Boost your returns with global ETF exposure

Article Excerpt

We think that most Canadian investors should hold the bulk of their portfolios in high-quality, dividend-paying Canadian stocks (or ETFs that hold those stocks). We also feel that virtually all Canadian investors should have, say, 20% to 30% of their portfolios in U.S. stocks (many of which also offer you international exposure through their foreign operations). Beyond that, top international stocks or ETFs can add valuable diversification to your portfolio—through both exposure to foreign businesses and to foreign currencies. Here we highlight three ETFs that hold high-quality international stocks. See page 120 for more information on the benefits of diversification, in general. VANGUARD TOTAL WORLD STOCK ETF $94.22 (New York symbol VT; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Aggressive; Market cap: $36.8 billion) tracks the FTSE Global All-Cap Index, which includes stocks of all sizes from developed and emerging markets. The main country holdings are the U.S. (59%), Japan (6%), China (5.0%), the U.K. (4%), China (3%), Canada (3%), Switzerland (3%), France (3%), and Germany (2%). Emerging markets…