Short Takes: New Vanguard ETFs, Commission-Free ETFs, and more

My posts for this week:

Playing the Winner’s Game

Currency Exchange at BMO Investorline

Here are my short takes and some weekend reading:

Canadian Couch Potato reviews the latest crop of Canadian ETFs from Vanguard. VCN looks quite interesting as an alternative to Vanguard’s VCE or the iShares XIU for those investors who want to add exposure to mid- and small-cap Canadian stocks.

Million Dollar Journey shows young investors just starting out where to find commission-free ETFs.

Canadian Mortgage Trends tells the story of a credit union unwilling to eat mortgage brokers’ commissions; the mortgage rate it advertises directly to the public is lower than the rate it offers to clients of mortgage brokers.

My Own Advisor explains why dividends matter to him. I think the most important reason why dividends matter is somewhat self-fulfilling. If dividends matter to you and they help you stick with your plan and not sell near a market bottom, then dividend investing can be good for you.

Preet Banerjee explains the First-Time Donor’s Super Credit that can boost the tax deduction you get on your charitable donations.

Big Cajun Man recounts all the information he had to dig up to help his daughters fill out student loan forms.