Blog, Mortgage Investment Corporations (MICs)

Why MIC is an effective portfolio diversification tool

Why MIC is an effective portfolio diversification tool

Every investor knows the fact that diversification is necessary for long-term financial success. By investing in multiple types of investments, you can balance risk and return, increase stability, and avoid extreme ups and downs. Timing the market and picking a winner mostly results in failures, stress, and anxiety.

Nowadays, a standard 60/40 diversified portfolio of bonds and stocks may not be enough to generate wanted returns. According to Bank of America, 60/40 portfolios are facing their worst returns in 100 years. Also, depending on how it’s calculated, Canada’s inflation rate is between 7% and 15%, and your investment needs to generate at least that amount to get a positive return and maintain the purchasing power of your savings. As a result, many investors today view alternative investments as a key component of a well-diversified portfolio. And here MICs come in handy; if you ask why MICs are an effective portfolio diversification tool, you will get your answer in cooperation with CANGUARD.

MICs as the best portfolio diversification tool

Low correlation with equities, bonds, and other public markets makes MIC an attractive portfolio diversification tool. MIC pools funds from multiple investors and lends those funds as private mortgages. In this way, MICs are similar to mutual funds, but instead of stocks or bonds as underlying assets, the funds consist of carefully curated mortgages. Investors who deposit funds in MIC become preferred shareholders. MIC generates revenue by collecting interest and fees from borrowers. These fees are typically passed on to shareholders in the form of monthly dividend payments.

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The diversity of MICs

MICs are diversified in several ways, so the overall investment is not a traditional stock or bond diversified selection, but individual MICs are diversified according to some criteria:

  • Geography

    MIC seeks to diversify its holdings by investing in a wide range of geographies. Some focus on a single region or state, while others invest nationwide.
  • Management style

    As a private lender, MIC can have different management styles. Some repeat borrowers prefer to focus on high-risk, high-yield loans. Some might have a more balanced approach, with a single or a team of experienced professionals managing the entire MIC portfolio.
  • Type of investment

    Canadian income tax law requires MICs to invest 50% of their assets in mortgages, and the remainder may be invested in commercial or residential mortgages. Canguard invests nearly all of its MIC in mortgages, which we believe offer the most attractive risk/reward profile.
  • Loan-to-value (LTV)

    The loan-to-value ratio compares the value of the property to the amount of the mortgage. For example, if the property is $500,000 and the mortgage is $400,000, the LTV ratio is 80%. Generally speaking, the higher the LTV, the higher the risk for the lender, but the higher the interest rate for the borrower, so the higher the potential return. Well-managed, a MIC seeks to balance risk and reward profiles to produce consistent returns for investors.
  • Borrower

    All borrowers are subject to rigorous screening. When deciding whether to make a mortgage payment, it is important to consider things like creditworthiness, income, and debt levels. This reduces the risk of default for investors.
  • Length of Mortgage

    Private mortgage terms range from 6 to 36 months, with 12 months being the norm.
  • Type of mortgage

    MIC can also invest in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd.

Mortgages are one of the fastest growing areas of alternative investing, offering investors stable cash flow, risk-free real estate exposure of homeownership, and broad diversification beyond just equities and bonds. provide. Mortgage investing also fulfills one of the core aspects of diversification, and that is the low correlation with public markets. Within this category, the Mortgage Investment Corporation (MIC) is one of the easiest ways to gain direct exposure to Canada’s mortgage market and is a prime mover in the country’s historically strong real estate market.

Why MICs are an effective portfolio diversification tool FAQ

Portfolio diversification helps balance exposure to individual positions and helps protect investors from sudden fluctuations in key sectors. Traders typically diversify by trading both stocks and bonds.

The MIC provides a way to invest in the real estate market and reduces the risk and time of investing in individual mortgages. Investors pool their funds by purchasing shares in MIC to create alternative bond investments.

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Disclaimer:

This website is provided for information purposes only and is not to be construed as an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of securities. No securities regulatory authority has assessed the merits of these securities or the information contained in this website. Potential Investors should conduct their own due diligence before investing. All statements in this website, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Canguard expects to occur are forward looking statement. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of words such as “may”, “will”, “expect”, “intend”, “plan”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “believe” or “continue”, or the negative thereof, or similar variations. Please see the Offering Memorandum for a complete description of the risks associated with investing in Canguard Mortgage Investment Corporation. Purchase of Canguard Shares may be made through Kite Financial Solutions Ltd or a Dealer/Advisor.

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