Topic: How To Invest

Q: Pat: Can you tell me what is the difference between your “Buy” and “Still a Buy” recommendations? As well, with a TFSA portfolio of $63,500, what would be the best investment spread for a secure and profitable portfolio? Thanks.

Article Excerpt

A: Stocks that are “Buys” or “Still Buys” are both ones that we recommend as a “Buy.” But we might use the term “Still a Buy” if, perhaps, the stock fell in price, or had some negative news, and we wanted to reaffirm our recommendation in the face of those developments. Rather than aiming to set up a TFSA as a separate portfolio, we think that the best approach for investors is to treat all their holdings—regardless of what account they are in—as if they were all in a single account. That way, you can determine if the various accounts within a family are operating together, or at cross purposes. This also gives investors the overall perspective they need to make sound investment decisions. Your TFSA can generally hold the same investments as an RRSP. This includes cash, mutual funds, publicly traded stocks, GICs and bonds. However, we think you are best to hold lower-risk investments in your TFSA. That’s because you don’t…