Friday’s close: Blythe on blogs and your must-read news

It’s the end of another week and you’re running out the clock. Here’s our collection of recommended reading material to get the weekend off to good start.

Scot Blythe’s take on the blogosphere this week is especially interesting. In it, he examines the spirited commentary that accompanies crisis moments in the financial markets. Among our must-read articles is the suggestion from Manulife that the majority of Canadians are grossly under-insured.

Do you have any thoughts on the matter? Let us know. Send you letters to the editor by e-mail [editor@advisor.ca] or click here to start a discussion in our forums.

Tracking error (Blythe on blogs) It’s seems odd that crisis brings out vigorous debate, while good times encourage a certain placidity. Certainly, no one’s ready to say it’s time to jump back in the water again — the underlying assumptions have not changed. But one has to wonder whether there would be so much spirited comment if there were not crisis. Read more.

Must read this week:

Time to revisit needs analysis Canadians are grossly underinsured and clients are likely open to increasing coverage in the current market environment, according to a new survey conducted by Manulife Financial. It may be the perfect opportunity to offer an insurance needs analysis. Read more.

Where compliance meets risk For many, compliance is about know your client forms and trade blotters — that which is circumscribed by securities regulation. That model, however, may well be broken, not so much because of what it prescribes, but because of what it leaves out. Read more.

Real estate mavens expect slow recovery An overheated real estate market in North America was one of the culprits of this financial crisis. Those looking for a quick recovery in the sector are going to be sorely disappointed according to some of the top property buyers on the continent. Read more.

Quote of the week:

“It turns out regret is a huge driver of human behaviour. Our happiness is often not determined by where are, but by where we could have been.”

— Dan Ariely, Duke University professor, founder of the Centre for Advanced Hindsight and author of Predictably Irrational.

What do you think? Send your questions, letters, comments or feedback to editor@advisor.ca.

(04/17/09)

Staff

The staff of Advisor.ca have been covering news for financial advisors since 1998.