My very best picks

I hold more than 30 different investment products. On that bunch of 30 of more investments, only 5 never let me down, in a sense that I never lost money (meaning never lost the initial investment money), even in bad times.

My top 5:

Fonds Desjardins Fidelity Frontière Nord
Energy and Base Metals Term Savings (Indexed term savings) – with Desjardins, but this GIC is now close
Maritime Life CI Harbour Seg Fund
Maritime Life Fidelity True North Seg Fund
CIBC Monthly Income Fund

Proof that it's very difficult to find very good investments.

I plan to invest in the Fonds Desjardins Fidelity Frontière Nord for my next coming RRSP.

Non RRSP investments and taxes

I find MorningStar very good to find any kind of information regarding mutual funds. As I previously post, I would like to invest a little 500$ in a mutual fund that still have a good return after taxes. I was than thinking of the CIBC Monthly Income Fund.

To find information, I consult the MorningStar Quicktake Report. Each Canadian mutual fund has one. I really enjoy Morningstar because their Web site exists in both French (yes!) and English. When I don’t understand something in English, I just switch for French… and vice versa… lol, since I do most of my financial reading in English.

I try to consult their articles as much as I can but one time, I invest in the RBC O’Shaughnessy International Equity Fund without doing any search. I didn’t do any because I told myself if it’s an O’Shaughnessy, it’s a good fund. And it’s happen that the author of the review of this fund in Morningstar, David O'Leary, believe that the management fees of the fund are too high, and as highlight at the beginning of the review “We are disappointed by this fund's higher fees.” And just to let you know, the same analyst in saying the following about my super RBC O'Shaughnessy All-Canadian Equity: “Don't let the recent dip in this fund's performance concern you.” I plan to keep that fund forever. I am all proud of that fund, even if my initial investment of 3 000$ drop down to near 1 000$. This fund is now close to new investors……

In date of today, I regret that choice because since I acquire that fund, I lost my initial investment, which was of 1 000$. In date of today, my 1 000$ now only worth 762.78$. So why should I pay higher fee if the fund is not doing well? I believe O’Shaughnessy magic trick to invest might only work well in countries were the economy is in good shape. From what I notice, International funds don’t have a very good return since inspection, Canadian mutual funds are way better. I would like to invest in Canadian mutual funds only, but I understand it’s important to diversify a bit my portfolio. That’s also the reason why I also invest more than 2 000$ in the RBC U.S. Mid-Cap Equity Fund C$, a US funds. I don’t really like to invest outside Canada, because I believe the best funds are here.

What I dislike about RBC is that they ask too much for non RRSP investment. They ask for a minimum of 1 000$ for non RRSP investment. Compare to TD who just ask a cute little tiny 100$, the difference is huge. And CIBC only ask for minimum of 500$ for non RRSP investment. So why should I stick to RBC? The only reason why I begin buying funds at the RBC is because of the O’Shaughnessy mutual funds.

While I was doing some search in the Morningstar Web site, I was quite surprise to find out that a mutual fund I previously invest in, the RBC Global Resources fund, was quote five stars for after taxes value. I have a good return after taxes for that fund and I didn’t even know.

Still no part-time job yet

I am so disappointed, I didn't find a part-time job yet and I am in need of one now. I went to a Linkin Park concert at the Bell Centre on February 22. I gave 40$ to my friend for the ticket, but to that 40 bucks, add money for beer(s), a t-shirt at 35$, and 10$ for stickers… At the end, it do cost a lot, and I gave 1 000$ this month to pay on my credit card. It’s a good thing I don’t go out too much often, it do cost a lot. I am just thinking about my New Year Eve, when I finish the night in an hotel room with the same friend because we couldn’t find a taxi….. or were too … to find one…….. “Taxi, taxi, we need a taxi….”, that’s the way I call for a taxi when I am … But the taxi never come, so we had to find a hotel room, which was easier to find than a taxi…lol!

My 1 000$ check for my credit card, had been taked. I had to say bye bye to a 1 000$. I have been with that debt for a long time now so it was about time I get serious about getting out of credit card debt.

I should be ok to get another 1 000$ on my next pay check. I just hope things will remain the same for the next 2 months. I really want to pay off that credit card debt for goods. But what appear difficult for me now is to remain debt free. Once that credit card is pay off, my student loan will remain. That one doesn’t bother me that much. There was a period of time, was before I start blogging, were I pay 1 000$ per month on my student loan. I did so for about 6 months. Which shortly after I invest in my first fund, Fidelity Frontière Nord. I know I can stay debt free, I just have to stay focus.

My search for a part-time job continues. I had found some part-time job; it could have work out if not of my work schedule. I didn’t really try that hard to find a part time job. I am going to look more seriously this evening. And than, I hope it will work out. I was thinking maybe just work on Saturday and Sunday. During weekdays, my shift at work only begins at 3 pm.

I am off today from my job, but I sleep most of the day. I begin my day at 3 pm, and I have a funny taught, I would like to invest 500$ in the CIBC Monthly Income Fund, non RRSP of course, I don’t want the nightmare to continue… (see previous post “RRSP nightmare” )

I place a total of 2 500$ for my RRSP so far

And I have another 2 500$ to place. I still wonder where I am going to place the money, but I still time. I wanted to do everything yesterday and today regarding my RRSP investment for 2007, but let's say I have done what I could for now. All those things have exhausted me, plus, I went to a job interview (for a second job).

So yesterday, I had an appointment at CIBC. I went there, the representative was cool, and he was ok to give me what I wanted. I invest 1 000$ in the CIBC Monthly Income Fund for my RRSP. I also invest 500$ in the CIBC Dividend Fund (non RRSP) and also 500$ in the CIBC Emerging Markets Index Fund (non RRSP). I haven't invested in mutual funds since a while now, and I just wanted to put some money somewhere, even if I know what's going right now in the US and everything.

So far, for my RRSP, I have invested in, yes, mutual funds, but also in GICs. Since my situation is not very stable and, let say it, that I don't have a good situation, no pension plan coming from any employers, etc.... I decided to invest in some GIC. But knowing that I have both RRSP and non RRSP investment, it won't hurt that much I believe to put money in a save place, like RRSP. Dividend funds and Monthly Income Fund are pretty save too.

So today, I went to the RBC, have buy 1 000$ in a GIC, 3 years, Canadian market and 500$ in RBC Dividend, both for my RRSP. I still have a 1 500$ to invest and I don't know yet where to put the money.