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 [...]
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 been easier or cheaper to build a globally diversified portfolio that needs almost no maintenance [...]
Unveiling the 2020 Couch Potato Model Portfolios
As long-time readers will know, I review my model portfolios once a year and, if necessary, make minor changes when better or cheaper funds have been launched. I made no updates for 2018 or 2019, exce [...]
Couch Potato Portfolio Returns for 2019
The numbers are in and no one is shooting the messenger this year. If 2018 was disappointment—returns were negative even for balanced portfolios—2019 had investors popping the champagne, as every majo [...]
Horizons Swap ETFs: The Next Generation
It’s been a stressful few months for investors using the popular swap-based ETFs from Horizons. These funds have been available since 2011 and have attracted some $5.3 billion in assets because of the [...]
TD e-Series Funds: The Next Generation
For almost 20 years, the TD e-Series mutual funds have been one of the cheapest and easiest ways to build a Couch Potato portfolio. For most of that time they’ve gone about their business without much [...]
