#9 — Dan Bortolotti: Index Investing, ETFs and Financial Planning

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 episode, 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!   Show Notes (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 (00:33:42) How to Construct An Index-Fund Portfolio (00:35:52) 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