Investment Q&A

Q: To follow-up on Claire's comment, is there an reasoned/optimal % allocation to each FI ETF (i.e. evenly split)? I have: CBO 20%, CPD 12%, HFR 26%, XBB 17%, XHY 12%, LQD 13%. I consider HFR as low-risk cash-like holding.

Thank you again.

Q: Hi 5i. FI = Fixed Income

My (6) FI holdings with rough total returns (including MER & dividends) for period held (average ~ 1.5 years): CBO -1.3%, CPD +15.0%, HFR +1.7%, XBB -2.2%, XHY+5.5%, LQD -0.6%.

NOTE: LQD not selectable, so picked HYG for question above.

Question: I understand the reasoning behind having the above FI holdings in my portfolio, but holding CBO & XBB seems like a sure way to lose money. So why not move CBO & XBB holdings to HFR (and possibly also XHY) which at least returns me ~ +1.7% pretty reliably? Your opinion on my FI mix would also be appreciated.

Thank you for continued solid wise advice.

Q: I need to add some ETF's for yield, what would be a coupe you recommend at the moment?

Q: Hi wanting to build a income portfolio using etfs which ones would you use thanks

Q: I read in a previous post that you favored HPR and ZPR over CPD (Sept 18, 2017) because of the rate reset. I am currently adding to my fixed income and would it be a good strategy to add 50 / 50 ZPR and CPD for the preferred portion ?
(I also own a larger position in CBO).

Also, do you recommend adding a convertible bond etf (CVD or other) for diversification purposes ? Thank you for your comments.

Q: I keep reading the traditional fixed income portion of a portfolio that has been allocated to bonds in the past, is a bad idea as a long term investment going forward. With that being said, what type of investments/products would you suggest the average investor allocate the fixed income portion of their portfolio going forward?
Thanks

Q: I would like to add some preferred shares with the reset option. I do need income in the 6 percent range. Any ideas?

Q: Hi,

Presently I have no fixed income position, just cash. (70% of portfolio is in equities). This is mostly due to lethargy. I was thinking of allocating equal weights of the following: XHY, CPD, ZAG, CBO and PIMCO Monthly Income, what are your thoughts? Also, how should I approach entering a rising interest rate environment? Now?, Wait?

Thanks for all you great advice.

Q: Over the last little while I purchased the above securities because of a rising rate environment. All have performed as expected except ECN.pr.A. Is there any particular reason for this. Would it be wise to average down . I’m still thinking that with rising interest rates their will be more demand for their services. What about the margin will this increase, decrease or stay the same ?

Q: What do you think of Manulife's rate reset preferred MFC.PR.R:TSX it seems to have held up very well recently. Are there other rate reset preferreds you would recommend.

Q: Would now be a good time to had to my position in CPD ?

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

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

Q: Hello Peter,

I am a long time 5i Member and happily own the Balanced portfolio and 5 names from the growth portfolio across my TFSA, RRSP, LIRA and Non-Registered accounts.

Recently I have taken on a small business loan and excess cash to invest. Given that the business loan is tax deductible, I am looking to invest the excess cash in my Non-Registered account.

Can you recommend 5 steady blue-chip Canadian dividend payers to help mitigate the interest costs on the loan? I already had T, ENB, SLF and BNS in mind.

Given that I would only be leveraged 10% in equity, and the latest sector rotation away from non-cyclical stocks (Telco's, pipelines) should I consider more growthier names for my equity picks? That would mean adding to my already owned positions in the 5i Balanced portfolio.

Of course, the last option is to pay the business loan and call it a day. I will however be in equites for the next 30 years and know that in the long-run it is a equity markets is a great wealth creator.

Lastly, great foresight and homework done (not luck) on the AVO selection!

Thanks for your continued support and wisdom!

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!

Q: I am retired living on dividend income. I am interested in ZWU to increase my dividend income with its yield of 6.30%.
However, I noticed that it's cash distribution has been decreasing since Jan 2017. How is its cash distribution determined? With rising interest rates, will it's cash distribution continue to decrease? What income etf yielding over 4.5% would you recommend in this market? What percent position would you recommend for income ETFs?

Q: I think that the capital losses of CPD in 2015 were because of the BOC reducing the bank rate and the etf owns a large % of rate reset preferreds which do much better in a rising rate environment. Please confirm and explain why CPD also experienced large capital losses in 2008. I didn't think that reset preferreds were around in 2008. Did interest rates increase in 2008 and CPD was composed of perpetual preferreds back then? Thank you 5i.

Q: What are the benefits and risks of investing in CPD in the current rising interest rate environment coupled with high stock valuations? I am seeking yield and want to compare CPD with the typical equity income etfs regarding safety of capital. Thank you 5i.

Q: I am currently using 1 year term GIC's for my fixed income portion of my portfolio. I don't need income and looking to maximize my long term total return (i.e. 10 years or more) with low volatility and relatively low risk of loss compared to equities. Can you please provide me with a few alternatives? I am thinking ETF's might be the way to go but I am open to your suggestions. Thanks for your wisdom.

Q: Hello Peter and team,
I want to pick a manageable number of fixed income ETFs that will mke up 25% of my portfolio in the fixed income portion. I note that Ishares has many bond etfs, many of them designed for a rising interest rate environment, but I am not clear on the differences between the products.

What ETFs would you recommend and in what weightings?