Are Investors Really This Clueless?
Franklin Templeton recently released its 2013 Global Investor Sentiment Survey, which polled 9,518 people from 19 countries. The survey found that 81% of Canadian investors “expressed optimism about r [...]
Understanding Floating-Rate Notes
By now every serious investor understands the consequences rising interest rates will have on bond portfolios. For more than four years we’ve been reminded that when rates go up, bond prices fall—and [...]
The Power of Simple Portfolios
Carl Richards, author of The Behavior Gap, wrote an insightful article in February called Why We Fear Simple Money Solutions. “People say they want things to be simpler—investing, life insurance, reti [...]
When You Can Ignore Tracking Error
In Monday’s post, I reviewed the major factors that contribute to an index fund’s tracking error. Here are some other things to consider when you’re comparing your fund’s performance to that of its be [...]
What Causes an ETF’s Tracking Error?
Last week I explained the importance of monitoring an ETF’s tracking error, which is the difference between a fund’s actual performance and the returns of its index. The most significant reason index [...]
How Well Does Your ETF Track Its Index?
The ideal index fund would deliver the precise return of its benchmark, but we all know that’s not realistic. ETFs and index funds may be cheap but they're not free, and fees almost always cause them [...]
New iShares ETFs Give Canadians the World
In an era when ETFs are becoming increasingly narrow and specialized, the new iShares funds launched this week were a pleasant surprise. Granted, they were late to the game with the iShares S&P 50 [...]
Why You Should Avoid DRIPs in Taxable Accounts
Last week’s post about calculating your adjusted cost base with ETFs drew some interesting comments. It’s clear that many DIY investors who use non-registered accounts were unaware of how much work is [...]
Calculating Your Adjusted Cost Base With ETFs
Being a DIY investor is easy when all your accounts are tax-deferred. As the April 30 tax deadline approaches, pretty much all you need to do is gather your RRSP contribution slips. But if you have no [...]
How the 2013 Budget Will Affect ETFs
The federal budget on March 21 included a proposal to put an end to investment funds that “seek to reduce tax by converting, through the use of derivative contracts, the returns on an investment that [...]
