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Ask the Spud: iShares Gold Trust
Q: The iShares Gold Trust (IGT) trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange, but I can’t find it on the iShares Canada website. Can you tell me why? — Jim O. The iShares Comex Gold Trust is an exchange-traded...
View ArticleAsk the Spud: RBC’s Target Maturity ETFs
Q: I just read about the launch of RBC’s family of target-maturity corporate bond ETFs. They seem like they would be an attractive option for the fixed-income portion of my RRSP. How do these products...
View ArticleAsk the Spud: Am I Vulnerable to US Estate Taxes?
Q: I am ready to follow the Couch Potato and would like to use the US-listed Vanguard ETFs that you recommend in your model portfolios. But when I checked with my accountant, he warned me that I could...
View ArticleAsk the Spud: Should I Hold US Bonds?
Q: One of my coworkers and I recently started our own Couch Potato portfolios and we’re wondering if it would be better to have some American bonds in the mix. Wouldn’t that be another way to...
View ArticleAsk the Spud: Investing With Multiple Accounts
Q: How do I use the Couch Potato strategy across multiple accounts? We have a taxable investment account, my RRSP, a spousal RRSP and two TFSAs (one for me, and one for my spouse). Should we hold all...
View ArticleAsk the Spud: Does Home Bias Ever Make Sense?
Q: The Global Couch Potato has one-third of the equity allocation in Canadian stocks, but Canada makes up only about 4% of the world markets. Aren’t you guilty of home country bias? – Jeremy D. I’m...
View ArticleAsk the Spud: Should I Unbundle My ETF?
Q: What do you think of investing directly in Canadian REITs instead of buying an ETF? It may be possible to achieve similar results without paying the ETF’s management fee. – Philippe V. ETFs promise...
View ArticleAsk the Spud: Combining e-Series Funds and ETFs
I use the Global Couch Potato with e-Series funds in my TD Waterhouse account, but I eventually want to use the Complete Couch Potato. Once my portfolio gets to $50,000 and I qualify for $9.95 trading...
View ArticleAsk the Spud: Adding a New REIT to the Index
Loblaw recently announced it will be creating a new real estate investment trust (REIT). Once it goes public, how would it be added to existing real estate ETFs? And considering how large the proposed...
View ArticleAsk the Spud: Do I Have Enough for a DRIP?
I’m planning to use my 2013 TFSA room to purchase a bond ETF. How can I make sure I’m investing enough to benefit from a dividend reinvestment plan? – Phil B. Dividend reinvestment plans (DRIPs) are a...
View ArticleAsk the Spud: The Role of Real Return Bonds
Why has the iShares DEX Real Return Bond (XRB) dropped so dramatically this year? I thought this asset class was protective in times of rising interest rates (which are correlated with inflation), but...
View ArticleAsk the Spud: The US-Dollar Couch Potato
We just sold our condo in Florida and now have some money to invest in non-registered accounts. The problem is, the money is all in American dollars. Is there a way to use the Couch Potato strategy...
View ArticleAsk the Spud: Should I Buy In Now?
I’ve just inherited a six-figure sum and am interested in investing using the Couch Potato approach. What is your opinion on entering the market now, given it’s at a record high? — C.T. This is the...
View ArticleAsk the Spud: Should I Fear Rising Interest Rates?
Q: Recently the bond market—and 40% of my Global Couch Potato portfolio—has dipped significantly. I understand swings like this occur from time to time, but with interest rates moving higher would it...
View ArticleAsk the Spud: When Should I Use US-Listed ETFs?
Q: Under what specific circumstances would it be better to hold a US-listed ETF if there is a Canadian equivalent? For example, when it is preferable to use the Vanguard Total Stock Market (VTI) rather...
View ArticleAsk the Spud: Is There an Optimal Portfolio?
Q: I’m new to passive investing and am deciding how to allocate between the asset classes. The best split between Canadian equity, international equity, etc. should be determinable based on studies of...
View ArticleAsk the Spud: Is My Pension Like a Bond?
Q: My wife and I have been using the Couch Potato strategy for a few years now, but something has always nagged me. I am fortunate enough to have a defined benefit pension that will pay me $50,000 a...
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Ask the Spud: Why Do ETF Yields Differ?
Q: The Vanguard S&P 500 (VFV) currently has a dividend yield of 1.44%, but the US-listed version of the same ETF has a yield of 2.01%. How can these two funds have such different yields when their...
View ArticleAsk the Spud: How Are Investors Protected?
Q: My father lost a large sum of money when the company holding his investments in his home country defrauded its clients. As a result, I worry whether it is safe to keep all our investments in one...
View ArticleAsk the Spud: Do I Have Enough for a DRIP?
Q: I’m planning to use my 2013 TFSA room to purchase a bond ETF. How can I make sure I’m investing enough to benefit from a dividend reinvestment plan? – Phil B. Dividend reinvestment plans (DRIPs) are...
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