How I’d Invest $50,000 of TFSA Cash as Canada-US Trade Uncertainty Grows

If you’re looking to avoid volatility and still make gains in your TFSA, here’s a low-volatility way to do it.

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TFSA (Tax-Free Savings Account) on wooden blocks and Canadian one hundred dollar bills.

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Looking to invest a large sum like $50,000 within the protective shelter of your Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA)? This would take a very thoughtful approach during unpredictable Canada-U.S. trade relations. The current economic climate is characterized by fluctuating trade policies, potential tariffs, and the resulting market volatility. This calls for investment choices offering a blend of stability to weather potential storms and inherent potential for long-term growth. This will help your capital appreciate over time. So let’s look at a stable option.

HVOI

One such investment that warrants serious consideration in this context is the Harvest Low Volatility Canadian Equity Income ETF (TSX:HVOI). This exchange-traded fund (ETF) launched this month aims at providing investors with a smoother and less turbulent investment experience. That’s by focusing its holdings on Canadian equity securities showing historically lower levels of volatility compared to the broader market.

Furthermore, HVOI employs an active management style. This means that a team of investment professionals continuously makes decisions about the fund’s holdings. That’s instead of tracking a passive index. To enhance the monthly cash distributions that investors receive, the ETF also utilizes a covered call strategy.

The underlying portfolio of HVOI is comprised of a carefully selected basket of 40 equity securities. These are all prominent and well-established Canadian companies. The diversified exposure across various sectors of the Canadian economy helps to mitigate the risks associated with concentrating investments in a single industry or a small number of companies. This is particularly beneficial during periods of market uncertainty. By holding a diversified mix of these kinds of stable and established companies, HVOI provides a degree of resilience against market-wide fluctuations.

Works long term

A key component of HVOI’s strategy for generating income is its use of a covered call strategy. This involves the fund owning shares of its portfolio companies and then selling call options on those holdings. A call option gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to purchase the shares at a specific price on or before a certain date.

When HVOI sells these call options, it receives a premium, which generates additional income for the fund. This income is then passed on to investors in the form of attractive monthly cash distributions. The covered call strategy can be particularly beneficial during periods of market uncertainty, or when the prices of the underlying stocks are not expected to rise significantly in the near term. It allows the fund to generate income even in a relatively flat market, while still maintaining exposure to potential capital appreciation if the stock prices do rise, albeit with some potential limitations due to the call options.

For Canadian investors looking to strategically allocate a significant portion of their TFSA funds during the Canada-U.S. trade relations uncertainty, HVOI offers a strong solution. Its core emphasis on investing in low-volatility Canadian equities provides a degree of stability that can weather market turbulence. This focus, combined with an active management approach and an income-generating covered call strategy, aims to deliver attractive monthly cash flows while also prioritizing the preservation of capital. This combination can be particularly well-suited to the goals of TFSA investors who are seeking to grow their savings in a tax-efficient manner while also mitigating downside risk during uncertain economic times.

Bottom line

As with any investment decision, it remains essential for individual investors to conduct their own thorough research and carefully consider their own unique financial goals, time horizon, and tolerance for risk before making any investment commitments. Consulting with a qualified financial advisor can also provide personalized guidance. This would be specifically tailored to your individual investment objectives and circumstances. A financial advisor can help you assess whether an ETF like HVOI aligns with your overall investment strategy and risk profile. Furthermore, they can provide valuable insights to help you make informed decisions about how to best allocate your TFSA funds during periods of economic and trade uncertainty.

This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the “official” recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium service or advisor. We’re Motley! Questioning an investing thesis — even one of our own — helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer, so we sometimes publish articles that may not be in line with recommendations, rankings or other content.

Fool contributor <a href="https://www.fool.ca/author/alegatewolfe/">Amy Legate-Wolfe has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a >disclosure policy.

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