Home Newspaper Mid-January 2011

Mid-January 2011

News

Alberta’s provincial government has three proposals to consider that may finally resolve the issue of advisor incorporation

A consultation paper published late last year by Alberta’s Ministry of Finance and Enterprise proposes three possible ways for financial advisors to structure their businesses…

Canadian banks are in a strong position when it comes to striking deals in the still bruised U.S. financial sector

New requirements introduced earlier this month aim to provide investors with an added level of protection

Advisors are under increasing pressure to keep up to date and provide guidance to clients on income-tax regulations

With shareholder democracy coming under more scrutiny, the MFDA takes a hit on its proxy solicitation process

A provincial regulator, the Insurance Council of British Columbia, has published what some in the insurance industry consider to be a sneak preview to the…

Miami-based social networking website offers an expanded compliance reporting function for third-party websites

Margaret Franklin, chair of the board of governors of the CFA Institute, advocates better securities enforcement practices to regain the public's confidence

Atlantic Central follows the path of B.C.’s and Ontario’s Central 1 Credit Union

Innovation and productivity tax credit for Ontario

Margaret Franklin is hitting her stride. The same year she was appointed to head the CFA Institute’s board, she also started her own firm

A CCIR report two years in the making will help settle whether there are risks involved for consumers of life and health insurance

Getting up to speed on sweeping changes to succession legislation coming this year will be crucial for financial advisors, especially those with older clients

Comment & Insight

The three Asper children are struggling to rebuild their lives after their family-built Canwest Global empire suffocated on its own debt

In the relentless pursuit of a majority, the Harper government is remaining silent on some of Canada’s most complex fiscal issues

Charest is a master player who plans to win by dominating the centre and attacking from the side. But the Opposition is strong

Although it’s been a little slow to market itself, the wild berry industry on the Rock is finding there’s a healthy appetite for its products

Focus on Products

Some fund managers see a strong upside among Canadian resources companies

Some sponsors of defined-contribution pension plans offer advice to plan members

Investment research

Convenience-store chain companies are much in favour as they had responded to the recession by offering more promotions and providing more value. And as the…

The European bond market is being split as a result of the debt crisis that has ravaged several countries’ balance sheets

The Chicago Board Options Exchange is expanding the tools you can use to anticipate future volatility. Already, the CBOE disseminates information on the anticipated volatility…

Two common measures of unpopularity now represent profit opportunities

Building Your Business

Minimizing risk should be a major theme for your clients this year

Appealing yields draw much interest to bonds of a certain brewery, as well as those of financial services companies and junk, a.k.a. high-yield debt

Robust consumer demand and sustained global demand for natural resources will underpin growth this year. In particular, growth in India and China will be a…

With China still expanding strongly, its Asian neighbours are well positioned to maintain and build on their recent growth spurts. Issues for investors to watch…

With a strong yen challenging exporters’ profits, Japan can expect modest growth over the next year. But fund managers have found a few bright spots

Reforms, such as raising capital requirements and imposing liquidity minimums, are intended to prevent a repeat of the recent global financial crisis

Despite sovereign debt woes in some European countries, many fund managers expect market growth to exceed expectations and bolster market returns. Says one manager: “There…

With massive migration into cities from rural areas, China is “like the U.S. at the end of the 19th century.” Investment fund managers remain bullish…

Most analysts are bullish about the demand for oil and its price over the medium term because of strong growth in emerging economies. Their views…

Increasing holdings of investment-grade corporate bonds is a good idea for your clients as interest rates begin to rise

Some, however, believe 2011 will be a good year, citing potential benefits to many U.S. firms from growth in emerging markets, Europe or Japan; S&P…

Canadian equity fund managers are tilting their portfolios heavily toward cyclical stocks, betting on economic improvement and crossing their fingers in hopes of an upside…

Despite surviving the global financial crisis intact, Canada’s financial services companies are still contending with lingering global and domestic economic uncertainty, consumer indebtedness and narrow…

The U.S. and other industrialized countries are anxious to see China rapidly appreciate its currency. However, Chinese authorities may want to proceed at a gradual…

Conditions are just right for gold to continue its impressive run. Here are a few intriguing stocks you could consider for your clients’ portfolios

The global economy has made some recent gains but is now facing new problems, ranging from inflation to trade wars. Strategists suggest options for your…

The U.S. Federal Reserve Board is commited to avoiding deflation, but inflation could creep up