Search found 630 matches

by Lazy Ninja
07 Jun 2023 23:02
Forum: Financial Planning and Building Portfolios
Topic: Finding MER for employer DC pension options
Replies: 47
Views: 3034

Re: Finding MER for employer DC pension options

Back in time (A long time ago) when I had an Sun-Life company RRSP with company top-up, what I did to avoid the MER fleecing was invest in the HISA option, and then every year (or two) after any lock-in period had passed, I transferred it all to my self-directed RRSP to invest as I wanted. I guess the terms of the contract are different for every company, cause mine appears to be that I can't transfer out any of the deducted or matched funds until I leave the company. No doubt. In our plan the employer and employee funds are managed separately. We have no control over how the employer contributions are invested, nor are we able to transfer out those funds as long as we're with the company. We do choose how to allocate the employee contribu...
by Lazy Ninja
07 Jun 2023 22:31
Forum: Financial Planning and Building Portfolios
Topic: Finding MER for employer DC pension options
Replies: 47
Views: 3034

Re: Finding MER for employer DC pension options

I'm in a DC plan administered by Canada Life. The website has a page listing "Fund reviews and fees". As near as I can tell, this is an all-in fee representing the total cost. That page lists a fee of Mawer Balanced, for example, of 0.443%. Clicking on the full fund report shows a fund operating expense of 0.053% for 2022. The fund review page states: "Please note the fee includes both the investment management fee and the fund operating expense." Glossary says: Fund operating expense FOEs are fees charged directly to a fund to cover costs including audit and custodial fees, fund transaction costs, taxes paid by the fund, bank fees, fund valuation and reporting. Fund operating expenses may be associated with third party ...
by Lazy Ninja
10 May 2023 16:05
Forum: Financial News, Policy and Economics
Topic: Clippings 2023
Replies: 343
Views: 32147

Re: Clippings 2023

Two more articles, on the same theme, from the same author. One from Nov. '22, and one from June '22: The Worst Bond Market Ever the current bond market rates as the past century’s worst. Barring substantial further losses, the stock market’s decline will soon be forgotten, buried in a database for future internet columnists to disinter. But the bond market’s downturn will long be remembered. The after-inflation loss for intermediate-term government bonds has been even greater than during the second oil crisis that ran from 1979 through 1981, when 10-year Treasury yields peaked at 15.8%. The Formula Fails: When Bonds Don't Hedge Stocks Stocks have plummeted; long bonds have plummeted. For several decades, the umbrella provided by balanced f...
by Lazy Ninja
10 May 2023 10:34
Forum: Financial News, Policy and Economics
Topic: Clippings 2023
Replies: 343
Views: 32147

Re: Clippings 2023

A decent article on the acid test of the first six months of 2022 on a traditional 60/40 portfolio.

Three Lessons From the 60/40 Portfolio’s Stumble
In July and August, balanced funds endured their steepest redemptions since the global financial crisis of 2008. Meanwhile, two apparently timely Morningstar Categories—tactical allocation funds, which modify their positions in response to changes in the financial markets, and multistrategy funds, which hold “alternative” investments—were receiving inflows. Out with the old, in with the new.

You can probably guess what happened next.
by Lazy Ninja
14 Apr 2023 16:00
Forum: Taxing Situations
Topic: CRA - Missing T5 in My Account
Replies: 13
Views: 830

Re: CRA - Missing T5 in My Account

My T5 from TD Direct investing still isn't showing at CRA.

Filed a couple days ago, with the info entered manually.

Have other T5's from Tangerine, TD Asset Management, and Equitable all online, processed Feb. 3rd, Feb. 25th, and March 6th, respectively.
by Lazy Ninja
03 Feb 2023 15:53
Forum: Stocks, Bonds, ETFs, Funds, REITS and More
Topic: Dividend and distribution hikes (2023)
Replies: 205
Views: 34201

Re: Dividend and distribution hikes (2023)

I missed this one at first, from Moody's on Jan. 30 (on page 9 of the presentation):
On January 30, 2023, the Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.77 per share of MCO
Common Stock, a 10% increase from the prior quarterly dividend of $0.70 per share. The dividend will be payable
on March 17, 2023, to stockholders of record at the close of business on February 24, 2023.
https://s28.q4cdn.com/193705676/files/d ... AL-(1).pdf
by Lazy Ninja
02 Feb 2023 20:04
Forum: Under the Mattress: Protecting Your Money
Topic: How many credit cards do you have?
Replies: 50
Views: 2363

Re: How many credit cards do you have?

