iShare Core MSCI World ex Canada (XAW.TO)

A good idea. He runs multi-asset portfolios, concentrating maximum equities, minimum fixed income. Great one-stop is multi-currency baskets. All you have to decide is what percentage of your portfolio you want in equities, and it keeps you from fiddling around with your portfolio.

One way to get international exposure. Mostly US. Diversification outside of Canada. 25 to 30% of his portfolios’ exposure is at the moment outside of Canada.

XAW-T vs. XEF-T. XAW-T is an all world ETF with broader exposure. His favourite way to play international is good quality, high dividend paying stocks in Europe with a covered call overlay. ZWE-T is his choice.

When you buy a foreign ETF in Canada, you get a dividend tax withholding. These ETFs have double negative taxation. They are not the ideal ones to use. He likes it otherwise for its overall exposure. It is a fund holding a fund and that causes you to get dinged twice.

This is a large cap product, and is basically 1^st world economies. It is one of the top 8-10 countries outside of Canada, but you are getting exposure to 85%-90% of 1^st world stock market capitalization. A great way to get stocks around the world.

This is a large cap holding with 4% exposure to Canada. A very good ETF.

Vanguard FTSE All-World ex Canada (VXC-T) or iShare Core MSCI World of Canada (XAW-T) for an RRSP? You have to focus on global investing. Canada is only 4% of the world. A Canadian’s portfolio on average is going to have 50% or more exposure to Canada, and that makes sense only one energy is doing well. That is the biggest swing factor in the Canadian marketplace. These are 2 great ETF’s. They give you basically the entire world outside of the US. This one is all-inclusive, where the Vanguard is a little more focused on larger caps.