iShares 2011 Tracking Errors
It’s report card time in the investment fund world. Every year at this time, all mutual funds and ETFs are required to file a Management Report of Fund Performance, a document that contains a wealth o [...]
Claymore ETFs Get Rebranded
BlackRock surprised almost everyone in January by announcing that it would be buying Claymore Investments, the second-largest ETF provider in Canada. The move takes another step forward today when the [...]
Did Your ETF Just Get Riskier?
One of the problems with actively managed mutual funds is that you can never be sure that the risk level will remain constant. In an income fund with a mix of government bonds, high-yield corporate bo [...]
Under the Hood: iShares S&P/TSX Completion (XMD)
This post is part of a series called Under the Hood, where l take a detailed look at specific Canadian ETFs or index funds. The fund: iShares S&P/TSX Completion Index Fund (XMD) The index: This ET [...]
When “Buy What You Know” Makes Sense
Last week, My Own Advisor wrote an interesting post about whether investors should buy companies they’re familiar with. He was responding to a recent article by Larry Swedroe, which argued that “Buy w [...]
A Spreadsheet to Manage Multiple Accounts
You’ve got an RRSP with your employer, another with a discount brokerage, and your spouse has a couple of his or her own. You both have TFSAs, too, plus an online savings account where you park your c [...]
Ask 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 [...]
A Different Perspective On the Last Three Years
Your eyes open slowly, and the light stings your retinas. Your mouth is burning with thirst, your muscles hopelessly weak. You’re in a hospital room, surrounded by an anxious medical team. “Welcome ba [...]
Some Advice for New Potatoes
One of the most gratifying things about writing this blog is getting emails from young people who are just getting started in Couch Potato investing. “Without you,” a 23-year-old wrote this week, “who [...]
Ask 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 diversif [...]