I have six. Two each from Amex, Visa, and Mastercard.

Probably a bit much, but here are two polls from another forum that suggest I at least have some company:

https://forums.redflagdeals.com/how-man ... e-2404637/

https://forums.redflagdeals.com/merged- ... e-2171349/
by Lazy Ninja
16 Jan 2023 22:14
Forum: Stocks, Bonds, ETFs, Funds, REITS and More
Topic: TD Direct Investing (was Waterhouse) Service
Replies: 3913
Views: 431745

Re: TD Direct Investing (was Waterhouse) Service

A reasonable guess, but I don't think that was it. That information is featured prominently when the order is placed.

I believe all the issuers I tried had the same required minimum.

I run GIC ladders in both my TFSA and RRSP, and have never seen an indication at TD that an issuer would have a different threshold depending on the account.

I'll have to log back in and take a closer look tomorrow. I was just wondering if anyone had encountered the same scenario at TD, because it was a new one for me.
by Lazy Ninja
16 Jan 2023 15:35
Forum: Stocks, Bonds, ETFs, Funds, REITS and More
Topic: TD Direct Investing (was Waterhouse) Service
Replies: 3913
Views: 431745

Re: TD Direct Investing (was Waterhouse) Service

I placed orders for two GICs early this morning in each of two different accounts, and received messages on both that the purchase required a phone call before I could proceed with the order. I'd never seen that before.

My first purchase went through okay, but I couldn't go ahead with the second order in that account, or my first attempt in the other account.

I was a little pressed for time, so just changed the issuing institution for the orders, sacrificing a few basis points so that I didn't have to get on the phone.

Eventually had them filled: two from BNS, one from Equitable, and one from TD mortgage. I had a second order from Equitable rejected, and at least one from BMO as well.

Anyone know what that was about?
by Lazy Ninja
04 Jan 2023 16:05
Forum: Under the Mattress: Protecting Your Money
Topic: TDB8150 at TDDI
Replies: 35
Views: 10119

Re: TDB8150 at TDDI

Yeah, money market funds sort of fell off the map around when I started investing, so I've always used HISAs. Haven't seriously considered the former in a long time.

Looks like TD also offers a $U.S. series D version, TDB 2915, yielding 4.22% today.
by Lazy Ninja
03 Jan 2023 22:07
Forum: Financial Planning and Building Portfolios
Topic: How did you do in 2022?
Replies: 98
Views: 6009

Re: How did you do in 2022?

chufinora wrote: 03 Jan 2023 20:43 Does anyone know when and where the FPX balanced (And growth) index will be posted for 2022?
I think it was updated today. Looks like -7.39% for FPX growth, -9.34% for FPX balanced, and -9.25% for FPX income.

https://croftgroup.com/benchmark-performance/
by Lazy Ninja
01 Jan 2023 23:04
Forum: Financial Planning and Building Portfolios
Topic: How did you do in 2022?
Replies: 98
Views: 6009

Re: How did you do in 2022?

Down 4.4% for the year. Year-end allocation of 10% cash, 23% fixed income, 14% Canadian equity, 42% U.S. equity, and 11% International equity. Portfolio consists of 20 individual stocks, 10 rung GIC ladders in two separate accounts, and two balanced funds in the work RRSP.

First money losing year since 2008. Was still holding out some faint hope to keep that streak of positive returns going after a big rally in Oct/Nov, but those hopes were dashed in Dec.

I was certainly due for a negative yearly return, and I would have happily signed up for an annual return of -4.4% around July 1!
by Lazy Ninja
02 Nov 2022 10:47
Forum: Stocks, Bonds, ETFs, Funds, REITS and More
Topic: Real Return Bonds
Replies: 1545
Views: 242247

