Articles

Erin Allen, Director of Online Distribution at BMO ETFs, has spent over a decade helping Canadians navigate ETF investing. In this article, she tackles real investor questions — from RESP portfolios to sector ETFs and low volatility strategies — offering practical, accessible insights for today’s DIY investors.

Gold spot prices have roughly doubled from the start of 2024 to Q1 of 2026. That kind of move tends to attract attention on its own, but it is also worth watching because it reflects broader shifts taking place in the global economy.

When most investors think about liquidity in ETFs, their eyes naturally drift to the order book that they see displayed when they enter a ticker symbol. The bid-ask spread, the depth of visible orders, and the volume figures get prominently displayed in trading platforms and help create an intuitive sense of liquidity. Yet this on-screen perspective can be deceptively narrow. True ETF liquidity extends far beyond what appears in the visible order book, and understanding this distinction is crucial for anyone buying or selling ETFs.

Every earnings season, Canadian bank results invite the same familiar question: How are the banks doing, and what does it mean for investors? This year, that question feels especially relevant. The ETF and Alternatives Strategy team at BMO Global Asset Management has done some analysis on the outlook for Canadian banks, and we’ll be synthesizing their report here.

For decades, investors have debated whether it’s better to build a portfolio one stock at a time or to rely on diversified investment vehicles that capture broad market exposure. While stock picking can sound appealing, and even exciting, the data has increasingly shown that selecting individual winners is far more difficult than many realize. Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), by contrast, have emerged as one of the most efficient, transparent, and investor friendly ways to gain market exposure.

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (or AI) has reshaped market dynamics more profoundly and more quickly than almost any technological shift in recent memory. What began in late 2022 as a breakthrough in accessible AI quickly evolved into a full-scale capital investment race among the world’s largest technology firms. This note explores why AI-related capital expenditures became such a powerful market force, how the funding landscape is now shifting, and what this evolution means for investors. As the AI story enters a more mature—and more selective—phase, understanding who can sustain the race will be essential for navigating the next chapter.

Those who must save and invest at a rate faster than the TFSA and RRSP room that they generate may have to invest the excess using non-registered accounts. That is a common challenge for professionals and business owners because they usually take a decade or more to reach their income potential while they train and build their business. In addition to a lost decade of compound growth, higher personal income is taxed aggressively.

For years, “all in one” or asset allocation ETFs were seen as an ideal entry point for new Canadian do it yourself (DIY) investors: simple, diversified, and low cost. But the landscape has changed. The same characteristics that made these products appealing to beginners are increasingly proving valuable for seasoned investors as well. With markets more complex and globally interconnected than ever, the case for choosing one well structured ETF over building and maintaining a portfolio of multiple holdings is stronger than it’s ever been.

Q: Hi Peter. I'm curious if you recall your days at Sprott and before, specifically late 1999 and then 2007-2008. Did you get a feeling that the markets were overvalued (or had gone up too much too fast)? Did you make any defensive moves by taking profits, going to more conservative holdings, using options to protect downside, etc.? To me it looks like the conditions are ripe for similar declines.