After investing in VDY and XEI since 2023, I decided it was time for a portfolio refresh. Today, I realized about 21k gains from both ETFs and reinvested those profits and my original capital entirely into XEQT. It feels like a significant step toward simplifying my portfolio and focusing on long-term growth. As of now, my plan is to build primarily with XEQT and VFV. Keeping it simple, staying consistent, and investing for the long run.
Wow... NEW CIBC ETFs... CAKE?! The funny ETF names continue. CIBC just filed a preliminary prospectus (July 10) for three new Avantis funds, with a TSX listing targeted for August: $CAKE - Avantis CIBC Balanced Asset Allocation ETF 60/40 equity/fixed income. The VBAL-equivalent. $CAGR - Avantis CIBC Growth Asset Allocation ETF 80/20 equity/fixed income. The VGRO-equivalent. $CAGX - Avantis CIBC World Equity ETF 100% global equity with no Canadian home bias: roughly 65% US, 20% international developed, 12% emerging markets, 3% Canada. Basically market-cap country weights. Closest comparison is VT, but with Avantis' systematic factor tilts. https://www.sedarplus.ca/csa-party/records/document.html?id=fc04fa5331c448c4a54648dc3fdd12dff85ed3c1746f04f670114b2e45289948read more
Should I be doing something differently? I am putting $50 into HHIS everyday, is this a smart decision? I would like to have a good monthly income from dividend with growth ETF’s as well.
everyone always asks me about the exciting stuff — the S&P 500, all-in-one ETFs, the things that go UP 🚀 but there's one type i almost never see beginners talk about: bond ETFs 👀 honestly when i started i completely ignored bonds. they felt boring and kind of "for old people" 😅 but the more i learn, the more i get why they exist. here's the simple version: when you buy a bond ETF, you're basically lending money out (to governments or companies) and getting paid interest back. instead of buying one bond yourself, the ETF holds a whole bunch of them for you. why they can be worth a look: - they tend to be way less bumpy than stocks - when the stock market drops, bonds often hold steadier - they pay you regular interest along the way 💸 - they can smooth out the scary swings so you're less tempted to panic-sell the tradeoff? over the long run they usually grow slower than stocks 🤷🏻♀️ so they're less about big growth and more about stability. for someone young with a long time horizon (hi, that's me), a lot of my money still leans heavily toward equities. but as you get closer to actually needing the cash, bonds start to make more sense. if you've ever seen a "60/40" portfolio — that's 60% stocks, 40% bonds. and those all-in-one ETFs even come in versions with bonds already baked in 💛 not financial advice, always do your own research 💛 do you hold any bonds yet, or are you all-in on stocks? 👀read more
🗓️ Tomorrow at 10am EST, we’re hosting an Ask Me Anything on Blossom with Etienne Joncas-Bouchard, Director of ETFs at Fidelity Canada! 😎 We’ll be chatting all things all-equity ETFs, including: 📈 What investors should look for when choosing an EQT 🌎 How all-equity ETFs provide global diversification in one fund ⚖️ How the different EQT options compare 💬 Fidelity Canada’s broader suite of ETFs 👇 Submit your questions in advance for the best chance of having them answered: https://www.blossomsocial.com/ama/EQTs-Unpacked-What-Should-You-Look-for-In-Your-All-Equity-ETFs__POST-1784092573955-kOqGJChS_Fidelity 👀 Fun fact: Fidelity’s All-in-One Equity ETF, FEQT, is one of the few all-equity ETFs that includes a small crypto allocation. 🇨🇦 Note: This AMA is Canada-focused since Fidelity Canada’s ETFs are available to Canadian investors. P.S. We host an AMA every month with a different ETF provider, so stay tuned! These AMAs are your best chance to get your questions directly in front of the teams creating Canadian ETFs 🥳read more
I'm sharing my family's nearly $1.4 million investment portfolio and explaining why more than 90% of our stock market investments are in a single globally diversified ETF: XEQT I can't wait to get the XEQT T-Shirt from BlackRock booth at BlossomCon Vancouver 😆 Haha. Instead of chasing the latest hot stock or constantly buying new ETFs, we've kept our investing strategy incredibly simple—and it's been one of the best financial decisions we've made. In this portfolio breakdown, you'll see: ✅ Our complete investment portfolio across TFSA, RRSP, LIRA, and non-registered accounts ✅ Exactly how many XEQT and VT shares we own ✅ Why XEQT is our core holding ✅ Why I still keep a small position in VT inside my RRSP ✅ Our projected annual dividend income I hope this video shows that successful investing doesn't have to be complicated. 📈 Portfolio Highlights • Nearly $1.4 million invested • Over 90% invested in XEQT • Global diversification across thousands of companies • 100% equity allocation • Long-term buy-and-hold investing strategy 🟠 By the way, I am planning to start Wealthsimple's Portfolio Line of Credit soon. Other than @randomyaapping and @thejoemoneyshow who else is using PLOC and borrows to invest? 🫡 I am new to PLOC (though I apply Smith Manoeuvre separately). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc6CHxRcCtEread more
