Why Use a Strip Bond ETF?
Barry Gordon admits he was surprised when he first read Justin Bender’s entry in First Asset’s Search for Canada's Next Top ETF contest, which I introduced in my previous post. “It runs against the gr [...]
A New ETF of Strip Bonds
Back in February I asked readers to share their ideas for new ETFs that might fill gaps in the current marketplace. The idea for that blog post came from a contest run by First Asset, who invited advi [...]
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 [...]
Ask the Spud: The US-Dollar Couch Potato
We just sold our condo in Florida and now have some money to invest in non-registered accounts. The problem is, the money is all in American dollars. Is there a way to use the Couch Potato strategy us [...]
Why GICs Beat Bond ETFs in Taxable Accounts
Last October, Justin Bender wrote a blog post explaining why GICs are more tax-efficient than bonds. The blog caught the attention of John Heinzl of The Globe and Mail, who wrote his own article on th [...]
Foreign Withholding Tax: Which Fund Goes Where?
My previous post on foreign withholding taxes included a lot of information for investors to puzzle over. But unless you’re an accountant, you probably don’t care too deeply about the finer details. M [...]
Foreign Withholding Tax Explained
The Couch Potato strategy calls for a significant allocation to US and international stocks. When you live in a country with a small, poorly diversified stock market, global diversification is extreme [...]
Claymore’s Final Report Card
Tracking error—the difference between the performance of a fund and that of its benchmark—is the best way to measure an index fund’s true cost. While many investors focus on MERs, a low fee means litt [...]
