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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: You commented last week to Patrick about TBT.
I think that recent negative returns were related to the latter stage of the long bond bull market. This has been reversed quite impressively since january. Bill Gross was probably right from hindsight in his call for a new bear bond market.
So, as a growth investor, the idea of increasing returns on an otherwise meagre income from the fixed income part of my portfolio is quite appealing, and does not come out of worry on the market, but from seing an opportunity, and using it with reason.
Then, if I want to benefit going forward, like the next 6 months, of the general bearish trend on bonds that I believe fundamentally justified based on trade, currency and other issues, would TBF be a better bet for one holding that view?
Thank you
Read Answer Asked by Daniel on February 07, 2018
Q: Just doing some more work on ZWE...confused on some beta #s. Globefund has the beta = 2.07. Fundata has a 3 year beta of 0.53. 5iR has it at 0.91. Can you please provide some insight...is it simply different timeframes? I am trying to derisk my portfolio (reduce beta), while at the same time increase dividend income...adding to ZWE seems logical, but the beta numbers are confusing. Thanks...Steve
Read Answer Asked by Stephen on February 06, 2018
Q: Good Evening
Today's decline in the TSX and Dow was due primarily due to the increase in interest rates.
Can you please comment as to why several rate reset preferred shares like slf.pr.i and bam.pr.z declined as well? CPD also declined by .7%. It is widely believed that the increase in interest rates will favour the rate reset preferred shares.
Thank you
Read Answer Asked by Terry on February 06, 2018
Q: Last week , with the prospect of a correction and growing speculation (esp. in pot and crypto), I sold many equities to lock in profits (retaining a few gold names) and bought some HVU (double volatility index) as a bit of insurance. It paid off handsomely, with a 68% spike yesterday alone. Looking at the long term chart of HVU, volume is unprecedented and it looks like the period of reverse volatility ran long and deep. I know none of us can predict the future, but does it make sense to hang on to HVU as insurance for awhile in the face of what could be a stormy period in the global markets (even without a geo-political catalyst!).
Read Answer Asked by David on February 06, 2018
Q: For someone in their early twenties and has 30K in a TFSA, what would be an appropriate amount of stocks to hold, and what would be some of your top suggestions?

Thanks
Read Answer Asked by Daniel on February 05, 2018
Q: Good evening,

Multi-part question.

Had just finished reading ‘The Little Book of common sense Investing’, decide to make the switch, and am beginning to plan my transition to CPD, ZAG, VFV, XEF, VCN, VEE, and XRE, when I come across the new Vanguard products, of which VBAL to me seems the most interesting.

I see the pros of this ETF as being straightforward and dropping from 7 commission fees (re-balancing myself), vs just one trade a year to add money (portfolio currently around $26,000).

Cons: no preferreds or real estate. Less control (e.g they decide the asset allocations).

Do you have an opinion on this ETF?

Not sure the yield on VBAL but am guessing 2.5-3% maybe? Any idea?

Also, If I go ahead with VBAL would you give it some time to settle down (trading looks a little erratic), or is that volatility purely a product of price changes of its holdings already?

Thanks!

Read Answer Asked by Jeff on February 02, 2018
Q: Hi Peter, Ryan, and Team,

I manage a TFSA for my daughter-in-law. She holds 165 shares of GUD and is presently down $419. I know that you're still positive on GUD, but she's beginning to lose patience. Would you be OK with selling GUD to buy COV (realizing its size makes it more risky) or perhaps buying XHC (which we can do commission free) to stay in the same sector in an otherwise balanced portfolio?
She's 49 years old and is using her TFSA as forced savings by adding $100 each month. (I invest the $100 in a commission-free ETF by looking at the 'best ones' and invest in the one that's down the most on the day that the $100 appears in her account.)

Thanks in advance for your insight.

Read Answer Asked by Jerry on February 02, 2018
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