iShares DEX Short Term Bond (XSB-T)

Look at your portfolio and make sure you're balanced appropriately. Do you have enough fixed income? If a 20% decline in the TSX or S&P, how does that make you feel? Still likes it as first line of defense in portfolio diversification.

Last November it was about being cautious and taking advantage of short-term rates. We're in a new world, getting 4-5% in safe T-bills. This was about being safe and getting cash while sitting and waiting.

Some bond ETFs. Can invest $50K It's fine. It holds quality short-term bonds. both federal and provincial. He's owned this many times. He doesn't know ZCS. Also consider ZAG which holds short-, mid- and long-term bonds. If rates stay flat or decline, ZAG will do well. If you have $50K, buy two or three of these ETFs to spread the risk. Check the duration and credit rating of each.

Some bond ETFs. Can invest $50K Also consider ZAG which holds short-, mid- and long-term bonds. If rates stay flat or decline, ZAG will do well. If you have $50K, buy two or three of these ETFs to spread the risk. Check the duration and credit rating of each.

The fixed income of people's portfolios is severely impaired. In this ETF the distribution is the coupon earned and not the yield to maturity. The distribution is higher. He would prefer short term corporate bonds, XCB-T.

In his institutional mandates, he has to have a minimum of 30% in fixed income, and he is not particularly positive on bond returns over the next 12-18 months, as he expects longer-term interest rates to start rising. In his case, he has 7.5%, and 30% is in the short-term bond index XSB-T. He is using that to reduce the duration of that bond portfolio. In this case, about half the bond portfolio is in the US in the fixed income market, with the other half being in Canada split evenly between the bond index XBB and XSB on the short term.

Seasonality around fixed income is inverse to equities. So buy in May and go away in the fall if not holding for the long term. You get a lot of your own money back in their yield. You have to look at the yield to maturity, not the coupon.

(A Top Pick Aug 30/13. Up 3.04%.) Very broad and diverse. He likes that there are about 240-250 different bonds in it. Never trust yield. Take a look beyond the 1^st page where it gives you the quote, and look at what its “yield to maturity” is. That is what you are actually getting.