ETF pages, model portfolios, and the portfolio builder
Read the ETF write-ups to understand each fund, browse the model portfolios to see how they combine, then rebuild or modify any mix in the portfolio builder to explore how the chart and metrics respond.
Start from the ETF hubs
If you're new to ETFs: a ticker (SPY, VFV, etc.) is the symbol for a fund on an exchange. Our write-ups describe what each fund does — they are educational only, not a recommendation to buy or sell anything.
The ETF hubs list every fund we've written up with live price history. US ETFs covers US-listed names on both editions. CA ETFs covers Canadian-listed funds on the Canadian edition. Use CA ETFs when you care about Canadian-listed products and quotes; use US ETFs when you hold or research US-listed funds (many investors use both).
Each page covers what the fund does, who runs it, and when it tends to earn, plus a total-return chart you can switch across time ranges. Letter grades summarize capital efficiency or return-stacking; tooltips on each page explain how they're calculated. Footnotes flag when history is extended with a modeled proxy.
Use sample portfolios as templates
The model portfolios section is the fastest way to see a full mix: each live portfolio page shows each holding's weight, a chart versus the S&P500 index, and a holdings table you can read next to the ETF pages.
Portfolio Builder
Open the portfolio builder. Add one row per position, choose tickers from the dropdown, and enter allocation percentages. Optional filters narrow the list by efficiency grade if you want to stay in that framework.
Once the percentages add to 100%, hit the Generate button and the tool draws a portfolio chart: switch time ranges, compare your line to the benchmark, and read total return and drawdown for the period. Try small changes (fewer funds, different weights) to see how sensitive the modeled outcome is.
Limitations
Charts are backtests and live history, not forecasts. They ignore taxes, transaction costs, rebalancing friction, and funding costs except where explicitly modeled in footnotes. Leveraged and alternative funds can fail or change behavior in ways history doesn't capture. Use the builder to clarify trade-offs, not to predict outcomes.
Educational content only; not investment advice, not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Leveraged and alternative funds involve substantial risk.