skip to content
  1. Home
  2. >
  3. Investment Q&A
You can view 3 more answers this month. Sign up for a free trial for unlimited access.

Investment Q&A

Not investment advice or solicitation to buy/sell securities. Do your own due diligence and/or consult an advisor.

Q: I have most sectors covered thanks to your Portfolio Analytics. Thanks so much. However I have a very large and growing allocation in Vanguard Dividend Appreciate (VIG:US). My international investments (non-US) are small and need a boost. What would you suggest I do to diversify internationally using ETFs?
Read Answer Asked by John on August 09, 2019
Q: Hi Peter,
For what its worth Scotiabank has a "Sector Outperform" rating on NFI. The yield sits at 6.2%, the Globe thinks the stock is a poor investment and 5i seems to be ambivalent too with, I suppose, a rating downgrade pending. Insiders seem to have cashed out so management is looking all too human so to speak. We bought the stock in 2014 and were once up 400%, took some capital gains in 2018 (used up some of our accumulated capital losses) and now are up only 100%. I'm a basic buy and hold investor so I'm thinking of hanging in there for another quarter or so. Please let me know if I am insane!
Thanks,
Jim
Read Answer Asked by James on August 09, 2019
Q: Hello Peter and team,

I am considering how to allocate the US and International equity component of my portfolio. I will be using ETF's solely held in my RRSP account which will comprise roughly 40% of my total portfolio, growing to about 45% with new deposits over time. Currently I am using Canadian-based ETF's (XUU, VGG, XMC for US and XEF and VEE for International) but I am looking at using US-based ETF's, with the idea of both reducing costs (lower MER and avoiding withholding taxes on dividends) as well as introducing some currency exposure.

In a response to an earlier question today, you indicated: "Our one comment is that the suggested ETFs might result in US dollar exposure somewhere close to 50% of the portfolio. This might make sense depending on individual needs, but 50% exposure to the US dollar might be a bit high for a lot of investors. " which has led to some follow-up questions:
In general, what would you consider to be an appropriate range for non-CDN exposure? More specifically, what factors might an investor consider in one's own situation to hep decide where in this range is personally-appropriate or whether it makes sense to exceed the suggested range?
I hadn't considered currency risk very closely, so the other member's question was quite timely and I look forward to your response. I have found 5i to be such an invaluable resource, providing so much opportunity for learning about the world of investing.

Thanks in advance,
Rory
Read Answer Asked by Rory on August 09, 2019
Looking for more? Sign up for a FREE 14 day trial! No credit card required

We invite you to sign up for a 14 day free trial of 5i Research!
Experience all the benefits and tools we have to offer; stock research, model portfolios, Q&A with our experts, and so much more. Join a community of like-minded investors today!