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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 ...

Currency Hedging in International Funds

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

International Tracking Error: Part 1

Many international equity ETFs showed large tracking errors in 2009. For example, the iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund ...

Why Do Index Funds Use Derivatives?

Earlier this week I described how several US and international equity index funds get their market exposure by ...

TD e-Series Returns for 2021

In my last post I reviewed the returns of my model ETF portfolios in 2021. Now let's take ...

How ETFs Came Under Fire

ETFs are on the hot seat these days. On Wednesday, a US Senate subcommittee held a hearing to ...

Indexing Basics

A Reality Check for Couch Potatoes

The investment industry never misses an opportunity to take credit for outstanding performance. In fact, many mutual fund ...

Debunking Dividend Myths: Part 6

This post is the sixth (and last) in a series exploring the myths and misunderstandings about dividend investing ...

How to Argue With a Couch Potato

Last week, Advisor.ca published a debate under the heading “Faceoff: Index, friend or foe?” The arguments against passive ...

Another Reason to Distrust the Fund Industry

I recently had a chance to interview Ken Kivenko, who runs Canadian Fund Watch and is allied with ...

Couch Potato Portfolio Returns for 2013

Here are the 2013 performance figures for my Model Portfolios. Last year was one of stark contrasts: huge ...

The S&P 500 Effect

On Tuesday, February 16, Berkshire Hathaway will become part of the S&P 500, the most widely followed stock ...

Financial Planning

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 ...

What Is the Advisor’s Role?

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

Ask 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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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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