Investment Q&A

Q: I am managing my children's RESP account. Both of them are in university. Every year I am liquidating assets to put in a high daily savings account that is not earning anymore than 1%. It is used to pay for their schooling for the year. I expect my children will still be going to university for another 5 years. I thought an alternative to this strategy is to buy a basket of rate reset preferred share with guaranteed rates? Could you give me a list of 5 rate reset preferred shares with guaranteed minimum rates? Also what do you think of this strategy?

Q: Just a comment on Earle’s post on Friday on the 30 day waiting period on capital losses and being able at least to adjust your cost base. I am an “active” investor, which is a polite way of saying I trade a lot. I am not recommending that for all but here is my approach to taxes. I really don’t pay much attention to the 30 day rule during the year. If I sell a loser and change my view in a week or so due to new information, I will buy it back right away so as not to lose potential upside on that stock. At year end, I get my detailed trading statement. When I am calculating my capital gains/losses for the year, I check each losing security to see if I bought it back within the 30 day window. If I did, I just don’t claim the loss. For me, missing a taxable capital loss feels a lot better than missing the opportunity to get back onboard a stock on day 10 or 15 if my view has changed rather than waiting for day 30 to pass. I agree with Earl that taxation should always be secondary in your investment decisions.
I assume my approach is fine with CRA as I do not try and claim my capital losses if they are not past the 30 day window. Your views are appreciated.
Thanks again,
dave

Q: Hi, I work for one of the big 5 Canadian banks. I have the majority of my portfolio in shares of the bank I work for. Simply through unvested and vested shares. Some are paid via performance and others are through an employee share plan. I want to manage risk so should I sell the shares as they become vested and put elsewhere or leave them be. Seeing I work in banking I understand the business moreso than other sectors so there is a comfort factor here. Has Peter experienced such a dilemma at any of the previous companies he worked for and how was it managed? thank you

Q: Good day. Any particularly interesting stocks that have been getting hit hard through what would appear to be tax loss selling? Thanks!

Q: Hi 5i team,
If I buy shares in a dividend paying stock the day before the dividend pay date, would I still get paid the dividend, or is there a minimum amount of time you need to own shares before you get paid the dividend?
Thumbs up on the new website!

Q: With regard to several questions asked about tax loss selling and the 30 day rule. The usual advice is that you will lose the capital loss if you rebuy the stock within 30 days after the sale. This is not accurate. While you cannot use or claim the capital loss, if you repurchase within the 30 day period the capital loss is added to your adjusted cost base and can be claimed when you eventually sell the stock the 2nd time. The bottom line is you are best making your decisions for investment purposes and not solely for tax reasons. I hope this helps those who are anxiously waiting for their 30 day period to end while watching the stock go up. Best of the season to everyone.

Q: A few new issues have passed my screen lately . I seem to recall that your strategy is to give it some time to settle ... It appears that IPO issue "Software Platform Partners Corp. " is not selling as well as the recent Emera , Ag Growth, Fiera issues ... Do you have any feelings about this stock and what it does . Does one wait or does this look good to you . Thanks , Tom

Q: Further to the questions on the cease trading orders being attached to accounts, I have one company - Nortel - in a registered account that I can "gift" to TD. While I don't think this company is coming back from the grave, how can one be sure there is no possibility of further activity? I would like to get rid of it as I don't need a daily reminder of this transaction!

Great job on the improvements. Continue to appreciate your insights.

Paul F.

Q: Good morning,
There was mention of BLO/CSE lately and I would like to know your thoughts on the CSE exchange, the good, the bad and the ugly.
Thank you
HD

Q: Today (Dec. 7), both Peter and Stuart asked questions about funds which are not named. When this happens, could you please refer to the fund by name in your answer?

Q: My brokerage has placed a note on my non-registered account concerning a stock that has ceased trading and is in receivership/bankruptcy. They are offering to accept these shares as a gift and remove them from my account screen.

Is this a better solution to filing a 50(1)?
Would CRA not be “concerned” that I filed a sale at $0 without a 50(1)?

You can see that my main concern here is not attracting the attention of CRA. Of course, if I gift the shares, I would receive nothing should the receive distribute any moneys when all creditors have been paid.

