August 2009

Building Your Business

U.S. citizens must file a U.S. tax return every year, no matter where they live

They should be able to enjoy retirement, but much depends on whether the husband leaves assets with his former employer

Turn crisis into opportunity by specializing in clients who have lost their jobs (IE:TV)

Acting in an environmentally responsible fashion not only helps the planet stay healthy, it can also improve your practice

Jim Johnston does not toss water bottles in public parks. The director of environmental sustainability for Bank of Montreal doesn’t even use water bottles. That’s…

If Shaun Humphries, a senior advi-sor with Assante Capital Management Ltd. in Winnipeg, were starting in the financial services industry today, he’d do a few…

With the prescribed rate at a record-low 1%, couples with varying tax rates can reap significant savings

Shaun Humphries says triathlon preparation and financial planning share many similarities, including a need for long-term focus

Comment & Insight

Advisors face mounting expectations from both clients and regulators

A doctor who wants to offer more options at his private clinic sues the province

Rising productivity from shale gas wells is changing the sector’s outlook

Focus on Products

Changes to Quadrus lineup

It’s time to re-evaluate, rebalance and rebuild client portfolios

“To use the tunnel analogy,” one manager says, “we may not see the light, but it’s not getting darker”

Investment research

The S&P/TSX Shariah 60 has matched its source index, despite — or, perhaps, because of — certain key exclusions

“The recession is changing some people’s purchasing habits,” says an analyst, “and there is a sensitivity to price value that’s very strong”

Insurance Advisors’ Report Card

Although the impact of the recession has been somewhat muted at insurance firms, there were still a few bumps in the road for some

Interactive Web tools and ad campaigns that promote the value of advisors’ expertise get kudos

Experienced advisors say they hope to receive the same calibre of training from their firms as newcomers

Advisors were most satisfied with the firms that had knowledgeable staff who provided comprehensive support

There is a correlation between firms’ ratings and their advisors’ percentage of first-year commissions

Success of segregated fund sales shows clients are looking for guarantees

Advisors surveyed this year report growing books of business

News

Court judgment is contrary to position taken by the CRA that investment-counselling fees are subject to GST

Some groups are unhappy with initiative

Firm emphasizes autonomy and ownership for advisors, with no sales quotas or proprietary products (IE:TV)

Bank of Canada suggests that economic growth will restart in this quarter, with more robust business and consumer confidence

Richardson Partners and GMP Private Client hope to gain economies of scale

Paul Knight is the new voice of UBS in Canada, and will build its wealth-management arm

The design of these structures may determine whether they can pass muster with the CRA (IE:TV)

The FSA and the SEC are taking aim at compensation structures, especially those based on commissions