Industry

Decorative pattern

Is the recession really over?

Most people define a recession as two consecutive quarters of declining GDP. This definition gained popularity after it was included in a list of indications by economist Julius Shiskin in a 1974 New York Times article. Likewise, a recession is considered to be over when the streak of declining quarterly GDP concludes. In the U.S., […]

By Kash Hashemi |August 17, 2010

7 min read

Decorative pattern

Briefly:

Investors fearing a troubled U.S. economy cut their holdings of American equities this month to 2008 levels. According to a Bloomberg report, a BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research survey showed 14% of respondents were “underweight” U.S. stocks, compared with 7% who were “overweight” in July. A total of 187 fund managers participated in the survey […]

By Staff |August 17, 2010

2 min read

Decorative pattern

The paradox of transparency

A friend of mine has been busy for the past few years, converting his practice to a fee-based model. He charges his clients an annual fee, billed monthly and based on a percentage of the assets he manages for them. He receives no compensation from any products he uses in his model portfolios. ETFs, F-Class […]

By Harper Fraze |August 17, 2010

6 min read

Decorative pattern

Plan for rising medical costs

When your clients envision old age, they may think about cruise vacations, leisurely visits to a market, and generally leading a healthy life. There is something fundamentally wrong with this picture. It doesn’t make allowances for the unpredictability of life. The truth is, they could well be restricted to a wheelchair staring out the window, […]

By Staff |August 17, 2010

4 min read

Decorative pattern

Industrial Alliance takes Excellence private

Industrial Alliance has extended its acquisition streak, buying up almost all of the outstanding common shares of The Excellence Life Insurance Company. The acquisition was through its wholly-owned subsidiary, La Corporation Financière L’Excellence Ltée. (CFE). So far, minority shareholders of Excellence have tendered 91.83% of their shares at a price of $5.00 per share. The […]

By Steven Lamb |August 16, 2010

1 min read

Decorative pattern

Briefly:

Canadian homes sales activity last month was down 30% from a year earlier — a decline driven largely by a widely expected slowdown following the introduction of a new tax regime in the once-hot markets of B.C. and Ontario. The Canadian Real Estate Association says July’s data from the Multiple Listing Service, which handles the […]

By Staff |August 16, 2010

3 min read

Decorative pattern

Non-HST series may cause new headaches

A collective groan emanated across Canada when advisors outside of B.C. and Ontario found out that their clients would have to pay HST on their investment funds. However, when three fund companies — Dynamic, Brandes Investment Partners and EdgePoint Wealth — announced they would introduce non-HST series funds in July, those groans didn’t necessarily turn […]

By Bryan Borzykowski |August 16, 2010

3 min read

Decorative pattern

Parents struggle to fund post-secondary school

For many a Canadian parent, it’s the case of the mind is willing, but the cash is weak. When it comes to funding kids’ education, there seems to be a gaping divide between what parents want to do and what they can afford, according to the TD Canada Trust Education and Finances Survey. The study […]

By Vikram Barhat |August 16, 2010

3 min read

Decorative pattern

Avoiding questionable expenses

How careful are you, as an advisor, in ensuring the business expenses you claim each year at tax time are appropriate, reasonable and properly documented? A recent tax case decided in April (Platis v The Queen, 2010 TCC 150) involved Toronto advisor Peter Platis, a commissioned commodities and foreign exchange broker employed by Refco Futures […]

August 16, 2010

1 min read

Decorative pattern

Great Depression lessons apply today

The basic challenge for equity investors hasn’t changed much over the last century: how do you assemble a portfolio of stocks that are likely to grow over time, at prices that allow for attractive returns relative to the level of risk? The answer lies in investing in high-quality companies for the long term, using fundamental […]

By Jeffrey Russell and Robert Swab |August 16, 2010

6 min read

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