Thanks Sophie and Barrett. Sophie, thanks for your expertise. Sorry, still muddled with this cash thing. What do you mean, "don't confuse cash with bonds"? Are you saying short term Treasuries are not bonds in the PP perspective? We do not have I bonds/equivalent in Canada, at least what I...

Hi, What is meant by "deep cash"? Anyone else overweight in cash? Been easing into the PP and still have considerable cash:  35% with 15% in Intermediate govt bonds, 3% ST Treasuries (ZFS) and the rest 17% in un-deployed cash. Understand the interest rate risk of the intermediate bonds, bu...

MG,

Curious...what are your thoughts on asset allocation then?

Thx,
Bluedog

TNT,

Exactly what I did.

Sold the gold to 25% and left it in cash.

Will await an asset declining to 15% to re-balance.

Thx to all,
Bluedog 
 

Thanks for your insight, Mike.

Sometimes we need that.

Bluedog

Just saw on the news that the crisis in Ukraine is escalating. Armed soldiers stormed a base in Crimea killed one Ukranian soldier and injuring another. Ukranian soldiers have been given the go-ahead to use arms. No, I am not good about predicting anything. But kind of thinking this may not be the d...

Current Canadian PP allocation:

LTs    25%

Cash  23%

Gold  35%

Stocks 17%

Am gun shy of stocks at present.

Do I need to sell gold yet?

Thx, Bluedog:)

mgtow, Thx for the info/link to the Canadian Mint alternative to unhedged gold ETFs for Canadians. I am unable to hold physical in our RRSP/RIF accounts and do not have the after tax dollars to buy the physical. On first glance, this seems like a safer option to the paper ETFs such as IGT and CGL.C....

mgtow,

Which ETFs/funds were you considering for your Canadian portfolio?

a fellow Canuck 

I did contact IShares about this. The MER is taken out 365 days of the year at the end of the trading day. So, for instance, if the MER is .25%, you first convert this into a decimal: .25/100 = .0025. Then, that .0025 is divided by 365 days in the year = .0025/365 = .0000068. You would then multiply...

I'm trying to reduce the MERs on various ETFs in my CA PP, but I truly have no understanding how they are calculated. Are they based on the number of shares one holds or the dollar amount of shares held? I have a feeling the MERs are taken off the returns, but not quite sure of the mechanism. My ETF...

Thx again, Gosso.

The holdings/weightings are fairly similar, but you gotta love Vanguard's lower MER

What's the best way to switch out of XIC (in RRSP/TFSA accts) and pick up VCE?

I understand most are against market timing, but there has to be a more favourable way to make the switch.

Thx Gosso,

again only curious...

I keep hearing the Yankees speak of TIPs and was just wondering what we have up in the Great White North...

Just curious...

For all those Canucks out there...

Is there a CDN equivalent of TIPS?

Gosso, Is there a specific reason that you chose XIU (TSX 60) vs XIC (TSX 245) for your CDN stock asset? Is is performance or the fact that the XIU MER is .18% vs XIC at .27%? By looking at their respective holdings, they are both heavily weighted in financials and resource sectors. Just curious... :)

Thanks for your replies. Stunt - Stunt - Interesting concept... I also feel that the TSX (XIC) has its own limitations in diversity and may not truly reflect the CND economy. It is heavily weighted in financials (32.25%) and the resource sectors (energy 25.41% and materials 18.25%), for a  total of ...

Has anyone calculated how the CA PP performed in 2012? Mine definitely has not performed as well as USA one. The TSX has not made the gains the S & P 500 has over 2012. I started  in Jan - Feb 2012 when the assets were relatively high. My simple CA PP is up 1.89% which though not a loss, is not ...

Thanks for starting this thread. I started my CA PP in Jan 2012. I just bought ZFL for the LT's as I was out of the country at the time and it was easier not have to deal with a bond desk. Now back in Canada, I've been thinking that I need to buy the actual individual bonds, but haven't had the guts...

Hi all, I started my CA PP in mid-January 2012. XIC: 20%; XWD 5% ZFL: 25% ZFS: 25% IGT: 25% I do believe it is more difficult for new PPers to see the declines in their portfolios as we have not had any of the previous year's gains to fall back on. To date, my CA PP is down about 2.5%. When I start ...

Metta, I'm a fan of "Til Debt Due us Part" on TV. Gail Vaz-Ozlade basically feels that housing costs in total should be no more than 35% of one's take home income; that's just one number tossed about...seems a little on the high side to me. She also has a web site: gailvazoxlade.com and he...

Metta, Is there a big difference in your present rent and what you feel you would be able to afford for the mortgage (plus upkeep/maintenance etc) in your future home buying plan? Maybe try to "live" on that amount, but in actuality, sock away the difference into savings/PP. That way you c...

Thanks, Moda. OK,we have the same thing in Canada, CMHC (CDN Mortgage and Housing Insurance). We were always advised by our banker to wait until we had the 20% down...that's alot of waiting if you buy in the Greater Vancouver region!!! But oh, such beautiful place to live!!! Unlike Americans, we are...

moda,

What is PMI?

And what do you mean with ROI and LTV comments?

I'm assuming this has to do w/one's mortgage???

sorry i can't decifer the "hack"  

thanks.

Thanks everyone for all your comments and advice. I'll just keep it simple and let the dividends drip until we need to withdraw from the portfolio. Eventually, I would like to trade the long and short term bond ETFs for individual CDN bonds, but I do not feel I'm educated enough to know how to do th...

I realize most leave their dividends to cash, esp understandable in taxable accounts. If on is still in the accumulation phase in tax sheltered accounts, does it matter if the dividends are re-invested? Having recently started a CDN PP with 4 ETFs (XIC, ZFS, ZFL and IGT), I had not realized that the...