South of the border, the Fed raised rates by 0.50%. The hike was as expected. It was a step down from three consecutive 75 bps hikes. Canada has followed a similar rate trajectory in its battle to kill inflation. The markets initially cheered a favourable inflation reading (Tuesday) in the U.S. And then Fed chair […]
Building the big dividend retirement portfolio with defensive Canadian ETFs.
There are a few reasons to play defense. A retiree or near retiree can benefit from less volatility and a lesser drawdown in a bear market. If your portfolio goes down less than market, and there is a greater underlying yield, that lessens the sequence of returns risk. You have the need to sell fewer […]
The Bank of Canada goes easy, on the Sunday Reads.
The Bank of Canada raised rates 50bps (0.50%) this week, compared to the expected 75 bps increase. That helped the narrative that was developing last week when investors had a week off to recover. Stocks had another good week, up 3% or more. U.S. stocks are up about 9% over the last month. There is […]
Paying an advisor to count your dividends, on the Sunday Reads.
This week, on Investor Clinic in the Globe & Mail a reader asked – Why am I paying an advisor to manage my dividend portfolio? John Heinzl offered a very thoughtful reply and brief analysis. Here’s the situation, a widow has inherited a portfolio – after I received a $3-million inheritance seven years ago, he […]
Financial stuff is starting to break – on the Sunday Reads.
True to form, September was not kind to stock markets. The S&P 500 slumped 9.34% for September, final figures show, with the index posting a six-session and three-week losing streak in the month. It was the worst month since the beginning of the COVID correction in March of 2020. And thanks to rate hikes that are increasing […]
Living off of the dividends? You gotta sell shares to not sell yourself short.
It is the most popular rallying cry for self-directed investors in Canada and the U.S. – I plan to “live off of the dividends”. Or in retirement – “I am living off of the dividends”. The notion leaves money on the table in the accumulation stage and living off of the dividends leaves a lot […]