Home Newspaper Mid-November 2009

Mid-November 2009

Building Your Business

More and more financial products offer predictability, but they can be tough to understand and may carry high opportunity costs

The benefits offered by GMWBs aren’t as rich as they used to be, but sales are still strong among conservative investors

Shifting assets toward equities, real-return bonds and other types of corporate bonds can help clients tackle the threat of inflation

Aging and retirement is a dramatic period; even the most cursory list of major events ranges from declining health, to the loss of friends and…

Advantages over traditional RRSPs include higher contribution limits and measurable tax benefits, among others

Combine youth and compounding, and the savings built inside RRSPs can be substantial

Retirees and those approaching retirement are cutting back on their expenses because of the recession; they don’t need to, experts say

Canadians are sitting on $1 trillion in cash; they must return to the market to regain their losses

Advisors and their clients should consider how financial planning arrangements are affected when seniors keep working

While bouncing exchange rates hold high risks for older investors, staying too close to home has its own downside

The first boomers are entering retirement, leading to more requests for advice on RRIFs

The various reforms that the federal government proposed earlier this year “better reflect the many paths people take to retirement”

As clients feel more confident about economic recovery, now is the time to recommend loans aimed at maximizing contributions

Bond mutual funds that are well managed have produced terrific returns this year; and holding them in RRSPs has extra benefits

The “smart money” is still using alternative investments such as hedge funds and commodities

More and more Canadians are learning that using a TFSA in combination with an RRSP gives them many advantages

Advisors can take steps to ensure vulnerable seniors are protected from unscrupulous people

It’s human nature to avoid what looks like major risk, but that’s almost always the best signal to buy equities

Comment & Insight

Recent history suggests Albertans want change, without having to pay for it

B.C. residents are deeply angry they were not warned about the HST during the election

If political marketing whiz Peter Donolo can’t turn Ignatieff’s fortunes around, no one can

Investment research

As interest rates begin to rise, so will yields. Bond prices will plummet, however

With oil prices increasing, it may be time to invest in Canadian oil producers — despite the challenges they face

Stocks with the best long-term price stability had better financial metrics

Focus on Products

Criterion Investments goes convertible

Despite the benchmark’s 70% year-to-date rebound, says one fund manager, emerging markets are not overheated

Analysis shows Canadian value stocks make a great foundation

News

The head of FAIR Canada says the new investor rights advocacy group is filling a necessary role

Risk management gets thumbs-up from DBRS; Canada has the world’s soundest banking system, says World Economic Forum

For the first time, every province is expected to slump simultaneously; but a broad-based recovery is likely to begin next year

Regulators propose ways to minimize the costs of investigating fraud

Those opting out of national regulator could be left behind; others, neglecting much-needed reforms

Inquiry in Australia could propose new rules (IE:TV)

The purchase of Blackmont Capital is a perfect fit, says the executive director of Macquarie’s full-service brokerage in Australia