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Advisors at Edward Jones are now able to refer clients to the products offered by Manulife Bank, after the brokerage inked a deal with Manulife to integrate debt-management and banking solutions into financial plans.

Among the products being offered is the Manulife One account, which essentially allows the client to use their home as a savings account.

“As Canada’s first advisor-based bank, we believe the cornerstone of a client’s long-term financial plan is effective debt-management, efficient use of their income and getting the most for their short-term savings,” said J. Roman Fedchyshyn, president and CEO of Manulife Bank of Canada. “The Edward Jones advisor network shares this commitment to providing clients with the right tools to put their hard-earned money to work and it is a pleasure to be a part of their select product offering.”

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Canadians warned of fraud

Canadians are being reminded to be ever vigilant against investment fraud. March is Fraud Prevention Month and the CSA is urging investors to take the next step to protect themselves and their financial future.

Such simple steps as:

• Work with your investment advisor to assess risk.
• Be aware of red flags. Find out about the warning signs here.
• Research each opportunity, do background checks. The CSA’s National Registration Search can help with that.
• Report any suspicious offers or opportunities to your local securities regulator.

When it comes to identity theft in particular, older Canadians are far more susceptible.

A survey conducted by Visa reveals that 40% of older Canadians admit to unsafe practices that put their personal financial information at risk. Even more disturbing is that 16% of those seniors say they have been the victim of payment card fraud, identity theft or a violation of financial privacy since they turned 50 years of age and 19% did not discuss the violation with members of their family or their friends.

During Fraud Prevention Month, Visa will be hosting free fraud prevention seminars at senior centres in Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto and Halifax that will educate seniors about safe financial practices as well as provide them with the opportunity to ask questions they may be too embarrassed to ask their families about.

For those who cannot attend, Visa offers these tips:

• Always create a PIN that’s hard to guess.
• Always be cautious when asked for personal information over the phone.
• Never share your PIN.
• Never keep a written copy of your PIN around.
• Never agree to a “free trial” or “sample” without reading the terms and conditions.
• Never be embarrassed to talk to family, friends or your bank if you have questions.

More info can be found at www.visa.ca/securewithvisa.

(03/01/10)