Best all-in-one ETFs for Canadian investors 2026 + MORE Apr 29th

No category generated more discussion and debate from our selection panel this year than that for one-decision or all-in-one ETFs meant to provide a diversified portfolio in a single investment product. (The financial industry likes to call them asset-allocation ETFs.) 

Some argued that it’s wrong to simply name one fund—say, XEQT—the best of the group since an all-equity fund like that will not be suitable for all, indeed most, investors. 

“The most important factor in choosing an asset-allocation ETF is the investor’s risk tolerance and time horizon. A balanced ETF, for example, could be completely inappropriate for someone who should be in a growth portfolio—or too aggressive for someone with a shorter time horizon,” noted panellist Michelle Robertson. “Many people assume there’s a single ‘best’ option, rather than realizing they need to choose the one that aligns with their specific situation.”

Fair point. For that reason, we’ve highlighted four funds representing different risk/return profiles…

If the only investment account you have is a registered retirement savings plan (RRSP), you probably don’t need to concern yourself with cash or cash-equivalent holdings. But let’s say you’re in the market for your first home and you’re saving up a down payment. You can’t afford to lose money and you could need to cash it in at any time, but you still want to earn enough interest to keep pace with inflation.

This and other short-term purposes are where cash alternative ETFs can come in handy. They are considered safe (though not covered by deposit insurance), yet liquid. Unlike a guaranteed investment certificate (GIC), you can sell them at any time—but they’ll still give you GIC-like returns and will hold their value if interest rates rise.

Featured accounts

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Savings account

Get up to 3.00% interest on your savings without any fees.

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1-year GIC

Lock in your deposit and earn a guaranteed interest rate of 3…

With the downturn in stock markets in 2026, many investors are grudgingly coming around to the realization that they need exposure to other asset classes in their portfolios. And the most readily available is bonds, which have the advantage, historically, of being negatively correlated to stocks. That is, they tend to increase in value a bit when stocks fall.

Of course, the bond market globally is bigger than the stock market, and seasoned bond investors have all manner of strategies to play it. Long-duration bonds usually generate higher than average income but can be volatile. Conversely, short bonds can save investors from taking a loss, at the cost of lower yields. Government bonds have the lowest risk and lowest returns, high-yield bonds the highest.

Featured accounts

featured

Savings account

Get up to 3.00% interest on your savings without any fees.

go to site

featured

1-year GIC

Lock in your deposit and earn a guaranteed interest rate of 3…

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the creation of the country’s first-ever sovereign wealth fund on Monday, called the Canada Strong Fund. Carney pitched the new fund as a way for Canadians to invest in nation-building projects in areas that include energy, infrastructure, mining, agriculture and technology. Here’s what you need to know about sovereign wealth funds and how they operate. 

What is a sovereign wealth fund?

A sovereign wealth fund is a state-owned investment vehicle. The standard objective is to invest wisely in assets, such as stocks, bonds, and real estate, and earn a good rate of return to grow the fund and bolster public finances. The idea has been around for a long time, although these funds really took off in the 1990s. There are now more than 100 sovereign wealth funds in the world that hold upward of $10 trillion in assets, according to The International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds.

Some countries have several, and just last year President Donald Trump ordered the creation of a federal U…