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(June 5, 2007) Finance Minister Jim Flaherty doesn’t scare Mackenzie Investments. At least not enough to prevent the company from investing in income trusts.

Mackenzie announced Tuesday that it’s changing the Keystone Saxon Smaller Companies Fund to include more income trusts. Starting immediately, the fund is allowed to invest 30% of its assets in the trusts.

“Investors are still looking for steady cash flow, and we continue to see solid investment opportunities in income trusts — especially in the Canadian small- and mid-cap market,” said David Feather, president, Mackenzie Financial Services. “This timely change will allow Keystone Saxon Smaller Companies Fund managers to capitalize on the strong value-based opportunities that exist in the income trust market right now.”

Mackenzie says that this change will allow the fund to invest in more high-quality, profitable small- and mid-cap businesses. This broader mandate is also expected to improve the fund’s risk-adjusted return potential.

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Advisor.ca wins gold for best website

(June 5, 2007) If you want to read award-winning journalism, look no further than Advisor.ca. On Monday night, the Advisor website took home a gold medal at the Kenneth R. Wilson Awards, which recognizes the top writers, editors, magazines and websites among Canadian business and professional publications.

Former Advisor.ca editor Doug Watt was on hand to accept the award, along with news editor Steven Lamb and practice management editor Kate McCaffery. Mark Brown, Advisor’s ex-associate editor, and Andrew Gregory, web production manager, were also recognized for their contributions to Advisor.ca.

Watt also took home an award for being a top-five finalist in the Best Feature Article category. The Defiant One, co-written by Canadian Business writer Matthew McClearn, appeared in Advisor’s Edge last November. To read the piece click here.

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Richardson Capital lands in Ottawa

(June 5, 2007) Ottawa’s always been a haven for the rich and powerful, so it’s only natural that Richardson Partners Financial is opening an office in the nation’s capital.

The wealth management firm caters to the “most successful families in Canada,” with its clients handing over $7 billion in assets, or $125 million per advisor. Richardson said in an announcement Tuesday that it plans to employ more than 50 people to deal with “entrepreneurial families.”

Led by Jean-Francois Richard, the Ottawa office will consist of Paula O’Brien, Patrick Mullins, Alan MacDonald and Serge Duhaime. “The opening of our Ottawa office underlines the entrepreneurship and quality of the advisors who have joined us,” said Sue Dabarno, CEO of Richardson Partners. “The Ottawa area boasts some of Canada’s most successful family businesses and IT entrepreneurs who can appreciate the Richardson difference — the stability of an established family business combined with a holistic wealth management approach encompassing exclusive solutions supported by the latest technologies.”

Besides its new location in Ottawa, the company has nine offices across the country, including those in Winnipeg, Sherbrooke, Calgary and Montreal.

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(06/05/07)