August 2007

Focus on Products

Proposed document has delivery requirements tailored to client preferences

The more a manager relies on this data, the poorer his returns

Manulife renames fundsToronto-based Manulife Investments has renamed the Elliott & Page and MIX families of mutual funds as part of its new branding strategy, the…

But money managers differ on where the best opportunities lie

Fidelity Canadian Asset Allocation Series A comes out ahead of Templeton Canadian Asset Allocation

For clients with lengthy time horizons and some tolerance for risk, leveraging can build a portfolio faster

Comment & Insight

At first glance, they may look ordinary. Take another look

A primer for mutual fund dealers on how to meet due diligence obligations

Ex-pat Winnipeggers are selling their houses in red-hot markets and buying at home with cash

Try as they might to deny it, financial advisors must face the fact that the industry’s prevailing compensation structures are hurting, not helping, their ascent…

It was a harry potter weekendin our family — and, judging by the number of copies of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows…

Logging parts of Kananaskis Country is the only way to preserve Alberta’s best resources

Softer, smoother Harper?

Re: “OBSI running a quiet reign of tyranny,” by Joel Wiesenfeld (IE, July 2007).The article by Torys LLP lawyer Joel Wiesenfeld, whose practice focuses on…

Investment research

Choosing stocks with low price/book value multiples and low price volatility is key

Toggle bonds are a high-interest solution for risk-tolerent clients willing to take cash or credit

Stock performance is just the beginning

The companies that came before them offer a lesson: diversify the customer base

Building Your Business

Deliver the news in person, be diplomatic and be prepared; consider what questions the client might have

In multicultural Can–ada, it’s not uncommon for advisors to meet and interact with people from all over the world. But each culture has its own…

Association is key to remembering: Tom becomes a tom-tom, Barbara is barbed wire and Nancy is fancy — whatever works

They are an influential market segment, but many boomers face financial uncertainty and will need your help

When Andrew Pyle’s rookie training program instructor asked the class how much they intended to spend on marketing, he was surprised by some of the…

Studies suggest a connection between gum disease and heart attacks; oral bacteria can attach themselves to blood vessels

While it may be tempting to chase the traditional professionals with big paycheques when going after the young Canadian market, there’s an untapped area for…

Andrew Pyle traded in his 68th-floor Toronto office for a career as a small-city, fee-based planner

At one point in my ca- reer, I worked alongside an actuary, who astounded me with his range of knowledge. He could contribute to virtually…

Just what defines North American 20- and 30-somethings? The first thing that comes to mind is their reliance on the wired world. “This is the…

Lorne was demoralized because he thought he was losing his touch as a “salesman.” In the past, he had found that a simple sales approach,…

This case study is based on the situation of a client of the Covenant Group. Names and details have been changed to preserve privacy. It…

Navigating a business dinner is an exercise in etiquette

How airlines respond to delays provides an object lesson in customer service

Bradley Roulston speaks regu-larly to graduating classes at post-secondary institutions. The advisor and founder of Roulston Financial Group, which has offices in Toronto and Vancouver,…

Insurance Advisors’ Report Card

More and more advisors are adding mutual fund sales to their business revenue

But the majority of advisors surveyed still have no plan in place for retirement

Advisors are currently split on the merits of offering clients online access to their accounts

Advisors want to ramp up their offerings — and they’re demanding backup from their companies

High producers are the happiest with their compensation, but the increased costs of doing business garner gripes

Firms say they encourage their advisors to be designated, but few require it

Underwriting is slow, inefficient and bad for business. “It’s like they don’t want us to sell insurance,” says one advisor

News

Looking for growth in a low-growth insurance environment, a number of Canadian insurers are building out their wealth-management platforms — by adding mutual fund manufacturing,…

RBC critical illness product can be converted to long-term care coverage

Ottawa has given the provinces the right to regulate the payday loan industry

Raft of comments are indicative of the difficulty of instituting change

Britain’s Financial Services Authority aims to diffuse inherent problems

Investment products a small part of the mix

Province must no longer be a breeding ground for shell companies used for stock scams south of the border, Doug Hyndman says

Canada’s largest credit union pursues financial success, and mandates environmental and social or community sustainability

Financial services company to focus on its U.S. advisor services business

Acquisition of Berkshire-TWC Financial Group boosts Manulife’s distribution network and triples its assets under administration

Incomes of the top 20% of Canadian families now $105,400 a year more than the lowest 20%, StatsCan reports