I need some help, over the last few years I had serious health problems including having a half a dozen surgeries , hundreds of procedures and much more because of this my head wasn’t really focused on investing and now that I’m in my late 30’s I need to make sure I’m invested better. I have just over 250k cash on hand in a high interest savings account , what I want to do is max out my TFSA and put it all in XEQT, also I now have a Registered disability savings plan which is also tax free that I can put max contributions of 200k over a lifetime along with getting some grants and bonds from the government for investing. Should I put the rest of that 150k in XEQT in my RDSP ? I’m also thinking about putting some in XEG because both Trump and PP will be supporting the energy sector. Also should I wait at all to put in that much money or do it right away?

Thank You!

I'm a single parent and would like to start building a future for myself and my daughter (15 months)

I was hoping I could start with small increments ($25 every two weeks). Is this even a possibility? I know it won't generate a lot on its own right away. But I plan to reinvest the returns as well.

I am considering holding 70% XEQT, 20% VFV and 10% BRK.B in my TFSA. Does this make any sense? Any insight or advice is welcome, I want to know what you all think.

Ok this is really weird but hear me out.

I don't like receiving dividends. Idk why. But I just don't the idea of an investment giving returns on a regular basis, instead I just want the returns to come in the form of price appreciation. I know there are programs like DRIP that automatically reinvest your dividends but listen. Look, I'm on the spectrum, gimme a break.

As a result, I prefer buying HXT because it doesn't give any dividends. And that's what I've been buying in my regular accounts.

But when it comes to the TFSA, it doesn't really make sense to hold HXT over VCN right? Since all gains are tax free in the TFSA, holding HXT just means more management fees and also dealing with the risk of holding an exotic investment vehicle like HXT. VCN is just safer and less fees in the TFSA. Am I right?

To all of you with decades of investing and are FI or close to retirement: Are you doing anything differently with your portfolio due announcement of tariffs, Trump deregulation policies, etc.?

Hey there, not sure if this is the correct forum to ask this in.

In 2018 my family and I spent $30,000 CAD on subscriptions to a company. We received a receipt stating we were purchasing 166,666 common subscriptions at @ $29,999.80.

We then received a "DRS" certificated from computershare stating we have 122,222 common shares with said company.

Since 2018 we have just set-it-and-forgotten-it. Fast forward to now, the end of 2024.

I log onto computershare for the first time with the DRS and info on the certificate but find the account to only have 12,222 common shares. Not the 122,222 or the 166,666.

I've contacted them earlier today (computershare and the company I purchased shares to). Have yet to see what they say.

Anyone have any advice? 'Cause clearly there's something wrong. I'll have to contact my bank to see if they can somehow pull the information from 7 years ago (online banking doesn't allow that far back of a transaction). Every receipt I received from this company states a purchase amount of $29,999.80 though. They've also mailed home the certificate twice since 2018 but I'll have to check again where those papers are.

Am I just fucked? Or is there something I can do about this? (The total estimated value as of right now with 122,222 shares would be $96,555.38 and $131,666.14 @ 166,666 shares)

I'd liek to add that this was and my only time in investing in shares as well.

I’ve been looking into Canadian ETFs and came across ZSP (BMO S&P 500 Index ETF) and VFV (Vanguard S&P 500 Index ETF). Both track the S&P 500, which is appealing to me because I want exposure to the U.S. market, but I’m trying to understand the differences between these two funds in more depth.

On the surface, they look very similar: both are Canadian-domiciled ETFs that hold U.S. equities and are traded on the TSX. They both offer exposure to the same underlying index, so their holdings should be nearly identical. However, I noticed a few potential areas where they might differ:

MER (Management Expense Ratio): ZSP and VFV have slightly different MERs. Does the lower MER really make a noticeable difference over the long term, or is it more of a "nice to have"?

Tracking Error: Are there any known differences in how closely these funds track the S&P 500? Are there any instances where one deviated more significantly than the other?

Liquidity and Trading Spreads: For someone who might not be buying or selling huge quantities, are there noticeable differences in the bid-ask spreads? Do they trade with similar liquidity, or does one tend to have an advantage?

Currency Hedging: From what I understand, neither of these funds is hedged to CAD. Is there any other nuance to their handling of currency that I should be aware of?

Dividend Treatment: Both distribute dividends, but does one reinvest them differently or handle U.S. withholding tax in a way that might make it more or less tax-efficient?

Historical Performance: Have you noticed any meaningful differences in performance between these two over the years? Even if minor, what could explain the difference if the index they track is identical?

Lastly, I’d love to hear what you personally use and why. Are there specific scenarios where ZSP might be better than VFV or vice versa? Is it purely a matter of brand loyalty (Vanguard vs. BMO), or are there more practical considerations?

I'm also curious about how either fits into a broader portfolio. If you’re holding one of these, are you pairing it with other U.S. exposure like QQQ, or do you lean heavily on Canadian equities like VCN for balance?

Any insights, opinions, or anecdotes would be super helpful! Thanks in advance for helping me make sense of these two ETFs.

High yield through their dividends (13-14%) are enticing in the short term.

I am thinking of investing ~80k between the two ETF’s HMAX and UMAX for a period of 6 months. That should return me ~$900 monthly in that period. I’d be buying within my TFSA.

I don’t love their payout strategy and would not hold them long term. I’m going to need that cash after the 6 months. The holdings should be stable for that short time.

Is there any other way to get those cash returns monthly over a 6 month period? Is this a good strategy or is there something better I should be doing.

All insight is appreciated.

