Pass on this ETF: BMO U.S. PUT WRITE ETF

Article Excerpt

This issue of Best ETFs for Canadian Investors pinpoints high-quality funds suitable for new buying despite the COVID-19 downturn. And while the markets will continue to face fallout from the pandemic, I believe the bulk of the damage may already be behind us. Still, now more than ever, it’s essential that you focus on quality stocks and ETFs. It’s why we still think you’re better off with a portfolio of “plain vanilla” ETFs that hold top-quality companies—and that avoid active management and leverage. Both of those can drive up management expenses and your risks. A case in point is the BMO U.S. PUT WRITE ETF $14.75 (Toronto symbol ZPW); while it offers investors an appealing 7.7% yield, it charges a high MER of 0.72%. The ETF generates income by selling put options. That gives the buyers the right to sell their shares to the fund at an agreed-upon price. Generally, buyers of puts only exercise their rights after a share-price drop. That hands them a profit. In fact, this ETF’s strategy…