Couch Potato Portfolio Returns for 2020
Just about everyone was happy to wave goodbye to 2020. By the spring it was shaping up to be the worst year for markets since 2008: when the market touched bottom on March 23, Canadian, U.S. and inter [...]
Inside the BMO Asset Allocation ETFs
In our last blog and video, Justin and I compared the popular Vanguard and iShares asset allocation ETFs, both of which are options in our model portfolios. But although these two fund families get al [...]
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 their portfolios. These balanced funds have become the default choice, as it’s harder a [...]
Inside the iShares ESG Asset Allocation ETFs
Two of the biggest trends in investing these days are the popularity of one-fund portfolios and the focus on sustainability. A new family of iShares ETFs has combined these two key trends in a way tha [...]
Finding ETF Pairs for Tax-Loss Selling
In my previous blog, accompanied by Justin’s video tutorial, we looked at tax-loss harvesting, and more specifically, how to stay on the right side of the superficial loss rule. A quick recap: effecti [...]
How to Avoid Superficial Losses
Tax-loss selling—also known as tax-loss harvesting—is a technique for proactively realizing capital losses in your portfolio. It might seem counterintuitive: why would you want to “sell low”? In fact, [...]
Is VRIF Right for Your Portfolio?
In my last few posts, I introduced the newly launched Vanguard Retirement Income ETF Portfolio (VRIF), explained where its 4% distribution comes from, and considered whether that payout is sustainable [...]
Is VRIF’s Distribution Sustainable?
The newly launched Vanguard Retirement Income ETF Portfolio (VRIF) is designed to pay its unitholders a consistent monthly cash flow equal to a 4% annual yield. In my last post, I explained how these [...]
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 designed for people drawing down their portfolio to meet regular expenses. VRIF holds an [...]
Unpacking VRIF, Vanguard’s New Monthly Income ETF
When Vanguard launched its family of one-ETF portfolios back in 2018, Canadians embraced them enthusiastically. And why not? These so-called “asset allocation ETFs” took a good idea—a balanced mutual [...]
