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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: Good morning,
I'm 70 years old and with yet a new year upon us and a review of the holdings in my non reg equity portfolio, I'm concerned that my $650K non reg equity portfolio has slowly grown into a "hodge podge" of miscellaneous holdings that need to be trimmed, better concentrated (minimum 5% per holding) along with the addition of a few additional names in sectors that are not currently represented. My current holdings are as follows:
AQN (3.3%),BCE (11.6%)BAM.A(3.8%),CU (4.5%),DIV(2.8%),EMA (2.4%),KEY(2.2%),XIU(5.2%),XIC (33.2%),XDV(18.4%),SLF(3.6%),T(2.9%),T(2.9%),MAW120(3.1%)MAW102(3%).
I would very much appreciate your suggestions on how to best to adjust my current non reg equity portfolio to make it easier to manage and follow. I'm open to adding an appropriate mix of ETFs or Mawer equity funds as need be. My RRSP and TFSA are pretty much all populated with a mix of relatively low MER Mawer equity funds which have performed well over the years. I thank you in advance and look forward to hearing your sage advice and recommendations.
Francesco
Read Answer Asked by Francesco on January 09, 2019
Q: Good morning and HNY
My wife and I have several investment accounts ( two individual, one joint, one RIF, one RRSP, one LIRA, two TFSA). We recently retired and transferred from an advisor to self managing. My first question is how to allocate both sector and type of investment ( equity, prefs, bonds etc) given the different types of accounts. Should we look at the aggregates or each account individually. Second question. We have roughly 20% of our total worth in GIC’s, largely held in our RRSP/RIF/LIRA. Safe, for sure, but it seems we are just parking our money which is galling in retrospect as our advisor charged his normal fee for said parking. Are we better off with pref shares versus GIC’s. Our prefs have suffered recently with the interest rate increases and they are more “risky” than GIC’s, but having so much money parked is concerning. I would appreciate your suggestions. BTW, we have followed your service for the past year to gain confidence as has our neighbour.Thanks for providing an integrous platform.
Read Answer Asked by alex on January 09, 2019
Q: Have $20,000 I would like to allocation outside Canada. Already receiving an average of 6% dividend return on my C$ portfolio. Not really looking for additional income , what do you think of the above or is there other ETFs I should research.
I have a small position in VGG. Maybe etf holding Amazon, PayPal but not a pure internet such as FDN.
Read Answer Asked by Roy on January 09, 2019
Q: I am a 65 year retiree and I have app $22000. in a TFSA and I am looking at adding another $3000. Looking at an income portfolio. Can you make a suggestion as to how to balance my portfolio and add to my portfolio.
Read Answer Asked by Suzanne on January 09, 2019
Q: Hi there,
Can you please provide your top two picks for someone wanting US exposure in the following areas? Ideally something either oversold or poised to capitalize on circumstances in coming years.

Financial
General healthcare
Bio/pharma
Consumer discretionary
Technology (large cap)
Technology (mid cap)
Miscellaneous (whatever you want)

Goal is growth blended with safety over the next 5+ years
Take whatever credits you need please to justify a thorough answer with a brief comment on each suggestion.
Read Answer Asked by Tim on January 09, 2019
Q: Hi;

This question is more about trying to figure out a possible fraud. This afternoon, I received a telephone call from a guy claiming to be with an investment company. He was calling to priovide me this some unsolicited stock tips related to companies including US Gold Corp. He claimed that he the company he worked for was paid to promote stocks by individual companies and that he got my contact information through a third party website. He knew my first name.

I heard him out, he never asked me for my credit card information or personal information and asked only that I look at the stock and he would call me back on Friday to get my thoughts. He told me if I were to buy the stock, which trades on the NASDQ, I would have to do so through my own broker.

I have been in law enforcement for the past 31.5 years, and I can generally smell a rat a mile away. I felt this way with this call, but could not find the ‘string’ in what he was tellng me.

Have you or any of your members run into this type of scam before and it so, where is the hook?

Out of interest, what can you tell me about this company which apparently has some strong gold properties in Wyoming and Nevada.

I am not looking to invest in a speculative gold play, just trying to understand the call.

Thanks in advance.

DON
Read Answer Asked by Donald on January 09, 2019
Q: Most of the companies under PBH are focused on meat production. I'm curious if the company has given any indication in their calls of diversifying their offering more going forward or looking at non meat companies for acquisitions (Daiya, Yves)?

I feel like I'm hearing a lot more new new years resolutions this year about having more meatless meals a week because of environmental and health concerns. Google searches for veganism have been steadily rising through the years as well.

I'd be curious to hear your thoughts and how it may affect PBH or any measures they're taking.

Thanks for all your work!
Dennis
Read Answer Asked by Dennis on January 09, 2019
Q: When the market begins to settle and turn around what companies do you expect will show a quicker recovery? I'm looking for 4 or 5 names each in Canada and the US. I have some surplus to portfolio funds, that I would use for long term calls.
Thanks so much for your service, you have helped me a lot.
Jerry
Read Answer Asked by Gerald on January 09, 2019
Q: Please recommend one of the financial companies to be added in my portfolio.
Read Answer Asked by Dev on January 09, 2019
Q: Good day and happy New Year team,

This is a twofold question so deduct as many credits as needed. First, I know multiple questions have been asked about GUD in the past. I've been in the name for a few years and hold a gain. That said, how much more patience should one have with this stock? At what time should an investor move on because it really seems like not much is happening?
Second question not related to the first. I dabble in penny stocks and I constantly see 100 share bids from the same house. Bid gets filled and immediately another 100 share bid appears. My question is this a sign of a house accumulating and keeping the price low to do so? I know that's a general question. I'm just wondering if this is some form of manipulation by some bigger players.
Cheers
Read Answer Asked by Seamus on January 09, 2019
Q: With regards to a recent post where one transfers in-kind a stock from an Open Account to a TFSA:

If there was a capital loss this would be a superficial loss as you had mentioned. As for taxes if such a transfer were made, is it a case of simply ignoring (i.e. not claiming) this loss) on your tax return? Does anything else need to be done?

Thanks.
Jim
Read Answer Asked by James on January 09, 2019