April 2006

Comment & Insight

In the mid-1990s, the suggestion that banks would one day come to dominate the mutual fund industry probably would have been met with laughter and…

Recent address failed to inspire hope for Quebec’s Liberals

The bickering has caused countless disruptions, and it’s preventing any work from getting done

The morning after a stormy period on Lake Ontario, it is always interesting to see what has washed up with the waves. Once the wind…

Regulators have to ensure their surveillance systems have capacity to monitor the increased order flow

Led by Cindy Klassen and Clara Hughes, women from this province took 20% of Canada’s medals

A little patch of rocky garden can become a growth-at-any-cost investment

Investment research

The South American giant is finally living up to the motto on its flag

As is, this young couple will have more than enough for their retirement years

Current market complacency makes this an ideal time to buy protective puts

But will this leveraged bond fund be an aggressive speculation or an efficient hedge?

U.S. small-cap and Canadian large-cap successes point to lack of homogeneity between the two markets

The Taliban’s spring insurgency will test Canada’s commitment to the mission in Afghanistan

Demand from China, combined with a lack of exploration and qualified personnel, have created a shortage of the base metal

Focus on Products

Trimark and Ivy funds offer different approaches to international stocks

Company will develop its own mutual fund classification system

Custom-design concept may appeal to confident advisors who have a solid stable of high net-worth clients

Toronto-based Creststreet Capital Corp. filed a preliminary prospectus for units of Creststreet enHanced Income Energy Fund. The firm says it will take advantage of the…

Toronto-based Saxon Mutual Funds plans to offer F-class units for the growing fee-based channel. “We want to go after the fee-based part of the market…

Morningstar’s decision to withdraw from the CIFSC prompts a hard look

But fund manager Satish Rai says fixed-income funds will have difficulty generating annual returns higher than 5%

After years in the doldrums, sales of foreign equity funds are recovering

But high energy prices, slow growth in the U.S. market and geopolitical strife elsewhere could be bumps in the road

Toronto-based Front Street Capital closed Front Street Special Opportunities Canadian Fund Ltd. to new purchases, effective March 31. The firm says the fund has reached…

Toronto-based Guardian Group of Funds Ltd. introduced two new funds: GGOF Small-Cap Growth and Income Fund, designed for income-oriented investors, and GGOF Global Diversified Fund,…

SciVest Alternative Strategies Inc. launched five new funds aimed at investors looking for risk-managed products. They are: SciVest Oil Sands Index PLUS Fund, SciVest Income…

Rules now require fund companies to express trading costs as a percentage of daily net assets

The payoff for Peter Puccetti’s Goodwood funds is superior short and long-term returns

Income trust funds were hot items last RRSP season, but are not among the 24 most popular funds this time around

Building Your Business

Focus on what you do best, farm out everything else, use a system that can be repeated

RRIFmetic allows you to compare projections based on various savings and investment strategies

Customer service and product knowledge are critical for Aurora business

Even seniors who know it’s time to move out of their home may need some assistance

But the SEDI Web site is as user-friendly as a rusting, three-wheeled shopping cart

If your only loyalty-building strategy is to increase contact with your clients, you could be wasting a lot of time and resources

Microsoft’s newest computer operating system improves security, data management and connectivity

The advisor is responsible for making certain no change has taken place that would nullify a life insurance policy

Most of us will experience a decline in memory as we get older, but there are several ways to promote brain health

Her mistake was to spend almost as much on marketing to A and B clients as they contributed in revenue

Two new designations offer education about understanding the aging process, nutrition, housing, preparing for the death of a spouse

The deadline for filing personal income tax returns this year is May 1, and some other changes

Don’t count aging advisors out. In addition to valuable books, they have knowledge, experience, wisdom and social skills to pass along to younger colleagues

News

Proposal would merge Crocus into GrowthWorks

But continued struggles at some mutual fund companies could see more consolidation in the industry

Nova Scotia court rules securities commission can investigate allegations in case arising from Portus

New mega-entity will provide cost efficiencies, better service and a new business challenge to the big banks

Quebec City-based brokerage wants to scoop up talent and market share in Western Canada

Firm acquires Standard Life’s Performa fund dealership in a step to expand outside Quebec

Almost one-quarter of net mutual fund sales in Canada last year were generated by RBCAM, and it is far from resting on its laurels

Regulators grapple with the murky — but critical — distinction between a referral and advice

Lack of exposure to the booming resources sector in a few big funds, among other reasons, has caused a crimp in overall AUM

Cold comfort for investors, who will recover little money from Norbourg, Mount Real or Norshield

Use of high-tech computer systems to hunt down ideal trades accounts for 15% of trades on the TSX

Technology solutions should be as “holistic” as the business’s wealth-management style

But will it give retail investors confidence in the markets?

Progress is slow, however, on some fronts

Mutual fund companies with extensive distribution networks and good fund performance dominated sales during the RRSP season just ended. For the four month period of…