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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: Answer to Gary (June 8) about budget records. We use Quicken Home and Business. It keeps track of investments (records security percentages and updates easily) and day to day banking. It is a lot of work to initially input information if a large number of securities and accounts so we will likely stick with it. No longer use Mint as we had to go to card websites to check balances and activity anyway.
Read Answer Asked by J on June 08, 2021
Q: Hi folks.

With all this talk about higher inflation (new shiny object for the media) there has been very little discussion on the explosion of debt Countries have embarked on, pre, and since the onset of Covid. Seems like this appears to be a coordinated effort throughout the developed world, and as a result, no one seems too bothered, Including Conservatives.
Are there any lessons in history we can draw from? How does 5i think this all gets resolved over the next decade or two, assuming it will take a bit of time to generate enough growth to cover all this?
Are we headed for multiple Japans where the Gov't owns all or most Gov't issued bonds to control interest payments. Does this scenario create even more inflation with depreciation of currencies and a race to the bottom on exchange rates? Way above my pay grade so please take a stab at opining on this for us.

Many thanks.

Read Answer Asked by Arthur on June 02, 2021
Q: Good morning,

I just wanted to pass on information to anyone that uses BMO Investorline as a platform. Starting today they have 80 ETF's where there will be zero commission on buying and selling. Here is the list of the 80 ETF's I think this is a great way to slowly add small positions commission free especially for the kids RESP.

Actually I do have a few questions now come to think of it. Do you think this is a good idea and if you were to pick 3-5 ETFS from this list and somewhat try to be diversified which ones would it be? If you can give me 3 to 5 from the list feel free to take credits per ETF you find.

Thanks

List:
EQUITIES: CDZ / CIE / CUD / CWO / VCN / VDY / VEE / VFV / VGG / VGG / VGH / VI / VIDY / VIU / VSP / XDV / XEC / XEF / XFI / XHD / XIN / XIU / XMM / XMU / XSEM / XSP / XUS / ZCN / ZDH / ZDI / ZDM / ZDV / ZDY / ZEA / ZEM / ZLB / ZLE / ZLI / ZLU / ZSP / ZUE / ZUQ / ZVC
FIXED INCOME: CLF / VAB / VCB / VGV / XBB / XCB / XHY / ZAG / ZCB / ZGB / ZHY / ZJK
MULTI-ASSET CLASS: VBAL / VCIP / VCNS / VEQT / VGRO / XBAL / XCNS / XEQT / XGRO / XINC / ZBAL / ZCON / ZESG / ZGRO
THEMATIC: ZAUT / ZFIN / ZGEN / ZINN / ZINT
ESG: ESGA / ESGB / ESGE / ESGG / ESGY / XESG / XSAB / XSEA / XSTB / XSUS
Read Answer Asked by Jimmy on June 01, 2021
Q: This is an excellent response to Charles’ question asked on May 27 about what to do when stocks are down 50%:

Diversification and position sizing are two items that can help mitigate this 'pain' so the drawdowns do not hurt as much. Otherwise, the best answer we think is just understanding what one owns both on the stock (what type volaitlity might we expect) and on the company (does the short-term volatility 'matter' vs long-term). The optimal answer can only be known in hindsight unfortunately. While we typically don't like averaging down in names, [once drawdowns like this pass and settle down, it can be an opportunity to add to a position once/if momentum starts to work in a company's favour again]. We not generally like stops either. Good companies, over 15 years, might have 7 or more very large drawdowns that might get stopped out (my emphasis added).

My question: how do we know when momentum is starting to work in favour again? A few days of share price increase with more volume? What I generally do is ask has anything fundamental to co changed. If not, and based on the fact that I was prepared to buy at a higher price, I simply buy more understanding risks and do not try to time the market, which can drive one crazy. I do though want to understand more about what generally signals a turn for the better.
Read Answer Asked by James on May 28, 2021
Q: I have been recently trying to learn about stock options especially calls and not puts for starters. And I've been looking at theoretical call options values to see if expected growth of the underlying stock is an input. It seems that the input is "volatility" which surprises me because volatility is both up and down. I get that volatility has a link to growth but why wouldn't a call option theoretical value focus on just the upside volatility which seems much more linked to growth. After all, a theoretical stock value includes an assumption about growth not volatility, so why not so for a call option value? Thanks.
Read Answer Asked by William on May 27, 2021
Q: Hi Guys
Just an observation, People should remember their investing in a company's future prospects and pay less attention to the share price.
If you look at a long term graph of successful companies like Amazon & Apple you will see my point.
If your constantly worried about the share price, it seems to me these people are investing way way more money than they can afford to lose.
Read Answer Asked by Gordon on May 26, 2021
Q: Hi 5i Team, I'm looking for a couple of suggestions on (very) good, general mutual funds in the mold -- if I can reveal my age -- of Bob Krembil's Trimark Fund in the '90s. Nothing country or sector specific, just a couple of funds that have exceptional management and consistently good returns. My wife has a small amount in a LIRA that warrants one or two mutual funds at the most (I like active management; I'm not a fan of ETF's for the most part). Thank you for your insights, Pete in Calgary.
Read Answer Asked by Peter on May 25, 2021