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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: For my retirement, I have income coming from several streams. Rental income from property, employment income from an eight-week/year position (that I enjoy immensely), and a small RRSP account that I plan to use to earn 8% per year average and take principal and interest for monthly payments, using it up completely over 9 years, pushing off OAS and CPP until I’m 70 years old, when these benefits have maxed in value and can replace the depleted RRSP funds. Recently, I have been researching high income, 25% leveraged ETFs (I asked a question about them a few days ago, but this question takes the concept a step further), and I had the thought that it might be possible to buy a few ETFs for the RRSP, replacing all equities, and earn an average yield of 13%, which would cover the monthly payments while not depleting capital. I realized the capital may be reduced at the end of the 9 years, but likely not gone as in the original scenario, so any leftover funds would be a bonus. This would also free up time from managing my portfolio the way I do now, giving me more time to enjoy my retirement. Do you see any big holes in my theory? I wondered, for example how variable the dividends can be year over year. If this seems like a solid plan, could you suggest a portfolio of ETF’s (would 5-6 suffice?) that would serve this concept? (Note-I do have other investments, but they are not part of my monthly income streams, more a rainy-day fund.) Thanks!
Read Answer Asked by Kim on April 23, 2025
Q: I went to a large cash position in my rrsp a few weeks ago, and now I’m interested in putting part of my retirement portfolio (I retired Jan 1) into high interest etfs that I can buy and forget while they generate income via yield. I’ve added a few I’ve been looking at to the ticker box. I’m looking at bond etf’s but I don’t fully understand when to get in and out of bonds - can an investor buy and forget? I’m also looking at covered call leveraged etf’s based on the S&P and Nasdaq indexes. I realize an investor has to have a strong stomach for the volatility associated with high interest leveraged etfs, but for purely an income vehicle, can you provide a few names based on the above criteria? Assuming about 10-15% positions, what percentage of a retirement portfolio would you invest in high interest etf’s, Hoping to generate 8-10% annually from the portfolio. The remainder of my portfolio is mid cap large cap US and Canadian equities. The usual suspects.
Read Answer Asked by Kim on April 16, 2025
Q: Given the current volatile market, option selling etfs seems to offer some tax efficient income while waiting for things to cool down somewhat. What is your opinion on investing in these vehicles? What is the risk / reward equation in an uncertain market. Is there one that you would prefer if you were considering for your income portfolio. Thanks
Read Answer Asked by mitchell on April 09, 2025
Q: I am an 80 year old income investor with some growth. I have $20,000 to employ. The above is a list of my losers out of 50 winners in a portfolio of mostly the Income Portfolio plus 15 yield maximizer ETF's like UMAX. Should I:
1. wait for your monthly advice before acting
2. distribute evenly accross the losers
3. add to the winners
Any other suggestions would be appreciated.
Please take as many credits as needed.
Thank you
Read Answer Asked by STANLEY on March 17, 2025
Q: In a normal world I would keep both of these for diversification purposes. But this isn't a normal world. It's a Trump world and Feb.1 is an ominous date to me . I have a 3% position in HDIV and a 3.5% position in HYLD.U . I am re-balancing for Trumpification purposes generally { individual Trump vulnerable Canadian stocks are being sold and cash is being raised . Likely somewhere around 20%-25% cash when I am done } } and will likely increase HYLD.U to around 9-10% when finished . Would you endorse selling my HDIV and using the funds to increase HYLD.U ? Selling one to buy the other will bring my HYLD.U to somewhere around 6.5 % before I decide whether or not to go as high as 10% . The decision on the increase from 6.5% to 10% will be made after I see just exactly what he has planned ..... The question really is whether you would endorse a move away from Canada in the short term with these two ETF's ? At least until the smoke clears ? Thanks for your terrific service ......Garth ......
Read Answer Asked by Garth on January 21, 2025
Q: Could you suggest some ETFs in a non registered account ($100k) and in TFSA ($60k) for a retired person who would not need those funds for the next 10 years?
Read Answer Asked by Elizabeth on January 17, 2025
Q: Hello 51 and Happy New Year! I would like your opinion regarding the following ETFS : VDY, XDIV and HDIV. Considering MERs for each and total return on investment which one in your opinion is a better buy?

Thank you in advance for your response.
Read Answer Asked by Yves on January 07, 2025
Q: Best of the Season to all at 5i,

Please advise your most well thought of covered call ETFs. Leveraged and unleveraged.

Thanks very much.



Read Answer Asked by Dave on January 03, 2025
Q: I am a senior citizen now with a lower tolerance for risk and accepting of a lower rate of return on my investments for that. When interest rates increased, I invested in MM funds; now with rates going south, I am looking to get back into some more conservative stocks/ETF/Mutual funds with growth prospects.
Can you provide 5 stocks/ETF's you believe would fill this request. I am looking at Canadian but if there isa US one that makes sense, I would look at it.
As always, thanks for your advise.

Regards

Jim
Read Answer Asked by Jim on December 17, 2024
Q: I have sold the above two companies, half of BYD and all of ATS. The purpse was to raise cash and put it into a high interest Canadian dollar savings ETF to wait out the first part of the Trump presidential version Nu. two.

Do you have an ETF that you recommend or maybe another suggestion?
Read Answer Asked by Cathy on November 13, 2024
Q: Good Morning,

Please advise your top 5 covered call ETFs with associated yields, brief descriptions and a degree of growth potential.

Thanks very much.
Read Answer Asked by Dave on September 16, 2024
Q: What are your favorite monthly income ETF's? Safety, decent distributions, and possible upside are priorities.
Read Answer Asked by Les on September 03, 2024
Q: My husband is 8 years away from retirement and wants to buy dividend stocks to leave mostly alone (not checking daily like me!) - he'll check in on it now and then. This is the list he's come up with - slightly higher positions in BCE, BPF.UN and slightly lower in AW.UN, CAR.UN and OLY, otherwise fairly evenly split. Do you see this a good list for his purposes, and is there anything you would leave off, or add? Any other alarm bells? Thanks!
Read Answer Asked by Kim on August 21, 2024