- Comments (0)
- Text Size: Down Up
MoneySense Magazine, November 2009
Ready to build your own portfolio?
Now that you know what to look for when choosing ETFs, we’d like to help get you started. These sample portfolios offer different mixes of ETFs for all kinds f investors. If you’re starting out, we recommend the Classic or Global Coach Potato, but if you have some experience with ETFs you may want to try some of the more sophisticated strategies. We’ve listed the ticker symbols of a number of Canadian and American possibilities in each asset class. All of them are good choices, but you should do your own research to determine which might be best suited to your investment strategy.
| Classic Couch Potato | Canadian-listed ETF | U.S.-listed ETF | |
| Canadian equity | 33.30% | XIU, XIC, or CRQ | — |
| U.S. equity | 33.30% | XSP or CLU | VTI, IVV or SPY |
| Canadian bond | 33.30% | XBB | — |
| Global Couch Potato | |||
| Canadian equity | 20% | XIU, XIC, or CRQ | — |
| U.S. equity | 20% | XSP or CLU | VTI, IVV, SPY |
| European/Pacific equity | 20% | XIN or CIE | VEA, EFA |
| Canadian bond | 40% | XBB | — |
| High-Yield Couch Potato | |||
| Canadian dividend | 25% | XDV or CDZ | — |
| Canadian income trusts | 25% | XTR or XRE | — |
| Global dividend | 25% | CYH | DEW |
| Canadian preferred shares | 25% | CPD | — |
| Conservative Couch Potato | |||
| Canadian equity | 10% | XIU | — |
| Global equity | 10% | XWD | VT |
| Canadian preferred shares | 10% | CPD | — |
| Canadian real-return bond | 20% | XRB | — |
| Canadian corporate bond | 20% | CBO or XCB | — |
| Canadian government bond | 30% | CLF or XGB | — |
| All-Dressed Couch Potato | |||
| Canadian equity | 15% | XIU, XIC, or CRQ | — |
| U.S. equity | 15% | XSP or CLU | VTI, IVV or SPY |
| European/Pacific equity | 15% | XIN or CIE | VEA or EFA |
| Emerging markets equity | 5% | CBQ or XEM | VWO or EEM |
| Real estate | 5% | XRE or CGR | VNQ |
| Gold | 5% | CGL.UN or HUG | GLD, IAU |
| Canadian corporate bond | 20% | CBO or XCB | — |
| Canadian government bond | 20% | CLF or XGB | — |
MoneySense Magazine, November 2009
