Investment Q&A

Q: High, I'm a 62 year old retiree with the following ETF'S in my portfolio: HBAL, HAZ, VRIF & VDY. I currently have 25% cash holding and looking to invest in a global balanced fund geared more towards the US market.Can you please recommend 2 ETF'S that would compliment the above holdings.
Thank you
Mike

Q: In an effort to minimize currency exchange costs, I am using separate all-in-one etfs for my CAD and USD accounts. The xbal for the CAD and the AOR for the USD account. I would be interested to know your thoughts and whether this merits attention. The xbal and others similar have huge Canadian weight which I would be happy to avoid. On the USD side they seem to have this sorted. My biggest beef there is that it is very US heavy and frustratingly, not visible in the 5i database. Could you please advise on option of xbal and aor, and also please look into integration of the AOR and comparable series?
Thanks
Peter

Q: Good morning,


I am not crystal clear on the most tax efficient account to hold each of the above listed ETFs and before moving any of them to another type of account, I would very much appreciate your guidance on the most tax efficient type of account to hold each of the above listed ETFs.

The above listed ETFs are all held in our family Registered (RRSP/TFSA/RESP) and Non-Registered accounts.

Thank you and I'll await your sage advice.

Q: With say $1M in a self-directed portion of a RRSP converted to a RRIF in one year (2025), and two-thirds in CDN$ and one-third in US$ would you see any issues with the CDN$ split between HBAL and VBAL and the US$ into VIG? Your thoughts and alternate suggestions please.

Happy Holidays to all at 5i.

Q: I currently hold investments in Fidelity Balanced Income Private Pool and Franklin Quotential Diversified Income. I will be transferring the funds from these mutual funds to ETFs with lower management fees. Please provide a list of 5 suitable ETFs and rank them from 1 to 5. Thank you.

Q: Greetings once again and my continued thanks for your steady hand. Can you please suggest an array of balanced fund or high grade dividend fund etfs which can give me exposure to Canada, USA and the rest of the world, in roughly equal portions. KIndest regards, Al

Q: would this be a good fund to invest in for a young adult first investment

Q: Hi 5i
My son-in-law has a Registered Disability Savings Plan, and I'm going to help him to invest and manage the money to achieve growth with low to moderate risk. He's only 30 so has many years to grow his (and the Government's) contributions. Presently, he only has a mutual fund in it, the Mackenzie Ivy Global Balanced Fund which I've discovered has a 2.38% MER.
Firstly, I'd like to replace this mutual fund with a low cost ETF that is relatively safe but can still show some good growth. To this end, can you recommend two or three Canadian ETFs that might be suitable for me to do further research on.
Secondly, in addition to an ETF, at this time he wants to have some single stocks in the RDSP as well. Can you please recommend three or four Canadian blue-chip type growth equities, and that would be of interest to a millennial...so not too boring : )
Thank you!

Q: Hi, I’am retired,(65) looking for a global dividend ETF . I have no U.S. or International exposure no bonds, only Canadian stock, so thinking to spread out a little. Do you have a go to all in one etf that pays 2%+ while you wait ( 6-8) years+.
I was looking at XDG ,good mer, good div. 3.4%, global holdings 56% U.S. etc. But not sure if it’s a good long term hold?
Would like your opinion on an etf that you like
Thanks

Q: My wife has 75% of her portfolio in laddered GICs and I am looking for a one-stop solution for the remaining 25%. Would XTR be a reasonable substitute for any of the major balanced ETFs such as VBAL, XBAL, ZBAL, or HBAL or would you recommend one of the latter? XTR pays a significantly higher dividend and appears to possess a similar structure, although not quite as globally diversified on the equity side. Your opinion please. Thanks.

Q: Please give an updated opinion on these four balanced ETFs for a retired, conservative investor and indicate order of preference for income and safety. Thanks!

Q: Hi Team, My friend was convinced to buy this fund. What can you tell me about its performance, distribution, cost on closing the position & management fee. What better alternative can she consider as first time investor? Exchange traded funds?
Thank you

Q: Hi there, I'm new here and joined after hearing great interviews on Build Wealth Canada. I have a question and am really hoping you can help. I have decided to invest in Asset Allocation ETFs. 60% equities, 40% bond. For both the equity and bond portion I would like equal split of Canadian, US and international (no emerging markets, developed markets only). I need one asset allocation ETF with dividends or interest to buy with my TFSA & RRSP accounts. I need another with no dividend/interest to buy in my non registered account. I am new to this and overwhelmed with how to pick the 2 asset allocation ETFs for me. Can you please recommend 2 that meet my needs? Thank you so much!! Deborah

Q: Re article in today’s National Post re ETF of ETF’s, no ticker symbols were included. Can you provide same and indicate your opinion on general suitability and if favourable your choice?
Thank you for considering my question

Q: Happy New Year 5i,
Is there anywhere I could get a complete list of the holdings in HBAL, VBAL, XBAL? I realize VBAL is 12,595! XBAL 16,000 plus! I am thinking there might be spreadsheets available somewhere. I am just doing a bit of education with my children and grandchildren.
Thanks
Chris

Q: Hello 5i team,
I'm looking for a one stop global balanced dividend etf at this time, for the next 4 year time frame.
Maybe VGRO, Vbal etc. but not prefered, I'd like about 3% Canadian content in it.
Too much in Canada already.
Any ideas other than balancing MAW120 or XAW with a GIC ladder ?

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

Q: Further to my previous question on these etfs. if I buy these etfs and they over time accumulate gains from distributions. And I then sell some units for income is my gain or loss solley dependent on wether I sold above or below my purchase price or could I in fact sell for my exact purchase price and still have a cumulative gain from distributions from the swap? Also in your opinion would these funds as start ups be a poor way for a retired person to avoid income as to gain on oas and gis ?

Q: Can you please coment on the proposed tax efficientiancy promoted by horizon.ie total return distribution yearly if any.does it mean you only have capital gains to be reported? Great service and tks

Q: 5i team: would you please advise on your opinion on these ETFs. Is it a good opportunity to buy into a new etf when the initial price is about 10$ or is this a misconception on value. In contrast to say vbal & vgro at the 25$ range? Also can you coment on mpcf . If it was a core holding what could compliment it as for diversity. Do all of the above have enough canadian exposure? Tks