Home Newspaper Mid-October 2010

Mid-October 2010

Comment & Insight

Finally, it appears that a properly functioning roof will save the Olympic Stadium

The federal Conservatives are borrowing from an American playbook

Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan and the province aren’t happy about an uninvited guest

Focus on Products

Investing in Canada alone is a recipe for weak returns

Portfolio mergers at HSBC

Price competition comes to Canada

UCLA professor has compiled a checklist for clients and advisors

Darkening economic prospects are unnerving investors. “We’re in a multi-year bull run for gold,” says one manager

Investment research

Canada’s Big Three food retailers — Loblaws, Metro and Sobeys — have an appetizing future, analysts say

Strong performance indicates a bull market, although pattern has varied

News

In the past, conservative predictions led to surpluses, but current outlooks may be too rosy

Many newcomers have large amounts of investible assets; one study says only 27% receive financial advice

Majority of firms, including frontrunner Dynamic, omit clients’ most sought-after piece of information: Rate of return

James Wanstall says his firm is “not trying to be all things to all people”

Flush with cash, the fraternal benefits insurer is ready to step into asset management if the right opportunity comes along

Aiming at ultra-wealthy

Or should regulators intervene more directly to protect investors?

Operating on a separate platform, TMX Select will benefit from the new “order protection” rule

Industry review considering whether OSFI guideline should apply to this growing industry

But there are moves afoot in some countries to establish even higher standards than those set by the Basel committee

Optimize.ca allows investors to compare the funds they own with those that are rated as being better and offer lower fees

Estate tax issue could cause quite a few headaches

But while the future holds serious threats no firm can ignore, many opportunities exist for agile companies

In a relatively new area of litigation in Canada, financial services companies have come under fire

Building Your Business

Some fund unitholders in the Prairie provinces will be subsidizing those in B.C. and Ontario

Canada Revenue Agency officials continue to debate what some view as “excessive” interest deductions

The feds continue to implement changes that were recommended by an advisory panel in 2008

Newfoundland and Labrador’s declining personal income tax rate reveals a much healthier provincial balance sheet

Transactions that bear two of three “hallmarks” will have to be reported under new regime

Some of the rules that were accepted wisdom no longer apply; traditional “bonus down” plan is not always the best approach

A B.C. judgment potentially leaves advisors open to charges of unprofessional conduct if assets are transferred to protect wealth

Time limit for deemed dispositions from trusts can be a trap for financial advisors and clients

Family trusts and offshore residency have caught the agency’s attention

There is a concern relating to certain product designs that could be leaving some taxable income on the table

Tax agency keeps up the pressure

U.S. citizens or holders of green cards living in Canada might be tempted to open a tax-free savings account. But opening a TFSA might result…

There are different tax implications for both courses of action, but the decision depends primarily on your client’s choice

CRA shows some leniency on penalties for “unintentional” overcontributions; no breaks for those who manipulate the system

Although laws concerning these changes have not yet passed, you should not ignore these proposed changes at this time

Canada has tax treaties that reduce the pain of withheld taxes on foreign holdings, but taking advantage of them can be complex