Comments on: Top 10 Reasons Why We Don’t Invest in Canada

By: Kathryn

Kathryn — Sun, 21 Sep 2025 21:15:29 +0000

This is an incredibly thorough and thought-provoking breakdown of why global and U.S. investing may offer stronger long-term potential than a Canada-centric approach. Your analysis is bold, well-researched, and refreshingly honest—especially in challenging common assumptions like home country bias and the perceived safety of familiar companies. I really appreciate how you’ve laid out the data behind growth disparities, sector concentration, and the evolving role of fixed income and dividends. It’s clear you’ve put a lot of care into helping investors think critically and strategically. For anyone serious about building a resilient portfolio, this is essential reading. Great work, Ed!

By: Ed Rempel

Ed Rempel — Sun, 29 Oct 2023 18:36:25 +0000

In reply to Bogdan.

Hi Bogdan,

Thanks for your comments. Glad to hear we agree on everything.

I can tell you why most mainstream “experts”recommend 60/40 or 70/30 portfolios for their clients but are 100% equities personally. It is because of compliance. Having to explain it to a compliance department and risking a complaint. The regulators’ rules heavily push advisors to investing in bonds to protect their careers.

It could be more innocent in that they know they won’t sell their own investments after a market crash, but clients might.

One of the most beneficial things an advisor can do is spend time educating clients about the stock market long-term to help them learn to have a higher risk tolerance. It’s a massive benefit over the decades. If they did, they wouldn’t have to stick their clients with underperforming balanced portfolios.

By: Bogdan

Bogdan — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 22:36:08 +0000

Since I created my very first comment, a follow up I have hard time to resist.
Regarding bonds, a funny fact:
The mainstream experts for retirement investing preach the 60/40, 70/30 sure, whatever; including from some very respectable investment organizations.
This year as I recall at least two such experts (which in general I respect) from Morning star. They admitted that they don’t follow what they preach e.g. they don’t do bonds allocations for their personal retirement investments. I was shocked by their honesty. They did not provide reasonable explanation why they did not follow their preaching (like they were kind of saying they’re are too busy?).
Well, they should stop minding their corporate careers, and instead open their own shop to keep their moral integrity.

By: Bogdan

Bogdan — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 22:03:59 +0000

Hi Ed, lurking here for some time and your ideas (no bonds, US market only, long term index/ETF holding, low cost, growth preference, avoid income investing, thinking taxes, etc), are also “my way” of DIY investing since the start of it. Before I found your side :).

Excellent advise, if only more Canadians follow it… Instead, majority do the “my banker did my risk assessment; no idea how much costs, not free?” 🙂

Couple of more reasons for USA investing:
– diversification, since living and working in Canada, investments (all) in US avoids all bets on Canada.
– currencies: lowers beta for investments. When bad times, US dolar is stronger, making CAD balance not as bad in bad times. I prefer not hedged ETF.