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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 don't have a lot of tech exposure in my portfolio and am looking to add. Which of the tech companies in the model portfolio should an investor start buying at this point if you could only buy two? Thanks
Read Answer Asked by Dathan on June 07, 2016
Q: Matt's question about the U of T pension plan also sounded to good to be true to me so I looked on their website. The pension does not provide the value of the full salary, but rather what I've pasted below from the website:

1. Highest Average Salary/Wages is the annualized average of your highest thirty-six (36) completed months of
salary/wages, while a member of the Pension Plan, during your current span of employment with the University, prior to
your Early or Normal Retirement Date. “Salary/Wages” means your gross regular monthly salary before deductions,
annualized to 12 months for sessional employees and to the 100% salary/wages equivalent for part-time employees. “Gross
regular monthly salary” includes Academic Administrative Stipends, but excludes all other payments to a maximum salary
limit set out in the Pension Plan, currently set at $150,000.
2. Average Canada Pension Plan Earnings Ceiling is the average of the Ceiling established by the Federal Government for
Canada Pension Plan purposes during the last thirty-six(36) months of participation in the Plan prior to your retirement.
3. Pensionable Service means the total of all of the years you have been participating in the Plan, and any earlier University of
Toronto Pension Plans during your current span of employment (excluding participation in the historical part-time Pension
Plan prior to July 1, 1987). Effective July 1, 1987, part-time employees accrue pensionable service at a rate equivalent to
their percentage of full-time worked.
Your annual unreduced pension is calculated as:
• 1.6% of your Highest Average salary/wages up to the Average Canada Pension Plan Earnings Ceiling
• 2.0% of your Highest Average salary/wages which exceed the Average Canada Pension Plan Earnings Ceiling
• Multiplied by your years of Pensionable Services
The lower percentage app
Read Answer Asked by Carla on June 06, 2016
Q: in michael's blog today what is CAGR? please try and give definitions for any acronyms.
thanks.
Read Answer Asked by Astrid on June 06, 2016
Q: I just wanted to comment about the Portfolio Review that you did for me a few months ago. I wasn't certain what to expect but I really did feel I had gotten good value. It was informative and thoughtful. I liked that it was a suggestion of what I could be doing. It was a bonus to be able to ask questions that pertains to my specific situation.
In my case, I needed a "kick in the butt" to start really PLANNING for retirement and to reduce my risk exposure. This review is so thorough that it took me several readings to really filter the information. Awesome job 5I!!! Highly recommended!
Read Answer Asked by Brenda on June 06, 2016
Q: I have some room to diversify into some US stocks within my TFSA. How do I do this? Is it as simple as adding US account to TFSA and begin trading? Any important notes to keep in mind when adding US exposure to a TFSA?
Thanks in advance.
Matt
Read Answer Asked by Matthew on June 06, 2016
Q: For portfolio type mutual funds such as the Mawer 104 balanced fund or the BMO select trust balanced portfolio is it possible to track down the MERs for the underlying holdings to better understand the overall fee structure? For the Mawer fund I can't find any information on the MER for the series O funds held in the portfolio as compared to their regular series A funds.

I haven't started to dig into the BMO fund yet, but it too is of interest as it has been recommended to family members by the local bank branch 'advisor' and already has a high MER on the portfolio fund.
Read Answer Asked by Jeffrey on June 06, 2016
Q: Hi,
Would like to start an RESP for my grandson. I am looking at the new TD series of EFTs which started in March 2016. Specifically THU and TPU (TD S&P 500 CAD Hedged Index ETF and TD S&P 500 Index EFT). The cost of these EFTs are only $15. Similar hedged and unhedged ETFs at Vanguard,BMO and I-Shares are trading at about $30-$40. Please advise if these TD ETFs will be just as good or should I stick with the tried and true ones mentioned above.
Thanks
Read Answer Asked by Mike on June 06, 2016
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