Investment Q&A

Q: With interest rates predicted to go down why would a provincial long bond fund price drop? Lower interest rates should increase the fund price.

Q: Hi,
Are the monthly distributions paid out by FIE considered `dividend income' and eligible for the dividend tax credit? Thanks

Q: I want to get more defensive going fwd I suspect Utilities + consumer staples should be increased are ETFs or individual stocks the way to go?. What other sectors/ stocks should be favored thanks

Q: How would you play the US Reit space at this time? ETFs or specific stocks? Can you recommend a couple of each?
Dennis

Q: Back in June 2011 we purchased Scotia Dividend Fund 6372205 no load @ 41.95 today it's at $68.80 for RESP for Granddaughter.Initial inv. 2,763.29 and today worth 4531.41.We will be visiting them next week.Usually receive div. in December.She has 2 years to go before graduating.Should we sell and buy bond fund XLB to make sure we don't lose any value that has built up.Tks

Q: ZSP is an unhedged Canadian Dollar ETF. It has not done as well as the US Dollar ETF, symbol IVV.

Why would that be so? Shouldn’t their performance be identical?

Q: Good morning,
This is a follow up to one of my previous questions re: Horizons Total Return Index ETFs and more specifically HXT:CA and HXS:CA that I intended to purchase as long term core investments in my grand childrens' in trust accounts prior to recent proposed changes in the recent federal budget affecting the favourable tax treatment of Horizons Total Return ETFs (No distributions).
It is my understanding that Horizons ETF Management Canada plans to soon (end of Nov 19) restructure HXT-CA and HXS.CA along with several other of their ETFs into Corporate Class funds.
Given that one of the main benefits of Corporate Class funds is its ability to minimize and defer taxes, would you consider these Corporate Class funds and the Horizon Corporate Class funds in particular, to be a suitable long term hold investments for my grand children's non registered in trust accounts and if so would you please provide a few recommendations?
Thank you for thoughts on this.
Francesco

Q: What are the advantages and disadvantages for ETF versus Index Funds.
Is it better to owned Index Funds in registered accounts?

Q: Would you please suggest 2 or 3 US balanced funds, available in Cdn$ and hedged. Thanks

Q: 'Buffered ETF'
What do you think of these products? I just listen to the last Bloomberg 'Trillions' podcast on ETF and I found them compelling (very good podcast BTW). I hold about 10 % cash and 15% in PSA and PSU in my mothers account (she's 63). I felt I needed to reduce the risk in her portfolio from a sudden downside but would like to capture some of the potential upside. I would considered to use the 10% cash and buy buffered SP500 ETF in October and November lets say.

Would be great also to have a more detailed analysis in about these products in your ETF and mutual fund update.
PSEP:
I understand that the MER is 0,79% and I will not get the dividends. On the other hand, this protect the investment for the first 15 % (or what ever is remaining of the buffer) until next September and a chance to get a few % upside. Am I getting this right?

Q: Hello,
I would like to know if there is an easy way to find ETF's which provide dividends on a monthly basis. Is there a list out there I can use or would you have a short list of such dividend payers? I do own XDV which is a monthly payer. I believe that using a DRIP in my account with monthly dividends should grow my portfolio faster over the long term.

Thanks for all your help.

PS: I love the portfolio analytics feature you have added.

Q: What are your thoughts on this ETF as a buying opportunity?

Q: Are there any ETF that cover Germany, India, China
Thanks for the help

Q: I have heard a number of analysts talking about a rotation into cyclical stocks. What is your opinion? What are your recommendations in that space? Is there an ETF that tracks the space, either in CAN or US?
Thank you,

Q: For my fixed income side of my portfolio I've just been keeping cash in a high interest savings account (Achieva Financial in Manitoba). It pays 2.3% interest. I just checked the yield to maturity of BND the US Vanguard bond ETF and it's 2.3%. The YTM for ZAG the Canadian BMO bond ETF is 2.2%. Hardly seems worth paying an MER and risking price fluctuations. What do you think, am I missing something here?

Q: Hello,
I ma looking for adding more exposure to US. What would be a good healthcare/Pharmaceutical ETF for RRSP. I have about 10K to invest for 10 years. I also own VUN, ZQQ and ZIN as part of US exposure.

Thanks

Q: Last week, I asked for a few suggestions to diversify outside Canada. One of you suggestions was VXUS. I already have ZDM in my portfolio and I find that it outperformed VXUS over the past 8 years by a substantial margin (84% vs. 38%) However, ZDM has one possible major disadvantage: it is thinly traded (does that matter for a small investor?). ZDM tracks MSCI but I couldn't find the info for VXUS; their Canadian website doesn't recognize VXUX (vexatious that). Do you see any other problems and are they similar?

Q: Is there is a Canadian ETF which would cover Financial sector but inclusive not only Canadian companies but also inclusive of global financial sector? Or alternatively a global ETF covering financial sector trading on TSX ?

Q: Given the uncertainty surrounding Boeing - and given this company is one of DIA's largest holdings - would you advise replacing DIA with VTI or another broad-based US ETF? Thank you.

Q: Hi. Given the current market and economic situation, what is your opinion of ZWC as part of an income portfolio for the next 12 months. I had thought of using both ZWC and XDV to generate some income. Thanks