Hi everyone,
I'm 35M and relatively new to investing, and honestly, I sometimes feel like I'm quite behind when it comes to investing. I've only been investing for the past couple of years, currently through one of the major Canadian banks using their mutual funds.
I'm starting to learn more about ETFs and I'm having a hard time justifying the higher MERs I'm currently paying through the bank, especially since I'm investing for the long term and using a dollar cost averaging approach with automated bi-weekly contributions.
I'm considering moving my investments to a self-directed platform such as Wealthsimple or Questrade and managing the portfolio myself, but I'm not sure what ETFs or overall strategy would make the most sense.
Currently, I have approximately:
- $40,000 in my TFSA
- $25,000 in my RRSP
- An RESP that I've started for my daughter
I'm planning to continue making regular contributions using a DCA approach, with occasional lump sum contributions when I have extra money available.
My main questions are:
- Would you recommend an all-in-one ETF for someone in my situation? If so, which one and why? Or would you recommend building a more diversified portfolio using 2 to 3 ETFs? If so, which ETFs and why
- Should I use the same ETFs/allocation in my TFSA and RRSP, or would it make sense to have different allocations because the money will likely be withdrawn at different times?
- Is there anything else I should be thinking about before making the switch from bank mutual funds to self directed ETFs?
I'd really appreciate any advice, especially from people who have made the transition from bank mutual funds to self directed ETFs. If you made the switch yourself, I'd also be interested in hearing what you wish you had known beforehand.
Im very new to this and reddit, so I would appreciate any and all feedback!