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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: Could you translate your answer to JR on GSY from " business speak " to " plain english " for me ? Specifically define what a " Charge off " is ? .....What the charge off was ? Why it is significant ? { the 14% number } .... Why are they expected to decline in 2027 ? ..... What a " breach of covenants " is ? And what are the breach of covenants are in GSY's case ? And why is this significant ? And what the the statement " it has signed agreements " to provide relief means ? ........ And what all this has to do with Lendcare ? .....Thanks for your terrific service ....

{ On the upside . thank you for your previous answer to me regarding position size . By cutting my position in half this has been a lot less painful } ...
Read Answer Asked by Garth on March 11, 2026
Q: Thanks for your comments today on GSY. Just a further concern.

We are seeing these negative events happening now. What happens to GSY's business if we go even deeper into an economic downturn ? One could argue that the economy isn't currently great now, however we've seen it get way worse in the past. GSY was down about 76% from highs (worst case) in the past. Since the Sep. '25 highs, we're closing in on that point here. Your comments on that scenario ?
Read Answer Asked by James on March 11, 2026
Q: Greetings 5i, would you add to an existing position in TFI International or start a new position in Canadian National Railway? Would doing both provide good diversification in transports or would you look at something else? ? Thank you.
Read Answer Asked by Barbara on March 11, 2026
Q: I need to hold cash for 1 yr (HSAV is interesting but it needs to avoid a significant premium vs NAV + yield is quite modest...) .Could you suggest 3 stocks + 3 ETFs with dividends and with a very favorable entry price at the present time,that would meet this objective and would offer "acceptable stability" in this volatile world politico- economic environment ? Hoping that this is not an "impossible question " to answer !
Read Answer Asked by Jean-Yves on March 11, 2026
Q: hello 5i:
I've held CRM for a number of years and have a good gain on it, albeit nowhere near what it was. I am content with the amount of tech in the portfolio overall, but am a little light on consumer.
The question, realizing that SHOP is not purely a tech play: do you see SHOP as having a better return forecast than CRM? Can you elaborate?
thanks
Paul L
Read Answer Asked by Paul on March 11, 2026
Q: I have good tech exposure in my portfolio through GOOGL, MSFT, NVDA, SOXX, XIT and market exposure through VCN, WXM, and XEQT.
I would like to know your suggestions for the above mentioned ETF's for a time frame of 2-5 Years.
Read Answer Asked by Satish on March 11, 2026
Q: Hi, I’m looking for 2 ETF’s suggestions, that is mostly out of Canada, as all my stocks are on the TSX. ( RY,ENB,BN,CSU,etc.) Looking at a mix of U.S. and other countries. Retired so has to be somewhat conservative with a 2%+ dividend while I wait. Could be a balanced etf for a little growth and safety. I was looking at TGRO, as an example, but maybe it is too much risk? your thoughts, thanks
Read Answer Asked by Brad on March 11, 2026
Q: Hi, I’m still trying to wrap my head around the big news today from GSY and what may have led to this unfortunate event over the last few years.

How was this ticking bomb hidden in the company and why did analysts and auditors not see this or raise questions further? Or were they ignored? Was management hiding certain facts or was this standard practice and policies of this industry which was allowed? Other than the short seller report late last year, did analysts not dig deep enough into their lending and financials? Who do you think is responsible for this disaster and were known issues building up and just kicked down the road until now? I pulled up the short report and the news from today and asked Gemini to compare the two, here is the summary I got. Thanks for any further comments!



Based on the bombshell news release from today (March 10, 2026), it appears that the short sellers were largely correct in their fundamental assessment of the company’s accounting and credit health.

While goeasy (GSY) spent months "categorically denying" the allegations of a short-seller "attack," today's update reveals that many of the specific "smoking guns" highlighted by Jehoshaphat Research have indeed materialized as significant financial problems.

Here is a breakdown of how the today's news validates the short sellers' original thesis:

1. The "Hidden Losses" are No Longer Hidden

Short Seller Claim: goeasy was masking $300 million in delayed credit losses.

Today's Reality: goeasy announced a massive $178 million "incremental charge-off" for Q4 2025 specifically related to the LendCare business, plus a $55 million write-down of interest and fees. This essentially admits that $233 million in value they were carrying on the books was uncollectible.

2. Validation of the "Accounting Wizardry" Allegation

Short Seller Claim: The company was using "accounting wizardry" and changing definitions to hide delinquencies.

Today's Reality: The company admitted to a "correction of a historical reporting practice" at LendCare. They revealed that customer payments were being recorded as "received" when they were actually still "in the process of being settled" (and some were never collected). This artificially lowered reported delinquency rates in 2024 and 2025—exactly what the short sellers alleged.

3. The Shift in Net Charge-Off (NCO) Rates

Short Seller Claim: Reported NCO rates were artificially low and the "true" rate was closer to 15%.

Today's Reality: goeasy has raised its expected 2025 NCO rate to 12.9% and warned that it will jump to the "mid-teens" in 2026. This is a massive departure from their previous guidance and aligns almost perfectly with the short sellers' projections.

4. Admission of Governance & Risk Failures

Short Seller Claim: The rapid growth in auto/powersports loans was a "time bomb" due to poor risk management.

Today's Reality: The new CFO, Felix Wu, stated that LendCare’s growth required "more robust operational infrastructure" and "enhanced credit risk management." The company is now drastically reducing originations in those categories—a move that effectively acknowledges the short seller's warning that this growth was low-quality and dangerous.

5. Drastic "Emergency" Measures

The severity of the situation is highlighted by the "6-Point Action Plan" goeasy announced today, which reads like a crisis management manual:

Dividend Suspension: Effective immediately, the dividend is cancelled.

Guidance Withdrawal: They have withdrawn all previous three-year financial forecasts.

Covenant Breeches: The company admits it will likely breech financial covenants with its lenders and is currently operating under an "accommodation agreement" (essentially a temporary truce with banks).

Conclusion

While the short sellers may not have been right about every single technicality, their core thesis—that goeasy was overstating its asset quality, understating its losses, and using aggressive accounting to mask a deteriorating subprime portfolio—has been vindicated by today’s news.

For investors, the transition from "Buy" ratings and denials to a total suspension of the dividend and a $233 million write-down marks a total collapse of management's previous narrative.
Read Answer Asked by Keith on March 11, 2026