Questions re portfolio
I have two portfolios, a margin portfolio and an RRSP (equivalent to your IRA), the margin portfolio is about 6 times as large as the RRSP. The returns I show are the weighted average returns. I do not distinguish between these portfolios except that the RRSP is in Canadian funds and everytime I buy (or sell) a US security I end up having exchange costs, so I trade a lot less within that portfolio. The margin portfolio is like two portfolios - a US dollar porfolio and a Canadian dollar porfolio but I don't keep track of those returns separately. The two portfolios are worth about $150,000 at this time. I started the margin portfolio in late 2002. The RRSP has been around for some time but I have been unable (by law) to contribute to it for 20 years because of maximum contribution total limits to "RRSP and pension" plans. In other words my pension contributions took up all available room.
Now aside from these I have a pension plan that is invested and managed by investment managers on mine and my employer's behalf. I am fortunate that while I am retired, my employer is still paying me at half salary (a kind of buyout package) and I am still a member of the pension plan and still contributing to it. The current half salary and after that my pension income should be enough to provide for an adequate retirement. I also own my house and a cottage (mortgage free in both cases). In summary we could say that the $150,000 in the portfolios is not required to provide retirement income or a regular income stream, but is "trading" money. Eventually I will use it for special purposes - golf vacation to Hawaii and the like.
Note too: There is no distinction in Canada for tax purposes between long term and short term investments.
Probably more than you wanted to know, but anyway that's the answer.
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