Nick is a young sales professional and passionate investor on Blossom who is pursuing Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) using an incredibly simple investing strategy. Instead of chasing hot stocks or constantly managing his portfolio, Nick explains why he chose to invest in just one globally diversified ETF and how that decision gave him more time to focus on what truly matters—his family. 👪 We also discuss why investing doesn't have to be complicated, the biggest lessons Nick learned after years of investing, why keeping investment fees low can dramatically improve your long-term returns, and how broad market ETFs can help investors stay disciplined through market ups and downs. Nick also shares how becoming a father completely changed his investing philosophy and why financial independence means having the freedom to choose how you spend your time rather than simply retiring as early as possible. https://youtu.be/W0swk-L5q70
How many finfluencers does it take to launch a high fee ETF? 🤔 Creating awareness about new products is fine. So is participating in ‘events’ for content. 👍 But let’s not pretend inviting ‘finfluencers’ to your bell ringing isn’t designed to influence their message. With the DIY Investor channel now commanding more assets than the Advisor channel the majority of ETF companies marketing teams are now tasked with targeting finfluencers. Does the fact that some ETF companies take the time to influence the finfluencers matter to you? Does it change the objectivity of their message? Does it bias the perspective and insights in their own content? Let’s see how many posts we see in the coming days about $HHII and how balanced the messages are. Your content your choice. Just something to consider and be aware of. 😉👍 JUST FOR FUN: How many Blossom 🌸 members can you spot? 🤩🔎 PS. Tough first day for HHII. 👀📉But when a strategy targets volatility to try to capture risk premiums from options investors shouldn’t be surprised when its price is volatile. 🤷♂️ read more
This is what the Canadian Securities Course used to be! I'm in the process of accrediting myself in order to change career paths! I've realized I'm the type of person who wants to work forever, doing something I love. Next stop is the Retail Securities Exam! Investing things I did this week: $2,000 into my non-reg $XEQT position on Wednesday PLOC opened yesterday and $15,000 order entered for $XEQT execution tomorrow morning CIRE passed today 😀 If you're from the Montreal area, join my in-person personal finance meetup group! Facebook link in bio!read more
I wanted to wait until the 1st of the month to officially open my PLOC at a rate of 4.45%. $15,000 felt right to start with. Represents about 73% of my total available PLOC. My collateral (1 non reg account in $XEQT and my TFSA in $VFV) would need to decrease in value by roughly 27% for me to have to add funds to those accounts (specifically the non-reg because my TFSA is maxed out for the year.) This will put me above 1,700 shares of $XEQT. Excited to see how this goes. Thanks to @moementumfinance and @kgcottawa for their content and comments! Went back and re-read everything before I authroized the PLOC. You guys made this a lot easier for me! Screenshots of transaction in comments. If you're from the Montreal area, take a look at the link in my bio! I have an in-person Facebook meetup group where we talk all things money!read more
