Investment Q&A

Q: What are your recommended non-Canadian equity ETFs?
Do you prefer US only ETFs, or worldwide non-Canadian ETFs, for a long term hold?
Is it more likely that US equities will outperform non-US, such as Europe and Japan, or is it too hard to tell?

Q: My daughter has a, no work, portfolio of these three ETFs and has averaged 24% for the past two and a half years. I have done only slightly better with my DIY portfolio - mainly thanks to you. With Trump gaining the White House would it be better to load up on VFV rather than XIC. Currently it is VFV 40&, XIC 40%, QQQ 20%.

Q: Hello 5i team, I am a young professional early in my career. I am looking for your top 5 stocks for 20+ year hold. No preference on risk or industry.

thank you

Q: I currently have ~$170K of VOO in my RRSP, up 45%. I notice that ZSP and VFV have better returns. Would it be worth it to sell VOO and go to ZSP/VFV?

Q: Everyone, I would like to buy one Canadian ETF and one US ETF for a long term hold, risk medium. TPU and TTP look interesting but this is an area I have very little knowledge on. Clayton

Q: Hello Peter and Team. I am about to open a new TFSA account with almost 100K. Time frame of 5-8 years. Could you please recommend 4-6 growth/income stocks with 1or 2 ETF’s?

I was thinking BN, VFV, EIT.UN, TVK. Any other recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks for the amazing service. Brian

Q: Hi 5i
I'd like to add to a small TFSA investment, which today is 100% in VGRO.ca.
I will add funds so that 25% will be in VGRO.ca and the other 75% would be spilt between 2 to 3 of these: ZMMK, VFV, ZSP, ZDI, XIU. Timeline is 2 to 3 years and thinking to be more conservative because already have VGRO for growth.
What would be your ranking highest to lowest. Are there other ETF's that I should consider?
Thanks!

Q: I’m considering setting up a TFSA for a spouse who is not interested in selecting stocks/managing investments.
Should I stick to ETFs or mix ETFs with a few conservative stocks?

Q: In a C$Cash account, Is there an advantage buying HXS or VFV? Which one do you recommend and why?

Q: It is my understanding that VFV's holding is VOO, which has some withholding tax implications. ZSP holds the individual stocks, so no withholding tax. Am I correct or has VFV changed. If I'm correct I believe ZSP is a better product for Canadians.

Q: Greetings. Seeking a TSX traded in Cdn dollars ETF non-hedged that holds as a majority of its portfolio US equities the likes of AMZN AVGO MSFT PALO ALTO NETFLIX GOOG META NVDA or most of them and similars since wishing to sell a variety of these types of equities currently held as hedged CDRs in a registered account. Methinks the CDN dollar is destined for a fall at some point so wishing to remove CDR hedging. Please comment if this doesn't agree with your view aside from the difficulty in predicting currency moves. Thank you for any suggestions.

Q: For a CAD denominated S&P500 ETF would you prefer VFV or ZSP and why? In response to similar questions in the past it seems sometimes you suggest VFV, other times ZSP. I’m assuming that for all practical purposes they’re basically interchangeable with little to differentiate one from the other and that either would be fine. Thanks.

Q: I have 3 , 1year old grandchildren starting with 1000 each and 100 a month where should I put money in resp thanks

Q: Hi, thank you for answering my previous question. I wanted to ask a follow up.

[Previous question: "If you were to create a mini model portfolio of an FHSA with a 5-year timeline and low-risk tolerance. What would your holdings look like?" Answer: "Assuming six stocks: BN (20%), TRI (15%), QSR (15%), EQB (15%), CSU (15%), RY (20%)"]

If your were to include ETFs and/or stocks, would your holdings be different? and if so what would they look like?

Thanks in advance!

Q: I am trying to decide which ETF to purchase for an RRSP. VFV and VIG have been performing well. About a 3 year hold. Any other suggestions?
T Steve

Q: I originally submitted this question back on Sept 17 but never received a response so I'll try again. I was wondering if you could provide some investment ideas/suggestions for ongoing contributions to a FHSA, as contribution room becomes available each year. Looking for "reasonable" growth without "excessive" risk over the 15 years of the plan. I am thinking of investing 50% of the yearly $8000 allowable contribution to a CAD-denominated S&P500 ETF and wondered which one you would suggest? Or, would you recommend something else? What is your opinion of XQLT - the iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor Index ETF as compared to an S&P500 ETF? For the other 50% of the yearly contributions I was wondering which two TSX stocks and which two CDR's you would suggest for annual contributions until the $40k plan maximum is achieved in 5 years? Thanks.

Q: I'm building US content into my portfolio, and am looking for medium risk ETFs. Do you have an estimated target and a recommendation for these two ETFs? I'd like both NASDAQ and S&P 500 exposures. Is the content of ZUE and XQQ content too overlapping for the two exposures?

Q: Hi there! Long time subscriber here, and love your platform!

I'm currently developing a plan to align with my goal of purchasing my first home in about eight years, alongside a long-term investment strategy. I’m seeking your insight on how a person in this situation could responsibly proceed (I understand that nothing here is considered actionable financial advice).

I'm currently contributing $400 biweekly to my FHSA, aiming to reach the $16,000 contribution limit this year. I also have approximately $5,000 in my TFSA, with all funds currently held in cash in both accounts.

For the FHSA, I’m considering investing in a high-growth American ETF, such as VFV, IUSG, or IWO, to balance growth and risk over the eight-year horizon. However, I would only like to invest in CAD (I'm not sure which ones only allow USD). Could you provide guidance on which ETF might be the most suitable for this approach, and why? If you have other recommendations, I would appreciate your insights.

For my TFSA, I'm interested in an aggressive investment strategy, potentially utilizing one of your growth or balanced portfolios. Given my exposure to cryptocurrency, I aim to diversify into equities for greater stability while still pursuing substantial growth over the next 45 years. I'm comfortable with higher volatility during this period. With $5,000 currently in my TFSA, would you recommend specific securities or a strategy that balances high growth with diversification?

While I’d prefer to follow your portfolio exactly, my current funds are only 5% of the $100,000 needed to follow it exactly. As an alternative, I'm considering selecting stocks from your portfolio and eventually investing evenly across the entire growth portfolio when my TFSA grows to an appropriate amount. Given my current $5,000 and my $100 bi-weekly contributions, which companies would you recommend selecting from within those two portfolios? Should I allocate $1,000 each to five different stocks or focus on three stocks with an initial $1,600 investment in each (the more I diversify on such a small number the less the potential return)? Your advice on which equities to select for both approaches and your opinion on the most responsible approach would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance! :)

Q: Hi Everyone at 5i!
I have a 27 year old nephew who would like to open a TFSA. He is putting $5000 in to start which he will gradually add to. He is looking for a growth ETF concentrated on the US market. Would VFV suit his needs, or should he consider something else??

Cheers,

Tamara

Q: What are the pros and cons for a Canadian to put money in Vanguard S&P 500 ETF Portfolio (VFV.TO) vs. a Vanguard S&P 500 ETF Portfolio (VOO)?