The only foreign investing you need

Article Excerpt

Long before 2020—indeed, for several decades—we’ve advised Canadian investors to spread their holdings out geographically between Canadian and U.S. stocks. Our view is that virtually all Canadian investors should have, say, 20% to 30% of their portfolios in U.S. stocks, with the remainder primarily in Canadian stocks. That can provide all the international diversification you need. If you want to add more foreign content, you could buy individual stocks on overseas markets. But for most investors, directly investing in foreign stocks can add an extra layer of risk and expense. As well, timely and accurate information about overseas companies is not always available, and securities regulations vary widely between countries. It can also be hard for your broker to buy shares on foreign markets without paying a premium. Tax rules and restrictions on transferring funds between nations add further uncertainty and cost. cost…