Re: Real Return Bonds

Despite making an effort to learn a couple of years ago, I still feel this isn't an asset class I understand very well... When Inflation Surfaced, TIPS Flopped Until very recently, TIPS’ insurance policy went unused. For the 24 years from January 1997 through January 2021, the annualized rate of increase in the CPI was a mere 2.09%. For all practical purposes, inflation was not an investment danger. Holding 30-day Treasury bills would have nearly matched the inflation rate, earning an annualized 1.99%, and owning anything even slightly bolder would have exceeded it. TIPS were useful in theory but unnecessary in practice. Then came inflation’s resurgence, in spring 2021. The financial markets were initially skeptical that inflation would per...
by Lazy Ninja
26 Oct 2022 00:17
Forum: Under the Mattress: Protecting Your Money
Topic: High interest savings, GICs and MMFs (2022) - rates
Replies: 1006
Views: 95460

Re: High interest savings, GICs and MMFs (2022) - rates

jasdlc wrote: 25 Oct 2022 23:51 Does anyone know if TDB8150 has a 30 day hold?
No. When you enter a sell order, you get this message (my bold):

Funds held for less than 30 days are subject to a TDW short-term redemption fee of 1% or $45, whichever is greater. The Fund Issuer may also have a short-term redemption fee of up to 3%, see Fund Facts. These fees are not charged on Money Market or HISA.
by Lazy Ninja
25 Oct 2022 22:30
Forum: Under the Mattress: Protecting Your Money
Topic: High interest savings, GICs and MMFs (2022) - rates
Replies: 1006
Views: 95460

Re: High interest savings, GICs and MMFs (2022) - rates

OT/ By reviewing this thread, I now know why I never get any special promotions. Our balances at Tangerine tend to be in the low to mid 5 figures... never in the six figures... certainly not in the seven figures... /end OT. My account balances are similar, normally the total is between 10-40k. But I occasionally do get offers. Their algorithm is a complete mystery. I think I had about $750 at Tangerine when I got my last offer (for 4.3% until Dec. 31). Now I have about 30k there after moving whatever loose un-registered cash over to take advantage of the offer for the short term. I'll be moving that money back to TD at the start of the new year. It's barely even worth moving for 2.5-3 months. About an extra $100. But I'll take it....
by Lazy Ninja
25 Oct 2022 21:27
Forum: Stocks, Bonds, ETFs, Funds, REITS and More
Topic: Dividend and distribution hikes (2022)
Replies: 261
Views: 72499

Re: Dividend and distribution hikes (2022)

Visa posts jump in quarterly profit, increases dividend
Visa's board of directors also approved an increase to the company's quarterly dividend to 45 cents per share. The board also approved a new $12 billion stock buyback program, replacing its previous program.
That's a 20% raise from the previous quarterly dividend of 37.5 cents per share.
by Lazy Ninja
07 Oct 2022 15:31
Forum: Under the Mattress: Protecting Your Money
Topic: High interest savings, GICs and MMFs (2022) - rates
Replies: 1006
Views: 95460

Re: High interest savings, GICs and MMFs (2022) - rates

jeremy wrote: 06 Oct 2022 10:43 I received an email from Tangerine offering 4.3% on new deposits until December 31. The games continue...
Thanks for the heads up. Didn't get an email, but did have the offer once I logged in.

Not even good for three months this time?? Bah.

I'll be moving some money over regardless....
by Lazy Ninja
20 Sep 2022 10:30
Forum: Stocks, Bonds, ETFs, Funds, REITS and More
Topic: Dividend and distribution hikes (2022)
Replies: 261
Views: 72499

Re: Dividend and distribution hikes (2022)

Microsoft announces quarterly dividend increase
Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday announced that its board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.68 per share, reflecting a 6 cent or 10% increase over the previous quarter's dividend. The dividend is payable Dec. 8, 2022, to shareholders of record on Nov. 17, 2022. The ex-dividend date will be Nov. 16, 2022.
by Lazy Ninja
24 Jun 2022 20:12
Forum: Under the Mattress: Protecting Your Money
Topic: High interest savings, GICs and MMFs (2022) - rates
Replies: 1006
Views: 95460

Re: High interest savings, GICs and MMFs (2022) - rates

All I can do is watch the rates rise while I wait for my 1.29% 5-year GIC (any many others like it) to expire in October 2025. Don't feel too bad. I have a 1.6% one maturing in late 2025 as well. I was asleep at the wheel when I 'automatically' bought that particular GIC. I have some GIC's at 1.22%, so today's rates where I see 5% is finally something that looks pretty good. I set up a 5 year ladder in April '21, and another 5 year ladder in October '21. Wasn't too worried about the rates; was just intending to take whatever was available and roll them over as they mature (and still am). But that October batch must have been pretty close to the nadir for rates. I have 0.91% until Oct. '22, 1.02% each until Oct. '23 and '24, 1.30% until Oct...
by Lazy Ninja
03 May 2022 15:59
Forum: Under the Mattress: Protecting Your Money
Topic: High interest savings, GICs and MMFs (2022) - rates
Replies: 1006
Views: 95460