Living without a mortgage has been great. I’ve been able to max out my RRSP and TFSA and now aggressively invest in my non-reg $XEQT position. I’ve taken 3 Caribbean trips since last August (and may be taking another one in a couple weeks 🤞) and have generally spent as I pleased on pleasure and experiences over the past year. A decade ago, I was just another random guy (I still am) excited and enthusiastic after reading Rich Dad Poor Dad. I took the $60,000 I had back then (that took me 6 years to save) and turned it into around $530,000 a decade later. The things I was, were willing to reach outside my comfort zone to expand my risk tolerance while being very consistent at working to invest my salary in increasing amounts. I could afford to take on any financial risk living that lifestyle. I took risks and reached outside my comfort zone knowing my work ethic (and the income it brought in by working so much) could cover financial loss and provide a continuous stream of money to invest with. I just repeated that cycle and eliminated the dumb financial decisions I was making for the ones I saw work. 🔄 Adults in their 20s will likely save 2-3 significant lump sums of money throughout that decade of their life. Being calculated and aggressive with those lump sums can make them compound very quickly. If you’re from the Montreal area, I’ll be hosting an in-person personal finance meetup in August, Facebook group in my bio! read more
What do you guys think? With the market finally pulling back, and possibly dropping more in August, would you use a Wealthsimple Portfolio Line of Credit at 3.95% to buy $XEQT for long-term growth and just sell some of the shares every month to pay the interest off, or would you buy covered call ETFs like $QQCL$QDAY$ECHI$HYLD$HDIV and collect the higher yearly yield of 14% instead and just give some of the dividends you get and pay the interest and the rest just re invested back? I’ve had $30,000 invested through my Portfolio Line of Credit since March, reinvested all the dividends, and even after paying about $500 in interest so far, the portfolio has stayed relatively stable even with this pull back. Which strategy would you choose?
I have plenty of books for my 10yr old son about investing and finance but now I finally got books meant for my pre grade 2 son. Very easy to understand, colorful & not boring. Best part is that it covers every aspect of personal finance.
I use to invest 2k a month in stocks but now I have purchased a home that I very much love. I am lucky that my fiancee and I make around 210k household income at 24 but our expenses have gone up. But now I will return to investing at least 1k a month in stocks and redeem my path. This is more so of an intervention with myself because my expenses have been carried away. I am back $VFV
My portfolio has just been VTI and VXUS so far. I’m thinking about adding a few individual stocks and taking on a little more risk. Any recommendations or favorite long-term picks?
Anytime you purchase an ETF, there's a lot of information under the hood that you might not realize exists. If you haven't before, today you'll learn how to research any ETF or Fund. Using $XEQT as our example, we're going to go through everything inside of the ETF and how you learn more about the fund. The first thing you should do is go to google and type in the ticker symbol followed by ETF. In this case you can search "XEQT ETF". The top search result should be the BlackRock page talking about iShares Core Equity ETF XEQT. This will be our fund page. On the site there will be a lot of information involving the XEQT fund. For XEQT there will be different headings including Overview, Performance, Key Facts, Fees, Holdings, Exposure, etc. Each of these sections breaks down a different aspect of the fund and everything tied to it. The overview is usually simple, it explains the point of the fund and why it exists as an investment. XEQT is described as a low cost option to help investors get exposure to broad stock markets while not having to rebalance themselves. The performance is also straight forward, it displays the return of the fund in different ways. It shows the total return since its inception, annualized returns, total returns, and its distributions. This gives you insight on how the fund has performed overtime. Remember, past returns aren't guaranteed into the future so it's more important to understand the kind of fund and how it will perform going forward relative to the market. The next section is the key facts and some important information. For XEQT it will show you what exchange the fund trades on, how many it holds in assets (the people investing in the fund), the number of holdings and underlying holdings, when the fund was created, it's share price, etc. After that the fund shows its portfolio characteristics. This talks about DRIP plans, distribution yields, distribution frequency, and its eligibility. This will help determine where your return will come from and what kinds of accounts to buy