Q: Hello 5i,
It is now into March 2019. Will the new personal portfolio review option soon be available?
Thank you
Oh, will there be a "Women In Finance" lingerie issue of "Canadian Money Saver"?
Stanley
Read Answer Asked by STANLEY on March 05, 2019
Q: How can I find the questions I have asked in the past together with the corresponding replies? Thanks
Read Answer Asked by David on March 05, 2019
Q: I have funds to add another stock to my grandson's RESP. At the moment it holds the 3 stocks mentioned above. Which would you see as a good complement today?
Read Answer Asked by jacques on March 05, 2019
Q: I currently sit at 2.5% on EIF and GSY, would a top of of one these 2 be in order or add 2.5% of ECN? The only other financial is BNS with 2.5%.
Read Answer Asked by Scott on March 05, 2019
Q: You provided me with 17 names in my previous question I assume this is for diversification, I will likely purchase equals amounts of each and save some for a couple of speculative to keep it interesting. What would your top three speculative (potential home run) stocks be today?
Read Answer Asked by Lorne on March 05, 2019
Q: I believe you prefer to have growth equities in one's TFSA. For someone in retirement would it instead be a good plan for a dividend growth investor to use the TFSA to produce regular tax-free dividends for a retiree? If one already has an open account made up of dividend paying stocks, the grossing up of those dividends can potentially create a clawback on your OAS payments. In my opinion, moving as many of those stocks to the TFSA as possible would help reduce this issue. Would you agree?

Thanks.
Jim
Read Answer Asked by James on March 05, 2019
Q: Preferred Shares

Upon reviewing the holdings of the four (4) largest preferred share etf, I have noticed the majority of preferred shares are issued by the banks, insurance companies, electrical utilities and pipeline companies. I am a holder of the common shares of the same companies (as they are stable long term dividend payers).
The first question I have is am I increasing my "company" risk by holding both common and preferred shares of the same companies? Should I continue to buy the common shares, which are paying very close to the available preferred share yield and gain long term from dividend increases.
The second question is of the four etf listed, which is your preferred etf. Are there other Canadian Dividend eft I should look at?

Thanks in advance for your excellent service.

Stephen
Read Answer Asked by Stephen on March 05, 2019
Q: Any particular reason for the large sell off today, particularly with tech stocks? I thought things were looking fairly good in the morning and with the news with China.
Read Answer Asked by Mike on March 05, 2019
Q: Follow up to your reply from my last question. we will max out our TFSA as you suggest. In the past we used our RRSPs in to invest in our business, so we have zero RRSPs. would you suggest placing any in them? We will continue to have income from our business after "retirement age" we intend to live in and operate the business as long has health allows. My though was that RRSP will at to the income tax load when it becomes mandatory to start withdrawals.
Read Answer Asked by Lorne on March 05, 2019
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