Canadians can vote with their wallets by avoiding mutual funds that charge outrageous fees and invest their money in lower-cost alternatives such as:

  1. Low-cost mutual funds like those from Vancouver-based money manager Phillips, Hager & North. PH&N’s bond fund charges fees of 0.59% compared to 2.36% for the median Canadian bond fund and 1.16% for its Canadian Equity fund (compared to 2.81% for the median stock fund).
  2. Low-cost index mutual funds offered by TD eFunds (for smaller portfolios) and CIBC Mutual Funds (for larger portfolios).
  3. Numerous ETFs that track a mind-boggling variety of asset classes are available from providers such as iShares (Canada and United States). My benchmark Sleepy Portfolio is largely constructed using ETFs.
  4. Patient investors who have the time and the inclination to research equities can build a portfolio of stocks and bonds. Investors who need some help can use the services of newsletters like The Investment Reporter and The Successful Investor.