I cannot see the advantage of the “gifting” of these shares to my broker. Any insights?

Q: Hi Peter & team,

Over the years I have been focused on paying off my mortgage and putting the majority of any savings I have into my RRSP account and contributing into my child's RESP account. As a result, the RRSP account has over 80% of the savings that I have accumulated to this point while my TFSA and non-registered accounts total the remaining 20%. I finally have paid off my mortgage and I was wondering whether I should now be focusing on putting most of my money into the TFSA and non-registered accounts, so that the ratio between the RRSP/TFSA/non-registered accounts become more balanced? Is there such thing as a good balance between the 3 types of accounts?

Thanks for the wonderful work and all the insightful answers you provide.

Marvin

Q: hi folks:

looking for direction on oil services/drilling co's

balance sheet-wise what are your 2 -3 choices for long term stability in the energy services area?

(not concerned if it is a frack co; daylighters, upstream downstream etc etc etc)

and, since I have you........

what are your current 2-3 choices for pipelines; oil co's; gas co's

as with service co's i am primarily concerned with future viability (ie staying in business) vs biggest potential recovery

been sitting on my hands and actually making money...........by not buying as yet

thank you

Q: Are you aware of any articles or texts that have studied the tax loss selling phenomenon? Opportunities and risks that this presents to investors? Thanks.

Q: Hi !
It seems that the teams of the National Hockey League are money making machines.
Are they any ways for small investors to participate and to hold shares of teams such as Montreal Canadians ? Any possibilities in sports other than hockey ?

Thousand thanks for your good attention and advice,
Jacques

Q: I think it was Susan who commented about not being able to find Cineplex's dividend history. I use dividendhistory.org when I'm looking to do research on dividend history. Its free and maybe it can help Susan and others. ( http://dividendhistory.org/payout/TSX/CGX/ )

Lastly, cryptokitties... for trading and as an alternative currency. Is this actually real life or am I living in my wife's dream where cats and kittens are revered above everything else?
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-42237162

Thanks.

John

Q: Hello Team: Season's Greetings
In my company DCPP Sunlife offers the following 3 funds among others but the following have had the best returns:
MFS Global Equity: Allocation U.S. 54.15%, Intl 44.64%, Cash 1.21%. which I am currently in.
TDAM Global Equity Index: Allocation U.S. 61.19% Intl 38.6% Cash .14% Other .07%
TDAM Intl Equity Index: Allocation .97% U.S., Intl 98.59%, Cash .03%.
I would like a little less U.S exposure than the 54-61 % which the first two have but to do that I go to 98% International. The 98% International exposure consists of 31.7% Eurozone, 24.3% Japan, 17.2 % U.K., 13.3 % Europe Ex-euro, and 7% Australasia, by region and by sector : 21.2 % Financial services, 13.5 % Industrials, 11.7% Cons Cycls, 11.2% Consumer defensive, 9.7% Healthcare.
All three funds have had 1 yr returns in the 18 -20% range.
What is your opinion regarding my selection of the TDAM Intl Equity fund with 98% International exposure going into 2018 or should I stay with a fund with ~60% U.S. exposure.
Thank You once again for your help
Clarence

Q: I presently own CI signature high income mutual fund for income. I am considering a switch to pimcos etf pmif or igcf. Could you please comment on such a switch. Thank you.

Q: Good morning!
I have a large position in this mutual fund, about 8% of my portfolio! I have owned this for many years, since it was SDT.UN. My adjusted cost base is probably close to zero due to ROC distributions. I could use some past losses to sell up to 25% of my position...the question is, do you like this fund, should I hold, sell, or ? Thanks very much!
Peter

Q: I am concerned that I have too many interest sensitive investments in what looks to be a rising rate environment. I am a recent retiree with a need for income. I would appreciate your views on my sector weightings:
15% Reits
11% Financials
11% Information Technology
10% Utilities
6% Pipelines & Energy Infrastructure
5% Telecom
4% Industrials
2% Consumer Discretionary
2% Healthcare
1% Consumer Staples
1% Materials
18% Bonds
8% GICs
6% Cash

Your service is amazing and I really appreciate the new website.

Thanks,