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Hello,

I'll have to track currency exchange rate on my DRIPS to under my ACB in my brokerage account that holds mostly US$ ?

Any of you use a spreadsheet I can find online ?

Indie come across the Canada portfolio manager boog post but it didn't cover the example with a different currency.

3 use cases : High interest savings ETF, US Treasury bills denoted in US dollars, and a bonds ETF

I don't trust ChatGPT on this.

Thx

Hello everyone,

Regarding the yotta/synapse/evolve situation, could this happen for registered accounts contracted with fintechs like whealthsimple/questrade? From what I understand, the whealthsimple cash account is not directly insured (CDIC but by third parties) and the funds deposited there could very well suffer the same fate, but for investments it is totally different because we own them, protected by direct insurance (CIPF) and in the event of bankruptcy they would be transferred to a buyer, impossible for this to disappear into thin air?

Thank you in advance for your answers, have a good weekend !

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I noticed today that VFV just crossed the $20 billion AUM mark.

All that canadian money going into american companies

What about our poor Canadian companies 😭😭

With Trump returning to the presidency and potentially initiating a trade war with Canada, I’m curious how others are preparing their portfolios.

Canadian energy stocks could be at risk if tariffs or other trade barriers are introduced. Are you considering selling these stocks to mitigate potential losses?

Also, how much of your portfolio are you planning to keep in cash as a hedge against market volatility?

I’m personally considering selling Enbridge (ENB) and Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) in the next couple of weeks.

I started day trading first time today! Made $250. What Canadian stocks are you guys day trading? Today I did Air Canada AC.TO, Lightspeed Pos LSPD.TO and Suncor SU.TO.

Any tips? What time do you trade and at end of day do you buy at the lowest and sell right away at open at the jump?

Edit: adding more background here. I’ve been investing since I was 18. I’m 26 now and I have a lot of money put away into ETFs and stocks and holding for a very long time. This day trading is just for fun and to make some money. I use my margin yes. If I can’t sell that stock then I’ll hold onto it and wait for it to go up the interest rate on my margin is 7.50 so $5 a day for what I borrow which I’m fine with. Like if I day trade enbridge if I can’t sell I’ll just keep and hold with my other enbridge stocks and even get dividend

TIA

Looking to learn from others’ experiences—what are some of your biggest regrets when it comes to insurance or investment decisions?

Whether it’s buying the wrong policy, not investing early enough, choosing a poor investment product, or even sticking with a financial advisor too long, I’d love to hear your stories.

What would you have done differently, and what advice would you give to avoid making similar mistakes?

Thanks in advance for sharing!

I'm reaching out to this amazing community for help. I’m currently preparing for the CFE exam in May 2025, and I aspire to ace it in one go.

However, as much as I’m motivated, I realize the need for guidance and support from someone who has walked this path before. I’m hoping to connect with someone who has cleared the CFE and can mentor me through this journey. Specifically, I would appreciate help with: Strategies for effective study and time management, Guidance on how to approach and solve cases, Reviewing my queries, case solutions, or areas of confusion, Sharing your personal experiences, struggles, and how you overcame them.

I completely understand how valuable your time is, and I don’t expect a lot—just your insights at your convenience would mean the world to me.

A little about me: I’m a Chartered Accountant (India) and currently residing in Scarborough (Canada). I’m struggling to secure a job in the finance field and believe that excelling in the CFE will not only strengthen my profile but also open up better opportunities in the job market.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. If you can help or know someone who can, please feel free to comment or DM me.

I'm a student (in Ontario) and won't start earning a full salary for four more years. Most of my stocks are VFV and VEQT. Should I sell my unregistered account shares in December and rebuy in January to realize my capital gains before I start working full-time?

Estimated for 2024:

employment income - 16k

unrealized capital gains - 10k

Wife and I are 45ish with well paying jobs making combined mid 6 figures. Wife has a 300k+ RRSP with Nesbitt burns and we have an investor actively managing that and our RESPs for our kids.

I have a 45k RRSP with TD in a balanced comfort growth mutual fund. My last contribution was in 2016 and the value at the time was 32k.

We've had a mortgage for 10 years come this April and will able to pay off the remaining balance and not renew. We aggressively paid it down rather than invest. Probably not the best idea. But here we are.

I want to move 40k of my RRSP to our guy at Nesbitt burns and leaving the rest at TD.

I want to moderately gamble with the balance at TD. If I move this to a td easy trade RSP and invest myself in mutual funds and stocks and happen to lose it all, what'll that mean for me on taxes? Can I just claim that loss to offset and move on? Will there be any taxes or penalties or only once I withdraw gains into cash?

Hi,

I'm in my first year of trading, and I've been keeping a trading diary on the STONK app. As I prepare my tax records, do you know if the bank trading platform sends me a slip that shows my total gain or is it necessary to report each transaction? Sorry, I'm just trying to figure out the process and what best practices are.

Not clear to me.

Hey all!

I'm looking to gain a better understand from a complete ELI5 perspective of how to start investing money in stocks/ETFs. I was hoping to get some suggestions to grab as audio books so that I could listen while at work.

I now have a fair (to me) portion of income that I can start putting money in each pay period and so I want to make sure I'm at least somewhat educated with what I'm doing.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

As a retired mid 60 year old, would investing a few thousand (about 5k CAD) in VOO or another index fund be recommended?

My friend is fine with the risk, minimum 5 years, maximum 10 years to keep the money invested. They don’t need this money before that.

They are comparing VOO or other index funds vs GICs with 5%. This 5k can be put into tfsa.

Thank you.