Home Newspaper Mid-January 2012

Mid-January 2012

Comment & Insight

When in doubt, get someone else to deliver the bad news for you.

Once an impossible dream, Newfoundland and Labrador is once again reviewing the possibility of an undersea tunnel

The Saskatchewan Roughriders need an overhaul, and so does Regina’s aging core. Will taxpayers give the go-ahead?

The Supreme Court’s thumbs-down on a national securities regulator fails to take note of modern realities

Investment research

Your clients might consider buying calls on some of the beaten-down sectors; if stability returns, they could do well

After a year of outperforming most asset classes, will long government bonds continue to deliver the goods this year?

This analysis reveals that after a decade of outperforming Wall Street, the Canadian market is now lagging

Currently out of favour among traders, companies in this niche offer significant opportunities in the years ahead

Focus on Products

Those exhibiting this quality often make the best clients

One study showed FIA funds posted weak returns

These days, many clients are seeking out annuities to provide stable income in retirement

Portfolio managers of Canadian equity balanced funds say that despite economic woes in Europe, many companies are in good financial shape

Building Your Business

There are many prospects in the U.S. consumer industries and high technology; within these categories, multinational firms have appeal because they can withstand economic blows…

Most fund portfolio managers expect Europe will sink into a recession, but those same managers agree that companies in the region that are in defensive…

Although results were disappointing for many developing nations in 2011, they could well post strong performances this year

Despite the effects of slower growth in China, most countries in the region have low sovereign debt, prudent fiscal policy and strong domestic demand to…

Post-tsunami reconstruction will create some investment opportunities while the expensive yen hampers economic expansion

Although the country’s economic expansion will not match the double-digit growth of the past decade, portfolio managers expect China to forge ahead at a healthy…

Fixed-income portfolios don’t have to be restricted to government debt. Infrastructure issues, investment-grade corporates and municipal bonds can be effective diversifiers

Increased risk of default and historically low interest rates mean you need to keep a closer eye on your clients’ bond holdings. You also will…

The expected continued high value of the loonie and the yen vs the greenback pose challenges, while weakness in the euro will be welcome

Policy-makers are set to continue refining the new capital requirements that will affect all global banks with the introduction of the Basel III capital regime,…

Fund portfolio managers expect that continued low interest rates will help consumers keep spending this year. These managers also favour firms in the technology and…

If governments look to higher inflation to help pay their debts, it could have a serious impact on your clients

Canadian banks and insurers will search for revenue in the context of the overindebted Canadian consumer base as well as the uncertain global economic outlook…

Commodities had a rocky ride in 2011, but some fund managers say the outlook is brighter for 2012

Most portfolio managers are cool to the precious metal, but some suggest gold-related investments

It may appear that this is a terrible time to invest, but global portfolio managers and strategists say the current market volatility is creating many…

News

Low interest rates, higher costs of living and new baby-boomer retirees have resulted in more clients taking out a reverse mortgage

Many investors don’t realize that they are paying high fees on their investments, says former mutual fund manager Peter Hodson

The huge number of Canadians retiring soon means advisors must be ready to have different client conversations

The intended merger of BlackRock Asset Management Canada Ltd.’s iShares exchange-traded fund lineup with that of Claymore Investments Inc.

With more clients heading for the sun, make sure you don’t execute orders that could run afoul of foreign securities laws

Providers of exchange-traded funds are targeting financial advisors in an effort to increase the presence of ETFs in the broader investment fund business. In particular,…

Awareness must be heightened after an advisor in the U.S. is alleged to have used social media to sell fraudulent securities

New programs will provide advisors with access to educational materials on using social media and activities to establish their online presence

Acquisition of U.S. firm is in line with Pavilion’s plan to cater to institutional and high net-worth markets in certain regions

The Ontario Securities Commission’s former head of enforcement says there are two basic reasons to reject “no contest” settlements

In light of the Supreme Court’s recent decision that proposed federal legislation is unconstitutional, the big question is: Where do we go from here?

Bankers and others under federal jurisdiction no longer have to retire at 65

Aging baby boomers and the rise of investors in emerging markets may result in a dramatic shift away from equities investing

Front Page

Even tax rules are catching up with the personal digital revolution.

Low interest rates and volatile stock markets in North America have pushed Canadian insurers to expand their ventures in emerging markets.

Given such economic uncertainties as the sovereign-debt crisis in Europe, the health of the U.S. economy and China’s growth prospects, equities markets promise to be…