Investing

Much has been written about optimizing your portfolio(s) for tax efficiency by placing certain investments or asset classes in certain accounts. This tax planning strategy is called asset location. In this article I’m going to explain what asset location is all about, what optimal asset location can achieve, and why you should forget about it…

Vanguard changed the self-directed investing game in Canada with the launch of its new suite of asset allocation ETFs. Now investors can get an ultra low cost, globally diversified portfolio of equities and bonds with just one product. The funds first came in three flavours – VCNS, VBAL, and VGRO – each with a different…

Stock markets rebounded in a big way last year after a taking it on the chin in 2022. It was technology stocks once again leading the way – with the NASDAQ gaining 52.28% (XQQ) in 2023. The vaunted S&P 500 also posted an impressive 24.39% gain in 2023 after falling nearly 20% in 2022 (XSP).…

As investors we face a constant barrage of information every day that triggers our urgency instinct. The urgency instinct makes us want to take immediate action in the face of a perceived imminent danger. This instinct must have served us well in the distant past. If we thought there might be a lion in the…

I wish I had a playbook to follow when I first started investing. If I did, maybe I could’ve avoided some of the investing mistakes I made along the way. That journey had me investing in high fee mutual funds, narrowly concentrating on a handful of Canadian dividend paying stocks, and straying from blue-chip stocks…

It has been five years since Vanguard introduced the first asset allocation or “all-in-one” ETFs in Canada. Simply put, these one-ticket solutions have been an absolute game-changer for do-it-yourself investors. I’m on record to say that if investing has been solved with low-cost index funds, then investing complexity has been solved by using a single…

It’s a classic mistake I’ve seen time and time again. You scramble to make your RRSP contribution before the deadline and then give yourself a giant pat on the back. But wait a minute. You’re not done yet. Not if your RRSP contribution is just sitting idly in cash. You need to put that RRSP…

It’s finally here. A do-it-yourself investing course for regular people who want to save on fees and complexity by using a low cost, all-in-one, automatically rebalancing ETF. I want to help investors move on from paying 2% MER for a balanced mutual fund at their bank. I want to help new investors set up a…

Last year was brutal for both stocks and bonds. In the middle of the year, during what turned out to be the market bottom (and inflation peak) I suggested you stop checking your portfolio. This comes from the analogy that your portfolio is like a bar of soap; the more you touch it the smaller…

Investors face countless distractions every year. Whether it’s fear of missing out on this year’s top performing asset, or fear of your existing portfolio losing money, these distractions are designed to make you want to take action (and likely part you from your money). Meanwhile, a successful investment plan is all about setting up a…