Episode 50: Tax Tales: Considering The Tax Implications Of Asset Allocation ETFs

Welcome back to the Rational Reminder Podcast! We’re nearing our one-year anniversary, and we are still getting more listeners every episode and we have some incredible guests lined up for you! Today we are tackling more technical issues and some interesting topics overall. We explore the tax implications of VGRO or any of the asset allocation ETFs of Vanguard and iShares and discuss the scenarios in which it might be more advisable to configure the asset allocation that you want using a different form of fixed income and equities. We compare the tax rates on various funds and then dive into some literature on currency hedged global fixed income and what key role players have to say about diversification and dispersion. The spotlight is then diverted to disability insurance and we talk over whether it really is a necessity, what statistics show, and we advise you on the specific points to consider when looking for the right cover plan. For all of this and more, be sure to join us for this episode!  

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Key Points From This Episode:

• The listener question about the tax efficiency of VGRO that keeps popping up. [0:01:58.0]
• The tax issues with premium bonds and how interest rates impact their value.  [0:02:41.0]
• The benefits of the different ETFs that VGRO gets its bond market exposure from. [0:05:34.0]
• Buying VEQT or other equity ETFs as an alternative to buying VGRO. [0:07:49.0]
• Comparing the tax rates on funds and why tax efficiency is a vital consideration. [0:09:31.0]
• Some interesting research findings on currency hedged global fixed income. [0:12:21.0]
• Understanding the tax, liquidity and risk implications of GICs. [0:14:16.0]
• Is it possible to over-diversify? And important points on dispersion. [0:16:31.0]
• Considering disability insurance, what data shows and what do look for. [0:22:47.1]
• And much more!

Should GICs Replace Bonds in a Portfolio? If you want the answer to this question, read Ben’s recent blog post.

Tweetables:

[bctt tweet=”Premium bonds are relatively tax inefficient in a taxable account. ” username=”benjaminwfelix”]

[bctt tweet=”“I think that the really important data point is the actual amount of tax efficiency that you are getting.”” username=”benjaminwfelix”] 

Links From Today’s Episode:

• Rational Reminder on iTunes — https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-rational-reminder-podcast/id1426530582.
• Rational Reminder Website — https://rationalreminder.ca/
• Going global with bonds: The benefits of a more global fixed income allocation — https://personal.vanguard.com/pdf/ISGGLBD.pdf
• Vanguard — https://about.vanguard.com/
• Dimensional Fund Advisors — https://www.dimensional.com/

Download the transcript of this episode here: Transcript – RRP50 – Rational Reminder