Home Newspaper December 2009

December 2009

Comment & Insight

Lack of registration requirement can lead to big losses on risky ventures

Resistance from Asia’s farmers has put Saskatchewan in the red

There’s a reason a lot of things get left out of the (official) history books

International reports that Ottawa bailed out Canada’s financial sector are not accurate

Who said getting rid of the Senate would be a good idea?

Business leaders want to groom T.O. for the big time

Investment research

Despite falling sales related to the weak economy, companies are targeting new markets in an effort to increase revenue

New exchange-traded notes that track the volatility index offer an effective way to hedge the long-term risks of equities

If China sells off its large U.S. Treasury bond holdings, that will have significant consequences in bond markets, including Canada’s

Focus on Products

Claymore launches bond ETF

It may be, but one small-cap fund manager says the market is now “overshooting the fundamentals”

Stock markets have a way to go before they regain the highs of mid-2008

Fixed-income ETFs are proving popular with investors who have been whipsawed by the plunge in equities markets

Attempt to discourage ETF investing misses the point

News

Danielle Boulet, head of the national council for insurance regulators, outlines a full agenda

U.S. parent hopes to raise US$100 million by taking PFSL public in 2010

The president of a financial planning firm that specializes in helping clients get out of debt says most financial services firms are neglecting clients with…

Report says this would be a good way to fund improvements to the retirement income system

Lax enforcement is not the reason rules are ineffective; rather, the problem is largely one of compliance

Deal with National Bank will give Sun Life advisors greater access to debt products, including mortgages, for clients

Recent declines in the level of venture-capital funding in Canada could lead to a brain drain and job losses, as well as have a negative…

LeeSide Capital Management’s three co-founders plan to start with segregated accounts and expand into mutual funds

What started as an internal governance dispute involving some members of the Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada has boiled over into a public review…

When Normand Lamarche, senior portfolio manager with Front Street Capital in Toronto, looks for investment opportunities, he tries to visualize the future composition of the…

Although the financial system has survived intact, consequences may be severe

Building Your Business

An advisor’s first few years in the financial services industry can be the toughest. Here are some strategies that can help those new to the…

Although David and Sally don’t plan to contribute to their children’s post-secondary education, one advisor says they can afford to

Advisor insists financial planning is a profession

By understanding risk aversion, you can help jittery clients get back into the equities market

There are some unique and challenging ways to get to the prospective client; but it may take some time

There are some financial planning moves that can ensure clients save some costs and defer certain taxes as 2009 draws to a close

Lenore Davis, a financial planner with Dixon Davis & Co. in Victoria and the new president of the Institute of Advanced Financial Planners, is a…

Financial First Aid could serve as a great gift for clients and encourage them to become more engaged

Have reasonable expectations, prioritize tasks and avoid trying to do it all yourself

It depends on the client — and many other factors, such as the client’s risk tolerance and whether the pension is indexed

Embrace the transformation by discarding the business models of the past