the fund in. Then comes the fees, arguably the most important section. All it shows is the fee being charged to own this fund yearly. On this page it shows you the Management Fee and the Management Expense Ratio. The management fee is what the management team take home yearly regardless of how well the fund performs. The MER is the total fee you pay as an investor to own the fund. If XEQT returns 10% in 1 year, the management team take off 0.17% for themselves, and 0.2% overall from the investors. This means your return net of fees would actually be 9.8%. That extra 0.3% would be a mix of trading fees or taxes paid. Another thing to watch out for is the TER, this is another fee you’re being charged but likely isn’t obviously under the “fees” section. For XEQT, the TER is within the ETF Facts document and is displayed as 0.01%. For more actively managed funds, this will be much higher and something to lookout for. The risk indicator is a subjective section, BlackRock considers XEQT a medium risk fund however that risk will be subjective to any individual investor. One investor may consider stocks high risk, another might think a broad market is low risk. It comes down to your risk tolerance and capacity as an investor. The holdings section is where you learn what the fund actually owns. XEQT owns a total of over 8000 stocks, but only actually holds 5 different funds, each of which hold their own stocks. XEQT contains $XIC$XEF$XTOT$ITOT and $XEC. Since the fund is simply an index (meaning it tracks a certain set of standards) your performance will be directly tied to the performance of these 5 funds net of fees. If your ETF holds only a few stocks, it would be wise to actually do your full research into those holdings as well, since XEQT is a broad market fund you don’t need to research all 8000 stocks. Exposure is also key to understand what kind of investments you're actually owning in the fund. The asset class (which in this case is 100% stocks), and the geography. XEQT is known as an all in one fund because of its global diversification. The current exposure is 45% in the US, 23% in Canada, and the rest is spread between many international companies. There are multiple other sections on this fund, however these ones will differ from site to site and aren't always the same kind of information across investments. The one section to keep in mind on this site however is "Literature", this includes very in-depth documents that give you much more insight into the fund itself. Some pages to keep in mind that are on many other kinds of funds are the ETF Fact Sheet, Distribution Sheets, Financial Statements, etc. These come in handy when you want a larger breakdown from the fund company on what you're owning. Once you've gone through all the sections and read any documents, you're now knowledgeable on this specific fund. This same research should be applied to every ETF you own. The site itself will look different depending on the provider, and some of the labels and amount of information will vary, but these are the key ideas to remember to research: - Overview - Key Facts about the ETF - Performance - Characteristics - Fees - Risk - Holdings - Exposure These are the kinds of things to research in your funds. Remember, just because something is an ETF, doesn't mean it's safe. Many of you might own ETFs that only have 1 or 2 underlying stocks that make it incredibly high risk. Some providers also like to hide their facts as much as possible, if your ETF page hides the documents in small text, somewhere at the bottom of the page, or through multiple links, that's not a good look. This is also only a “simple” ETF, other funds may add layers of complexity through active management, covered calls, factors, etc. All of this will require a deeper understanding of how the fund actually works. If you have any questions feel free to comment, and as always do your research and happy investing! read more
If you haven’t read it already, I’d strongly recommend taking a look at @etf.go’s recent post. It does such a great job at walking through the fees and the impact of them over a long period of time as well as debunking a couple comment themes I hear from covered call investors. There’s also a lot of great information and analysis in the comments by many of the top contributors on Blossom that are worth the read for anyone debating whether or not to go cover calls and follow the finfluencers that promote them.  Here’s the link to the post for anyone interested: https://link.blossomsocial.com/7uYa/ej8h3e9c
