John HoodVanguard FTSE Cda All Cap ETFVCN.TOTOP PICKOct 10, 2017

VCN is an all cap with about 175 stocks. VDY focuses on dividend payers, so it has banks and oil and the like. 

The choice is do you want basic growth or do you want income? VDY for income. VCN for more growth and better diversification.

Currently you have more dividend cuts, restrictions and pausing of dividend in the last little while than in the last 10 years, so be careful at using dividend income to assess income. He would suggest looking at a minimum volatility XMV-T. The problem with a low-vol ETFs is that it tends to load heavily on interest rate sectors of the market and has a high sector bias. He thinks this is a difficult time for banks that make up a large part of that index.

(Past Top Pick Oct. 10, 2017, Up 1%) He likes Vanguard, but he's surprised this is up 1% given Canadian market performance this year. A year ago, it seemed like a good idea. He still holds a bit.

(Past Top Pick, Sept. 21, 2017, Up 10%) He wanted to get away from owning only the top 60 stocks as well as support the industrials.

(A Top Pick August 8/17, Up 11%) Goes further down into the small caps. Better diversification from the traditional major Canadian sectors.

(Past Top Pick on April 13, 2017, Up 10%) It's Vanguard so it offers a low MER (which he likes) at 6 basis points, and this one drills down into the Canadian small-caps

(Past Top Pick on August 8, 2017, Up 9%) Last summer he was striving for diversification outside Canada, so he bought and recommended this. It's done well, but he's not adding to it or any Canadian stocks these days.