u/Johnkiiii

My wife recently found out she’s pregnant. Her first Clearblue Weeks Indicator test showed “2–3 weeks.” A few days later she had a blood test and her hCG was around 4500.

About a week after the first home test, she repeated the Clearblue test expecting it to change to “3+ weeks,” but it still showed “2–3 weeks.”

We haven’t had the ultrasound yet, so we’re wondering if this is normal. With an hCG around 4500, we thought the indicator would progress after a week. Has anyone experienced something similar and everything turned out fine?

Been reviewing my investments lately and looking for some opinions.

I currently have about $100K in RBC North American Value Fund, but honestly I’m getting frustrated with the performance. The returns have been pretty underwhelming over the last while, and the MER is close to 2%, which feels hard to justify.

I already hold some XEQT and have been leaning more toward the US market and tech going forward instead of actively managed mutual funds.

Right now I’m thinking about a few options:

- Move everything into XEQT and keep it simple

- Split between XEQT + an S&P 500 ETF + NASDAQ 100 ETF

- Keep some diversification but increase exposure to US tech/growth

Curious what others would do in this situation. Is it worth keeping any money in high-MER mutual funds anymore, or does broad-market indexing just make more sense long term?

For context, this is long-term investing money, not something I need in the near future.

Been reviewing my investments lately and looking for some opinions.

I currently have about $100K in RBC North American Value Fund, but honestly I’m getting frustrated with the performance. The returns have been pretty underwhelming over the last while, and the MER is close to 2%, which feels hard to justify.

I already hold some XEQT and have been leaning more toward the US market and tech going forward instead of actively managed mutual funds.

Right now I’m thinking about a few options:

- Move everything into XEQT and keep it simple

- Split between XEQT + an S&P 500 ETF + NASDAQ 100 ETF

- Keep some diversification but increase exposure to US tech/growth

Curious what others would do in this situation. Is it worth keeping any money in high-MER mutual funds anymore, or does broad-market indexing just make more sense long term?

For context, this is long-term investing money, not something I need in the near future.

Been reviewing my investments lately and looking for some opinions.

I currently have about $100K in RBC North American Value Fund, but honestly I’m getting frustrated with the performance. The returns have been pretty underwhelming over the last while, and the MER is close to 2%, which feels hard to justify.

I already hold some XEQT and have been leaning more toward the US market and tech going forward instead of actively managed mutual funds.

Right now I’m thinking about a few options:

- Move everything into XEQT and keep it simple

- Split between XEQT + an S&P 500 ETF + NASDAQ 100 ETF

- Keep some diversification but increase exposure to US tech/growth

Curious what others would do in this situation. Is it worth keeping any money in high-MER mutual funds anymore, or does broad-market indexing just make more sense long term?

For context, this is long-term investing money, not something I need in the near future.

Been reviewing my investments lately and looking for some opinions.

I currently have about $100K in RBC North American Value Fund, but honestly I’m getting frustrated with the performance. The returns have been pretty underwhelming over the last while, and the MER is close to 2%, which feels hard to justify.

I already hold some XEQT and have been leaning more toward the US market and tech going forward instead of actively managed mutual funds.

Right now I’m thinking about a few options:

- Move everything into XEQT and keep it simple

- Split between XEQT + an S&P 500 ETF + NASDAQ 100 ETF

- Keep some diversification but increase exposure to US tech/growth

Curious what others would do in this situation. Is it worth keeping any money in high-MER mutual funds anymore, or does broad-market indexing just make more sense long term?

For context, this is long-term investing money, not something I need in the near future.

Been reviewing my investments lately and looking for some opinions.

I currently have about $100K in RBC North American Value Fund, but honestly I’m getting frustrated with the performance. The returns have been pretty underwhelming over the last while, and the MER is close to 2%, which feels hard to justify.

I already hold some XEQT and have been leaning more toward the US market and tech going forward instead of actively managed mutual funds.

Right now I’m thinking about a few options:

- Move everything into XEQT and keep it simple

- Split between XEQT + an S&P 500 ETF + NASDAQ 100 ETF

- Keep some diversification but increase exposure to US tech/growth

Curious what others would do in this situation. Is it worth keeping any money in high-MER mutual funds anymore, or does broad-market indexing just make more sense long term?

For context, this is long-term investing money, not something I need in the near future.

For those on the NSLSC Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP):

The government portion of my payment is usually scheduled near the end of the month (for example, April 28). For yesterday’s due date/payment, I still don’t see it reflected in my NSLSC portal yet.

For others on RAP, how long does it usually take before the payment shows up in your account/portal after the due date?

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice or shared experiences because I’m feeling pretty stuck and honestly overwhelmed.

I recently had blood work done and the results showed a strongly positive ANA and a very high anti-centromere antibody level (8). All my other labs came back normal. Despite that, I’ve been dealing with real symptoms that are affecting my daily life — significant stiffness in my legs (especially in the morning), some swelling, difficulty walking, and more recently shortness of breath.

From what I understand, anti-centromere antibodies can be associated with limited systemic sclerosis (scleroderma), but my doctor doesn’t seem concerned enough to start any treatment yet and is recommending monitoring only.

The problem is… my quality of life is really declining. The stiffness and mobility issues are making everyday tasks difficult, and the shortness of breath is worrying.

I’m wondering:

- Has anyone had a similar experience where labs suggested scleroderma but treatment was delayed?

- Did your doctor eventually start medication, and what triggered that decision?

- Would you recommend pushing for a referral to a rheumatologist or getting a second opinion?

Also, if anyone has recommendations for good rheumatologists in the Toronto area, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance — hearing from others who’ve been through something similar would really help.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice or shared experiences because I’m feeling pretty stuck and honestly overwhelmed.

I recently had blood work done and the results showed a strongly positive ANA and a very high anti-centromere antibody level (8). All my other labs came back normal. Despite that, I’ve been dealing with real symptoms that are affecting my daily life — significant stiffness in my legs (especially in the morning), some swelling, difficulty walking, and more recently shortness of breath.

From what I understand, anti-centromere antibodies can be associated with limited systemic sclerosis (scleroderma), but my doctor doesn’t seem concerned enough to start any treatment yet and is recommending monitoring only.

The problem is… my quality of life is really declining. The stiffness and mobility issues are making everyday tasks difficult, and the shortness of breath is worrying.

I’m wondering:

- Has anyone had a similar experience where labs suggested scleroderma but treatment was delayed?

- Did your doctor eventually start medication, and what triggered that decision?

- Would you recommend pushing for a referral to a rheumatologist or getting a second opinion?

Also, if anyone has recommendations for good rheumatologists in the Toronto area, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance — hearing from others who’ve been through something similar would really help.

I’ve decided to move out of my RBC North America Value Fund and go with ETFs.

Now deciding between:

-100% XEQT

-80% XEQT / 20% QQC

Context:

-Long-term horizon (10+ years)

-Comfortable with volatility

-TFSA investing

-Goal = maximize long-term growth

I understand XEQT is already diversified and includes tech exposure, but QQC would add a stronger growth tilt.

Question:

- Is the 20% QQC tilt actually worth it long-term, or does it just add unnecessary concentration risk?

- For those who chose one over the other, what drove your decision?

Looking for perspectives before I lock this in.

Thanks!