In this video, I compare three popular Canadian asset allocation ETFs: XEQT, VEQT, and ZEQT.

Based on the backtested results shown in the Vanguard, BMO, and iShares portfolio reports, XEQT appears to slightly outperform the others over the past 20 years. But a closer look at the methodology shows that the difference is largely driven by a single assumption in the backtest — specifically the fixed U.S. equity allocation.

Over the past two decades, U.S. equities delivered the strongest returns among major regions, so any backtest that assumes a higher and constant U.S. weighting will naturally look stronger.

In this video we walk through:

  • How to read these asset allocation ETF reports
  • Why backtested results can be misleading
  • How the fixed U.S. equity weighting in XEQT affects long-term results
  • Why drawdowns and recovery periods matter more than backtested returns

The goal isn’t to determine a single “best” ETF, but to understand how these portfolios actually behave and how investors should interpret the data.

Download the performance reports on the Canadian Portfolio Manager blog: https://canadianportfoliomanagerblog.com/model-etf-portfolios/

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction
00:43 Understanding the ETF reports
02:17 Interpreting the backtested performance
03:00 Why XEQT looks like the winner
06:08 The most important section of the report
07:55 Final thoughts