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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: I am not quite clear on tax implications for the following scenario. Could you please confirm (or not !) if I am correct or if there are other implications ?

If, in a Non-Registered Account, I hold a Canadian-domiciled ETF or Mutual Fund that owns a mix of Canadian, U.S. and possibly other international companies, then:

1) 15% of the U.S. company dividends will be withheld by the U.S. (Or whatever equivalent withholding tax if non-U.S.but international) This amount is reported at year end through the Fund/ETF, and reflected on the tax slip I receive from my brokerage. When I fill out my return, I can then apply for a foreign tax credit which means I should get back all the tax that was withheld.
2) The portion of dividends from the Canadian companies held by the Fund/ETF will be eligible for the Dividend Tax Credit but NOT the portion from the U.S. or international companies.

Thank you for your help !

Read Answer Asked by Alexandra on January 25, 2017
Q: Thank you so much for what you do. 5i benefits people of modest means as well as the wealthy. (A rising market doesn't hurt)!

A reader mentioned grocers earlier today. We went to COSTCO yesterday and the place was packed. They don't have the distribution of the local grocery stores but in a way they don't need to as customers are willing to drive to them. COSTCO is still more of a wholeseller compared to a company like Loblaws and they don't carry all the small products but no doubt they are one reason why grocery stores are finding it difficult to stay profitable.
Read Answer Asked by James on January 25, 2017
Q: I buy a number of my international stocks on the OTC Market, since my brokerage account does not let me directly transact on exchanges outside of North America. The American Depository Receipts (ADR) for a particular company ("xxxx") have the ticker format xxxxY, whereas the "fungible" shares (i.e. for which there is somewhere, at least in principle, an actual stock certificate issued by the company) have the ticker format xxxxF.

Assuming that there is at least some liquidity for the shares of a particular company, it is almost always the ADRs (xxxxY) that have the most trading volume. However, sometimes the fungible shares (xxxxF) are slightly more liquid than the ADRs.

In terms of risk (e.g. in the event of another major financial crisis) are the ADRs more risky, i.e. do they depend on the solvency of the custodial bank in New York (e.g. BNY)? On the other hand, who actually possesses the fungible shares (xxxxF)? Is it this same custodial bank? Is there a real stock certificate somewhere?

Thanks!
Read Answer Asked by Gregory on January 25, 2017
Q: I have been watching this company for some time now. Despite the stock being up quite a bit over the last 12 months it has stalled. Trading at a ridiculously low valuation compared to other competitors who can't even seem to make a profit (MDI etc.), is the market missing something here? I have Geo at under ten times earnings with essentially no debt. I have no Gold exposure at this time and was thinking about starting a position.

Thanks
Read Answer Asked by Scott on January 25, 2017
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