Re: High interest savings, GICs and MMFs (2022) - rates

3. Remember, you’ll have to keep the funds in your Account between May 3, 2022 to November 30, 2022 (the “Promotion Period”) to keep earning your special rate.
Huh. Nice to have an enhanced rate run for almost 7 months. I was earning 1.6% until the end of March, and then was offered 2.8% at the start of April, but only until Aug. 31st.
by Lazy Ninja
20 Apr 2022 22:35
Forum: Stocks, Bonds, ETFs, Funds, REITS and More
Topic: What and why did you Buy? What might you buy? (2022)
Replies: 282
Views: 68346

Re: What and why did you Buy? What might you buy? (2022)

I thought Ackman's Netflix thesis was pretty persuasive (right now, I'm glad it wasn't quite persuasive enough to get me into the stock). Anyone interested can read about it here on pages 19-21.

It will be interesting to see how his decision to cut and run quickly plays out from here. Stock now down about 68%(!) in five months with the company about as profitable as it's ever been.

Stock picking can be hazardous business....
by Lazy Ninja
31 Mar 2022 14:57
Forum: Now Hear This!
Topic: Bylo and others, 10K, and beyond
Replies: 69
Views: 17964

Re: Bylo and others, 10K, and beyond

It's borderline inconceivable to me, but this forum now has its first member of the 30k club.

It's lonely at the top. Half that number of posts would still be good enough to place in the top five most frequent posters in the forum's history. One-third of the total would still rank in the top ten. Even 5000 posts would qualify for the top 20 (current totals, for those who are interested).

30000 posts works out to just about one post every five hours. For over 17 years...

Congrats to Altared. Your posts have helped to educate countless readers over the years. Of course, I count myself among them.

Thank you.
by Lazy Ninja
04 Jan 2022 20:24
Forum: Stocks, Bonds, ETFs, Funds, REITS and More
Topic: What are your top holdings? (2013-2020 and counting)
Replies: 261
Views: 29892

Re: What are your top holdings? (2013-2020 and counting)

Current top 5 individual stock holdings (percentages are of the total portfolio):

Costco 5.8%
Dollar General 5.3%
Starbucks 4.5%
Microsoft 3.8%
Moody's 3.8%
by Lazy Ninja
08 Dec 2021 20:51
Forum: Under the Mattress: Protecting Your Money
Topic: Best No-Fee Credit Card With Cash Rewards?
Replies: 62
Views: 6494

Re: Best No-Fee Credit Card With Cash Rewards?

I have a strong preference for simplification. Initially I was planning to only get one card for everything. But after reading through the comments I might go for two cards, but no more than that. At the moment I'm considering a Tangerine / Brim card combination. I figure I can use the Tangerine as my primary card in order to get 2% on three frequently used categories, then the Brim for everything else. If the accelerated earn rates with Brim are exceeding the Tangerine card, then I might make it my primary card for the frequently used categories as well and switch the categories on the Tangerine card to less frequently used categories. I'll have to give this some thought though because the Brim card earn rates are based on specific mercha...
by Lazy Ninja
08 Dec 2021 10:55
Forum: Under the Mattress: Protecting Your Money
Topic: Best No-Fee Credit Card With Cash Rewards?
Replies: 62
Views: 6494

Re: Best No-Fee Credit Card With Cash Rewards?

I'm considering the Tangerine, Brim and Amex cards myself. I'm curious, how do you use all three, in particular the Brim card? It's overkill, and not something I would necessarily recommend. Most of my spending (for all things food-related especially) actually goes on my American Express Cobalt card. I use my three Tangerine categories for drug stores, recurring bills, and restaurants (as back up for locations that don't take American Express). I use the SimplyCash card for everything outside those categories where Amex is accepted, and I use the Brim card for anything outside those categories where Amex is not accepted, for any Forex transactions, and on Amazon. For my purposes the Cobalt and Tangerine (or Brim) cards would probably be go...