Summary
When [Craig Alexander] says that global investing can add diversification to a portfolio and subsequently reduce volatility, he doesn't mean loading up Latin America, Asia or emerging markets. The more narrow (geographically or by sector) a fund's mandate, the greater the risk of extreme short-term price fluctuations. That may be fine when you're 30 years old, but not when you're 65. No, the older you are the more you should look to broadly diversified international funds.
Furthermore, the Canadian stock market is dominated by just a few industries, with financial services and energy making up 60 per cent of the total market, while some industries like health care and technology are barely represented at all. And if that weren't reason enough to broaden your investment scope, consider that many of the businesses represented on the Canadian exchange, particularly the energy sector, tend to be highly cyclical and we've been at the top end of the cycle for a while.See the full content of this document
Extract
Foreign Funds Broaden Your Investment Horizons
On Mutual Funds / Randy Reynolds
GIVEN the spectacular performance of Canadian equity mutual funds since April 2003, it's not difficult to understand why some investors would be reluctant to put their m...See the full content of this document
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