Dan Bortolotti: Index Investing, ETFs and Financial Planning | TWB Podcast #9

We’re joined this episode by Dan Bortolotti—Portfolio Manager at PWL Capital, creator of the hugely popular “Canadian Couch Potato” blog, author of “Reboot Your Portfolio: 9 Steps to Successful Investing with ETFs”, and co-host of the “Rational Reminder” podcast.

In this podcast, Dan and Dave dive deep into index investing, covering everything from active vs. passive investing styles to tips for DIY investors, asset allocation strategies, the pros and cons of all-in-one ETFs in Canada and much more. There’s a lot to unpack, but Dan and Dave make it all easy to understand.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone serious about DIY investing—tune in now!

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00:00:00 – Intro & Disclaimer

00:00:55 – Intro to Dan Bortolotti

00:02:04 – The Origins of the “Canadian Couch Potato”

00:06:56 – What is an Index Fund

00:08:52 – Why Don’t Most Active Managers Outperform the Market?

00:15:12 –  How Dave’s Dad Can Beat Professional Money Managers

00:16:57 –  Group Retirement Plans

00:19:25 –  Mutual Fund Underperformance

00:22:42 – Should People Speculate with 5-10% of Their Portfolio?

00:26:31 – The Financial-Planning-First Model

00:35:52 –  How to Construct An Index-Fund Portfolio

00:34:57 – Risk Tolerance and Asset Allocation

00:42:50 –  When Stocks & Bonds Both Went Down

00:44:56 –  What Goes Into a Financial Plan?

00:46:34 – Get Life Insurance!

00:47:59 –  There is No “Optimal” Financial Plan

00:49:52 – When to Take CPP

00:51:21 –  The Risks of Helping Kids/Grandkids with Down Payments

00:53:52 – All-in-One ETFs

00:58:16 – Withholding Taxes on US Stocks

01:02:27 –  Online Investment Platform Recommendations

01:04:26 – Conclusion