The Financial Post reports in its Tuesday edition that it goes without saying that investing in equity markets when they are at new all-time highs, such as the tech-heavy S&P 500, can be risky. Guest columnist Martin Pelletier writes that his firm, Trivest Wealth Counsel, recently did a structured note on a basket of beaten-up Canadian stocks including BCE, Scotiabank, CIBC, Emera, Enbridge, Telus and TC Energy. If these stocks rise anywhere up to 35 per cent at the end of 3-1/2 years, investors get the full 35 per cent, Mr. Pelletier says; if above 35 per cent, "we get full tracking." The key is this is 100-per-cent principal-protected so, worst case, investors get their money back. His firm also recently added a two-year structured note on the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF. This exchange-traded fund typically does well during a market correction since interest rates are cut to fend off a higher probability of a recession. However, the ETF could lose money should markets continue to move higher and interest rates remain elevated. Therefore, he built the note to offer a 20-per-cent downside barrier with 1.2 times upside tracking. This is a tricky market, especially for the do-it-yourself investor.