Canadian Couch Potato is your
complete guide to index investing

ETFs & Funds

Fundamental Indexing in the Real World

Earlier this week I discussed the promise of fundamental indexing. This strategy takes aim at the shortcomings of ...

Trading ETFs Near Dividend Dates

In my most recent podcast, I addressed an excellent question from Philip, who asked, “Are there days when ...

Asset Allocation ETF Showdown: Vanguard vs. iShares

In the brief time they’ve been around, asset allocation ETFs have transformed the way DIY index investors manage ...

Currency Hedging in International Funds

Currency hedging can be confusing for investors who use index funds and ETFs that hold foreign stocks or ...

ETF Risks in Perspective: Leveraged ETFs

This post is the second of three that will look at the potential risks that ETFs may pose ...

Where Does VRIF’s 4% Payout Come From?

In my last post, I introduced the new Vanguard Retirement Income ETF Portfolio (VRIF), an asset allocation ETF ...
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Indexing Basics

Confessions of an Investing Parasite

As index investing has gained popularity, it is also attracted its share of scorn. The latest example is ...

Review: Rob Carrick’s Guide

Rob Carrick is one of a small number of journalists who stand up for individual investors in this ...

Couch Potato Portfolio Returns for 2014

Here are the 2014 returns for my Model Portfolios. The data below are from the funds' websites whenever ...

Where Do Returns Come From?

You don’t need a lot of mathematical horsepower to be a Couch Potato investor. Indeed, simplicity is one ...

Please, No More Success Stories

Last Saturday’s Globe and Mail featured a story about a retired university professor who has enjoyed staggeringly good ...

Why You Should Beware of First Dates

Imagine that you’re the marketing director for MegaAlpha Investments and you want to advertise two of your mutual ...
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Financial Planning

It’s Time to Ban Advisor Commissions

Should financial advisors be banned from collecting commissions on mutual funds? That’s been hotly debated for years, and ...

What Is the Advisor’s Role?

John Lawrence Reynolds' newest book, The Skeptical Investor, argues that Canadians were badly served by their advisors during ...

Why Plans Should Come Before Products

When I wrote the MoneySense Guide to the Perfect Portfolio [now out of print], I waited until Chapter ...

A Monte Carlo Case Study: Can I Retire Early?

Last week’s post about Monte Carlo simulations in financial planning sparked some interesting comments, so I thought a ...

Ask 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 ...

Dividends: Not As Tax-Friendly As You May Think

If your investments include RRSPs, TFSAs and taxable accounts, asset location is an important consideration. The returns of ...
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Behavioural Finance

Why RESPs Should Be Kept Simple

In the last couple of weeks I’ve received two questions from readers who were trying to figure out ...

Podcast 20: One-Stop ETF Shopping

I’ve always tried to stress that successful investing is about the right process, not the right products. But ...

Cost Versus Convenience in “ex Canada” ETFs

I used to own one of those one-piece cutlery tools designed for hiking and camping—the kind with a ...

Why Simple Is Still a Hard Sell

Last January, I overhauled my model portfolios to make them simpler. Some of the older options included small-cap ...

Should You Buy Stocks For Your Kids?

If you’re a parent, how can you set your child on the road to investing success? One popular ...

Podcast 25: Dr. Steve Wendel on Investor Success

The latest episode of the Canadian Couch Potato podcast features an interview with Dr. Stephen Wendel, Head of ...
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Portfolio Management

How to Set Up a Hands-Off ETF Portfolio

For DIY investors, asset allocation ETFs may be the greatest gift to come along in decades. It’s never ...

It’s Time to Reboot Your Portfolio

It’s been a while since the last new article appeared on the Canadian Couch Potato blog, and over ...

A New Rebalancing Spreadsheet for ETFs

It’s easy enough to build an index fund portfolio with your desired mix of stocks and bonds. But ...

TD e-Series Returns for 2020

The TD e-Series index mutual funds remain a useful alternative to the asset allocation ETFs that take centre ...

Ask the Spud: Can I Make Taxable Investing Easier?

In Episode 4 of the Canadian Couch Potato podcast, I answered the following question from a listener named ...

Is VRIF Right for Your Portfolio?

In my last few posts, I introduced the newly launched Vanguard Retirement Income ETF Portfolio (VRIF), explained where ...
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Popular Posts

Unveiling the 2020 Couch Potato Model Portfolios

As long-time readers will know, I review my model portfolios once a year and, …

TD e-Series Funds: The Next Generation

For almost 20 years, the TD e-Series mutual funds have been one of the …

How to Set Up a Hands-Off ETF Portfolio

For DIY investors, asset allocation ETFs may be the greatest gift to come along …

Asset Allocation ETF Showdown: Vanguard vs. iShares

In the brief time they’ve been around, asset allocation ETFs have transformed the way …

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