Blog
Browse hundreds of posts from Dan’s award-winning blog for information about all aspects of Couch Potato investing.
iShares Advantaged ETFs: Where Are They Now?
Before being bought by BlackRock early in 2012, Claymore Investments pioneered many new services and unconventional products. One of these was its so- [...]
The True Cost of Foreign Withholding Taxes
Back in the fall of 2012, I wrote a pair of blog posts about the impact of foreign withholding taxes in US and international equity funds. The first e [...]
Ask the Spud: Is There an Optimal Portfolio?
Q: I’m new to passive investing and am deciding how to allocate between the asset classes. The best split between Canadian equity, international equit [...]
New Tax-Efficient Bond ETF from BMO
Bonds are one of the least tax-friendly asset classes: most of their return comes from interest payments, which are taxed at the highest rate. They're [...]
Will Robo-Advisors Ever Come to Canada?
Every investor who's fired a bad advisor and become a do-it-yourselfer has probably had mixed feelings. On one hand, it’s liberating to get away from [...]
A Periodic Review of Diversification
After the financial crisis of 2008–09, financial commentators loved to take shots at “old school” investment strategies. First came the declarations t [...]
A Reality Check for Couch Potatoes
The investment industry never misses an opportunity to take credit for outstanding performance. In fact, many mutual fund providers crow about their r [...]
Calculate Your Personal Rate of Return
On January 9, I published the 2013 returns of my model portfolios. The equity markets performed spectacularly last year, but most investors are likely [...]
Currency Exposure in International Equity ETFs
My last post explained that Canadian investors are exposed to currency risk any time they hold US equities, even if their holding is an ETF or mutual [...]
How a Falling Loonie Affects US Equity ETFs
Over the last year the loonie has declined significantly relative to the US dollar: the currencies were at par early last February, but the Canadian d [...]
