Are Target Date Funds Right For You?
Think about all the elements you need to be a successful index investor. First, you need to choose the right mix of stocks and bonds, and to adjust that mix as you approach retirement. Your portfolio [...]
The Next Smart Beta Revolution
{Note: This post was an April Fool's joke!] As the ETF industry in Canada matures, more and more providers are moving away from traditional cap-weighted index funds in favour of more exotic strategies [...]
Decoding Vanguard’s New International Equity ETFs
This year has been another reminder of why international equities are such an important part of a diversified portfolio: in the first 11 months of 2015 the Canadian market was down almost 6%, while in [...]
Vanguard’s New World Order
If you follow my model ETF portfolios, you may have noticed that one of your holdings has a new name. The Vanguard FTSE All-World ex Canada (VXC), launched in the summer of 2014, is a simple, low-cost [...]
Announcing the Couch Potato Robo-Advisor Service
[Note: This was an April Fool's joke!] One of the most exciting developments in investing is the rise of online wealth managers, also known as robo-advisors. These services offer online portfolio mana [...]
iShares Expands Its Core ETF Lineup
iShares shook up the ETF marketplace last March when it launched its Core family of low-cost ETFs in the major asset classes. This week iShares announced some new additions to its Core lineup, includi [...]
Ask the Spud: Bond ETFs in Taxable Accounts
Q: Can you share your thoughts about the BMO Discount Bond (ZDB) and the Horizons Canadian Select Universe Bond (HBB) as long-term holdings in a taxable account? – D. F. Earlier this year BMO and Hori [...]
An Interview With Wealthsimple: Part 2
Earlier this week I published an excerpt from my interview with David Nugent, portfolio manager of the online investment service Wealthsimple. In this second part of our interview, Nugent goes into mo [...]
An Interview With Wealthsimple: Part 1
Wealthsimple is one of several online investment firms that have launched in Canada this year. They’ve often been referred to as robo-advisors, though they reject that name, and with good reason. Whil [...]
Drilling Down into the iShares Core ETFs
When iShares launched its Core ETF series back in March it made some waves in the industry. The company cut the fees on nine ETFs it considers building blocks of a long-term portfolio. Its boldest mov [...]