Two ETFs may be the better way to buy bonds

The Bank of Canada increased interest rates in July 2017 for the first time since 2010. It then raised its key interest rate again in September 2017, from 0.75% to 1.00%. However, it decided to hold off on further increases in December.

We continue to caution against investing… Read More

How to Pick a Top ETF Investment

How to Pick a Top ETF Investment

A top ETF will practice “passive” management, and have a much lower MER than a comparable mutual fund.

You might say we specialize in “plain vanilla” stocks—the ordinary kind, in other words, without any special features. We always almost stay out of new issues. For the most… Read More

These ETFs focus on widely traded U.S. stocks

These ETFs focus on widely traded U.S. stocks

These low-fee ETFs track major indexes and give investors access to today’s most widely traded U.S. stocks.

These ETFs hold mostly blue chip, widely traded stocks on U.S. exchanges. All of them mirror, or track, the performance of major stock market indexes. That’s opposed to… Read More

Six North American ETFs—5 buys, 1 sell

These six ETFs hold mostly blue chip, widely traded stocks on Canadian and U.S. exchanges. All of them mirror, or track, the performance of major stock market indexes. That’s opposed to narrower indexes focused on, say, resources or themes such as solar power or biotech… Read More

ISHARES S&P/TSX 60 INDEX ETF $20.09

ISHARES S&P/TSX 60 INDEX ETF $20.09 (Toronto symbol XIU; buy or sell through brokers; ca.ishares.com) is a good low-fee way to buy the top stocks on the TSX. The units are made up of stocks that represent the S&P/TSX 60 Index—the 60 largest, most heavily… Read More

SPDR S&P 500 ETF $205.01

SPDR S&P 500 ETF $205.01 (New York symbol SPY; buy or sell through brokers; www.spdrs.com) holds the stocks in the S&P 500 Index, which consists of 500 major U.S. companies chosen based on their market cap, liquidity and industry group.

The index’s highest-weighted stocks are… Read More