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So I have been planning my Tax Free Investment Account portfolio for 2021 and this is what I've decided to buy in the year ahead in terms of my ETF picks: Composition: 70% Offshore Equities 20% Local Equities 10% Local Property My portfolio will then look as follows: Offshore (70%): ASHEQF: 25% STXEMG: 25% STXNDQ: 10% SYG4IR: 10% Local (30%): STX40: 7% NFEMOM: 7% STXQUA: 7% CSPROP: 10% The local picks may seem strange at 7% each, but I cannot decide between the three local equity ETFs. NFEMOM has done very well in terms of local ETFs and will probably continue to shine. STX40 contains the more resilient stocks that are most likely do perform best in difficult times. And STXQUA, well, I just love the composition of shares in the basket. My TFIA already contains ETFs in the composition above, so I'll just continue to buy in the same ratio.

He's probably right but who cares - it's making me money

So let's see: TFSA +28% ETF5IT (42%) ASHGEQ (55%) STXEMG (3%) The growth here was helped by timing the crash and dip earlier this year and time. Portfolio #1 +8% SYGWD (27%) SYG4IR (42%) STXCHN (31%) Portfolio was started after the crash, so gains are partly due to the recovery (maybe?) and the recent growth we've seen over the last week. Portfolio #2 +77% ETFRHO (95%) DCX10 (5%) Ah yes, portfolio 2. Otherwise known as my **** around portfolio. Growth is largely from past performance of ETFRHO and it's been stuck in the +70 range for a while. I reckon the party is over but scared of capital gains.

So this year, the markets have gone crazy, but not altogether bad from an ETF point of view. However, the more the markets do wild things, the more I've been inclined to go for vanilla ETFs. I think I've only made one or two big changes since last year, namely selling my Coreshare's SMART ETF in favour of the Satrix Top 40, and then reducing my allocation of property (CSPROP) from 25% to 15% (I didn't sell - I'm just not buying at the moment until it's less than 15% of my total portfolio.) I used the extra 10% allocation from property to buy Satrix Nasdaq (STXNDQ). So at the moment, most ETFs are doing really well, especially the foreign ones. My Tax Free investment portfolio and it's performance (total return) looks as follows: Local ETFs (Total 45%): 10% Satrix Top 40 (STX40) - Performance in my portfolio: +0% 10% Newfunds Momentum (NFEMOM) - Performance: +7% 10% Satrix Quality (STXQUA) - Performance: -10% (Even though this is currently down, I don't want to sell this because I love the shares in this basket and see long term potential.) 15% Coreshares Property (CSPROP) - Performance: -22% (Would be much worse if not for the massive dividends). Foreign ETFs (Total 55%): 25% Ashburton Global 1200 (ASHGEQ) - Performance: +22% 10% Satrix Emerging Markets (STXEMG) - Performance: +27% 10% Satrix Nasdaq (STXNDQ) - Performance: +44% 10% Sygnia 4th Industrial Revolution (SYG4IR) - Performance: +51% ( I know Simon Brown always slams this one as just being popular rather than having actual merit, but it's been my best performing ETF and continues to perform, despite the measly dividends. I don't think I'd be comfortable with it being more than 10% of my portfolio though.) Things that I've noticed that have happened in my portfolio this year: Foreign markets have vastly outperformed local markets this year. Emerging market are outperforming developed markets this year, despite COVID (to be expected in the long term, but surprising given the current pandemic.) Tech ETFs are outperforming everything else by far. Changes that I'm going to make: I'm going to buy some Satrix China (STXCHN) after its launch tomorrow, but I don't think I'll put it in my TFIA, as it would go against my diversification policy within my TFIA. But I'm definitely going to buy a fair amount of this ETF outside of my TFIA.

How about a 2020 update?

Thanks Saurus, most definitely take what you have said into consideration! I like emerging markets but I feel like with most of my exposure to SA I should probably not put as much as I like into them. Doing some research now into the other funds you mentioned!

thanks so much @SaurusDNA

"GLODIV has been doing really well lately and is likely to continue. Not so great in a TFIA though as the unpleasantly high foreign withholding tax on dividends negates a large chunk of the tax benefits though, but it still does have excellent capital gains, so maybe still even worth having in a TFIA." are the dividends taxed in a tax free savings account? foreign and local?

The 70% equities, 20% property and 10% interest bearing is the classic split. But yes, I suppose 10% dividends would make it 80% equities. But there's certainly nothing wrong with 80% equities! I'm torn between STX40 and SMART. I really like a 50/50 split between these two. PTXTEN is now merging with PTXSPY to create a new ETF (tentatively coming into effect from end July 2019). The new one is pretty much the same index as the Satrix STXPRO. Coreshares has promised to lower the relatively high TER with the merge (probably to compete with STXPRO). But you may as well flip a coin here between PTXTEN or STXPRO or watch the TERs once the new Coreshares ETF has settled in. For the dividend ETF, both DIVTRX and STXDIV are decent choices. DIVTRX targets more consistent yields in the longer term whereas STXDIV targets higher yields in the shorter term. And then again, although STXQUA is not strictly a dividend ETF, it's dividends are usually excellent. In my opinion, STXEMG has the most long term potential (although high risk), possibly even more so than tech shares. If you have a bit of appetite for risk, why not do 10% STXEMG, and then leave the ASHGEQ and go for STXWDM and/or S&P500. GLODIV has been doing really well lately and is likely to continue. Not so great in a TFIA though as the unpleasantly high foreign withholding tax on dividends negates a large chunk of the tax benefits though, but it still does have excellent capital gains, so maybe still even worth having in a TFIA. I personally like having a bit of a mix in my ETF portfolio. If I were you, I'd mix it up a little and make it a bit more exciting. What about something like: Local equities: 20% STX40 and 20% SMART Local property: 20% PTXTEN Emerging markets: 10% STXEMG Offshore: 15% CSP500 and 15% STXWDM (or alternatively 10% CSP500, 10% STXWDM and 10% GLODIV) Or if you don't like STXEMG but prefer slightly less emerging markets exposure, but still want some: Local equities: 20% STX40 and 20% SMART Local property: 20% PTXTEN Local dividends: 10% DIVTRX Offshore: 30% ASHGEQ

Haven’t seen a post under here for a while nor have I said anything for a while... Anyways- I’ve decided to give my ETFs some serious thought and this is what I’ve come up with (I’m open to all suggestions). I want my overall exposure to be 70% local and 30% offshore. Then, under both local and international holdings I was thinking about having 70% equities, 20% property and 10% dividends. Or not including the dividends because most of these would be under equities anyways and then having maybe a 80/20 split? For local: Satrix Top 40 and maybe the Coreshares Smart (equally weighted) - I know these are basically the same, but I don’t want over exposure to one share nor do I just want equally weighted, so I thought that mixing the two would give a bit of a better mix. Then for local property Coreshares PropTrax10 And if dividends perhaps Coreshares Aristocrats? International I’m a bit confused about because I’d still like a bit of emerging markets as well. So maybe: 1) Ashburton global 1200 2) Sygnia S&P 500 (I know Ashburton would have quite a few American companies in it already) For international property I’m thinking about Coreshares S&P Global And dividends would be Coreshares again or maybe an ETF from Satrix. Is this too complicated of a mix and should I rather just aim for 1 or 2 ETFs for local and international? I am trying to keep the portfolio moderately simple!