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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: The proverb about our hometown life giant goes …
“ don’t buy Great West Life's funds, just buy their stock "

This WAS a "put-away stock” ( added to through the decade ) .
Now our investment has been seriously eroded due to my non-reaction to Brexit.
Listening to David Baskin’s comments on bonds and lifecos , perhaps I should trim the sector anyways .

Does one sell GWO here , or is the plunge an over-reaction that we should ignore ?

Thanks you
Read Answer Asked by Thomas on August 09, 2016
Q: I am retired, have a 50/50 asset mix, moderate risk tolerance, and hold GWO (along with financials TD and BNS) in a diversified portfolio. If interest rates stay low (or go lower) for say the next 5 or 10 years, this could reduce insurers' income, push them to consider riskier investments, and raise their actuarial liabilities. Interest rates have been declining for years, so insurers have faced this reality for years already, but I'm wondering at what point the low interest environment really hurts their bottom line and financial strength. What am I missing in this assessment? Should I sell GWO? Thank you for your advice. Ted
Read Answer Asked by Edward on July 14, 2016
Q: Good morning,

I own GWO and IFC for an aggregate position of about 3.5% in my portfolio. What do you recommend as a guideline allocation for "insurance" in one's portfolio?
If I'm low at 3.5%, would you recommend I add to my existing holdings or initiate a position in Sun Life?

Thank you,
Robert
Read Answer Asked by Robert on July 08, 2016
Q: 9:53 AM 6/29/2016

Hello Peter:

Today you made this distinction between "Safe" and "Secure" dividends in your answer to Grant asking about Superior Plus : "We would consider the dividend 'secure'. 'Safe' is a different category completely".

1. I am looking to concentrate on companies whose dividends you consider to be in the "safe" category, and which yield over 3.5% as these should/must be at least the main core of any pensioner's holdings for reliable income. This can be confusing to sort out since I presume that you will not consider all banks, utilities, telcos, REITS, Pipelines, etc. qualify as "safe".

2. So if you could sort out a short list of the few that qualify for the "Safe Dividend" category it would be most appreciated. I do understand that disasters do occasionally happen, and any company no matter how safe can get into trouble.

2. This brings up the problem of portfolio concentration caused by owning only a few names or sectors. Is it better or "ok" to just own a portfolio of only "Safe" dividend stocks, or are we advised to dilute the quality of our portfolios and own some less safe dividend stocks to supposedly "diversify" risk? This harks back to the people whose portfolio consists of only the big five Canadian Banks and who have done brilliantly for the past 50 years!

Your considered opinion on this issue will be most appreciated........ Paul K.

Read Answer Asked by Paul on June 30, 2016
Q: In my portfolio I have 15% in preferreds, thats my fixed income, 8% of that is in Great West Life GWO-R, Fortis-J, Power Financial-S,all of which are straight perpetuals. The other 7% is in CPD,Claymore Preferred. I paid $25.00 for each of these Preferreds, so am down on each one, they pay a dividend of 4.7%.
With the news of interest rates about to rise, should I sell these? Thank you and cheers to Peter!
Read Answer Asked by Shirley on September 16, 2014
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