How Many Stocks Should Investors Hold Inside a TFSA?

Toronto-Dominion Bank (TSX:TD)(NYSE:TD) is a stock that can be an ideal fit for many different types of portfolios.

| More on:
IMAGE OF A NOTEBOOK WITH TFSA WRITTEN ON IT

Image source: Getty Images

Diversification is an important part of any investment strategy, and it can be crucial to ensuring that your Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) grows and isn’t exposed to too much risk in the process. However, one of the obstacles for TFSA holders is that the cumulative limit is $69,500 for individuals who have never invested in the account and that have been eligible to contribute every year.

Since a TFSA has a limit, you want to be careful not to hold too many stocks. Even with 10 holdings, that would mean you can average no more than $6,950 per investment. That’s a reasonable limit if you’re looking to get a good cross-section of industries to cover in your portfolio. However, any more than 10, and the amount you will average per investment will have to come down, and you’ll have less skin in the game.

Generally, I’d suggest investing at least $5,000 in a stock so that there’s an incentive in making it count. For example, investing just $1,000 in a stock will mean that even if it produces an impressive 50% return, you’d only be up $500, even under the best of circumstances.

Not to mention, commission fees will also represent a larger percentage of your investment. A $10 fee to buy a stock and another $10 to sell means that a $1,000 investment will cost you $20 for both commissions, or 2%. If you invest $5,000, that percentage drops to just 0.4%.

Aiming between five and 10 may be ideal

Another reason you don’t want to hold too many stocks is that it’ll become a challenge to stay on top of them, including news, developments, and keeping track of earnings results. With exchange-traded funds (ETFs) offering investors the ability to hold a wide variety of stocks, you can achieve a lot of diversification with even a few stocks in your portfolio. For instance, BMO Nasdaq 100 Equity Hedged to CAD Index ETF can give access to the top stocks on the NASDAQ in your portfolio.

That’s where holding as few as five stocks in your portfolio could be sufficient to achieve a lot of diversification, especially when it includes ETFs. But even if you don’t hold an ETF, 10 stocks would be sufficient to give you the major industry leaders from key sectors. And that’s where holding between five and 10 could be a good range to target.

One stock to build around

If you’re not sure which stock to start with, there’s no better option than Toronto-Dominion Bank (TSX:TD)(NYSE:TD). Not only is it one of the top stocks on the TSX, but the big bank is an easy choice for many reasons.

TD has averaged a beta of 0.95 over the past five years, meaning that it will closely follow the market’s movements. But that doesn’t mean that TD will produce the same results. Generally, TD has outperformed the TSX, and in five years it has risen by 39%, well above the index’s 17% returns during that time.

Another great reason to build around TD is that the stock not only pays an attractive quarterly dividend, which is now yielding more than 4% per year. TD has also increased those payouts over the years as well.

Whether you’re looking for a value stock, a safe stock, or just one that will produce a lot of income for your portfolio, TD checks off all those boxes and could be a great long-term investment.

Bottom line

There’s no right number of stocks to hold in a TFSA, as it’ll depend on your overall risk portfolio. However, it’s hard to go wrong with five to 10 blue-chip stocks like TD that can generate both capital appreciation and dividend income.

This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the “official” recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium service or advisor. We’re Motley! Questioning an investing thesis — even one of our own — helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer, so we sometimes publish articles that may not be in line with recommendations, rankings or other content.

Fool contributor David Jagielski has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.

More on Dividend Stocks

Two seniors float in a pool.
Dividend Stocks

TFSA: How to Earn $1,890 in Annual Tax-Free Income

Plunk these investments into your TFSA to earn passive income and avoid the taxman.

Read more »

Engineers walk through a facility.
Dividend Stocks

1 TSX Stock I Wouldn’t Touch With a 10-Foot Pole

AtkinsRéalis (TSX:ATRL) is one TSX stock I'd never invest in.

Read more »

edit Woman in skates works on laptop
Dividend Stocks

3 No-Brainer Stocks to Buy Under $30

These three stocks all offer a huge deal for investors looking for dividends, as well as growth that will last.

Read more »

You Should Know This
Dividend Stocks

How to Convert a $300 Monthly Investment Into $338 in Monthly Income

If you want a certain amount in monthly passive income, invest a similar amount today and leave the rest to…

Read more »

Increasing yield
Dividend Stocks

3 Income Stocks With Big Yields to Consider in April 2024

If you haven’t yet made your March investments, here are three income stocks to buy the dip and lock in…

Read more »

Senior Man Sitting On Sofa At Home With Pet Labrador Dog
Dividend Stocks

RRSP Investors: Don’t Miss Out on This Contribution Hack!

This hack has so many benefits for you -- not just when you put it in your RRSP but for…

Read more »

A red umbrella stands higher than a crowd of black umbrellas.
Dividend Stocks

Passive Income: 2 Safe Dividend Stocks to Own for the Next 10 Years

Dividend stocks such as Manulife and Fortis can help you generate a stable and recurring passive-income stream.

Read more »

Young woman sat at laptop by a window
Dividend Stocks

3 Dividend Stocks Everyone Should Own for the Long Haul

For investors looking for top-tier dividend stocks to buy and hold for the long term, here are three of my…

Read more »