Investment Q&A

Q: I have the following ETFs in my 3 registered accounts. A while back, I read something about US withholding taxes in registered accounts, which had me concerned that I’m not being smart about which accounts I should be putting my ETFs in. Can you please advise?

RRSP:
SPY
XAW.TO
VXUS

RESP:
CDZ.TO
VGG.TO

TFSA:
VAB.TO
VXC.TO

Q: please provide mi with best options of Canadian ETFs to mirror above US ETFs :QQQ, SPY, SSO ,that I can put them into my Canadian TFSA .
Thanks for great service
Andrew

Q: What etfs would you recommend to invest in the emerging markets at this time?

Thanks for your help, Bryan

Q: Regarding the question on equal weighting, you say that a better case can be made in Canada than in the US for it. One of the reasons that I would probably go for equal weighting in the US rather than market weighting is the high preponderance of FAANG stocks in say, VOO. if they go down en masse , which as you say they haven<t recently, you have problems.

Q: Following up on your recent response that you would limit investment in Canadian equities to 25-40% of one's portfolio, in what country (US) or countries/regions would you recommend investing the balance...and in what proportions? Thank you.

Q: My target allocation to Financials is 15%. Within that group, I would like your advice on the following selection and allocation: TD-25%; CME - 8%; SIVB - 8%; MFC - 8%; BAM - 16%; BX - 16%; FSZ - 12%; XLF - 6% [or another bank].
This grouping is intended to provide both overall yield and growth; accepting some volatility. What would, in your view, be a reasonable target return for such a grouping? Please advise on target percent allocation to the sector. Which ones would you recommend and what alternatives would you prefer?.

Q: What do you think of the new ZZZD etf ? What is the yield ?

Q: I originally thought equal weighted ETF’s were the ‘ cat’s meow ‘ then I thought, as a long term investor, I would not be adjusting my individual stock portfolio every quarter or 6 months just to achieve equal weighting with no other considerations as to why I am buying or selling the stock.
Your thoughts. Thanks

Q: Hello
Is there a low volatility ETF traded in US similar to BMO's ZLU?
It is my understanding that if the Canadian dollar appreciates against the US dollar the increase in value of the ZLU will be eroded. Am I right on this?
Thank you for your ongoing assistance

Q: Good morning 5i,
I want an etf to cover the US market in an easy to manage way. Given that objective, which of the above etf's would you choose and why? I noted in an earlier question that Vanguard had switched from VOO to VTI for its own pension plans, I presume because of the wider market: large caps, medium caps and small. Then we have RSP, which is similar to VOO but weighted differently. Once again, thanks for the great service

Q: What is your opinion re ETF ZZZD? In what type of market might it be useful?

Q: Good Evening
I have the ETF RBOT in my TFSA account and it is down 27%. I will appreciate your comments whether to hold it, sell it or average down.
Thank you as always.

Q: I hold the above. Is it true that institutional investors are not very active In the preferred market? If this is true then why should retail investors hold these investments, especially given the expeience .of the last few years with the reset disaster?

Q: Can you please discuss the tax consequences of placing VE in a TSFA, RSP and non-registered account? Thank you.

Q: Hi- Please point me to an ETF that is focused on 5G. Thx Frank

Q: age 80, have large amount to invest, looking to make up low risk portfolio that doesn't require constant watching

Q: I own both ZAG and VAB in equal amounts, are they similar enough that I should own just one?
I am retired and follow both the Income portfolio and Conservative ETF portfolio fairly closely.

Q: Hello is ther a way to invest in the Russell 2000 on the TSX, hedged or unhedged. Thanks, Bill

Q: Gentlemen,
There are some ETF in Canada & US with tax advantage others than Horizon
Thanks. Best Regards.
Wish You a better year than 2018.

Q: Conservative, retired dividend investor. I've held Sentry in my Cash account since 2012 and sold 25% in 2017. My current weighting is 3.8% of my equity holdings. I didn't mind paying the hefty 2.44% MER when it was performing well. The last few years I have periodically compared it to ZRE and XRE, hoping for a turn around but my patience is running out. Now to be fair, Sentry reconfigured their REIT Fund a few years back to make it a global fund. Therefore the comparisons are a bit or apples vs oranges.

For the 1-3-5 year periods as of Dec 31/18, Sentry has returned -1.5%, 2.5% and 5.7%, while paying a 6.7% dividend.

ZRE = 3.2%. 11.3%, 7.3%, while paying 5.0%

XRE = 5.8%, 10.5%, 7.0%, while paying 4.8%

Question #1 = please confirm that all of these returns include the dividend payments.

Q#2 = while I love the higher dividend via Sentry, it really is all about Total Return over the long run. Is the global nature of Sentry (diversification) worth the lower returns?

The goal for this allocation is for stability, income, then growth, in that order. I am leaning towards selling Sentry and buying ZRE, due to the equal weight allocation. There are minor income tax ramifications.

Your advice is appreciated...Steve