Industry

Celebrating Advice: Marketing to new Canadians

Are you good with numbers; fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese or Filipino; and deft at rolling dumplings? If yes, then you may be just the blend some clients are seeking from their financial advisors. At least that’s what Dorothy Chan, a senior investment executive at Scotia-McLeod in Vancouver, discovered when a prospective Chinese client expected her […]

By Kanupriya Vashisht |August 1, 2010

11 min read

Industry

Experts debate ETFs, mutual funds

Few debates stir as much passion among investors as the relative merits of mutual funds versus exchange-traded funds. Investors who love ETFs love them a lot, questioning why anyone would pay more for mutual funds that fail to beat their benchmark. On the other hand, mutual fund fans question the wisdom of micromanaging a portfolio […]

By Steven Lamb |August 1, 2010

5 min read

Industry

Americans in Canada: A taxing situation

Much has been written about the planning issues of Canadians moving to the U.S. But how many advisors are aware of the issues Americans face when they move to Canada or already reside here? Many U.S. citizens move to Canada and stop filing U.S. tax returns because they’re unaware it’s still required of them. But […]

By Terry F. Ritchie |August 1, 2010

7 min read

Industry

Advisor liability For misrepresentations

On May 13, 2010, the Alberta Securities Commission imposed sanctions against Hav-Loc Private Wealth Partners Inc. and its President and CEO, Thierry Gevaert, for making misleading and untrue statements in the company’s marketing material regarding its due-diligence activities, thereby breaching securities laws. The message? Due diligence misrepresentations will have serious consequences. Securities legislation includes provisions […]

By Richard E. Austin |August 1, 2010

4 min read

Front End Load: Immigrants investing in Canada

Immigrants have been a boon to those advisors with the language skills and cultural understanding to harness the market, but it’s a two-way street. Not surprisingly, a number of advisors step up to the plate every day to give back to their communities, donating their time and expertise to worthy charitable causes. Interestingly, they often […]

By Nancy Turner |August 1, 2010

5 min read

Canadians struggle to build emergency fund

If there is one trend from the past that deserves to be elevated to retro-chic status, it is saving. In an effort to foster a higher savings rate, Scotiabank is encouraging Canadians to start socking away what they can. Scotia is encouraging its clients to employ an automatic savings plan, which is probably good advice […]

By Steven Lamb |July 30, 2010

2 min read

Investors focused on retirement income

Canadian investors are suffering from signs of uncertainty and declining financial health thanks to Greece disease, according to the Russell Financial Health Index (RFHI). The study says they are most concerned about having a reliable source of income and leading an active and healthy lifestyle in retirement. “According to the RFHI, investors’ confidence in their […]

2 min read

Advisor to swim Lake Ontario in polio fight

If all goes according to plan, next Saturday night Thie Convery will be cold, wet and exhausted. She will also be thrilled to have swum across Lake Ontario in a fundraising effort to wipe out the last vestiges of an ancient disease. “I’m a Rotarian, and Rotarians worldwide have taken up the challenge of eradicating […]

By Steven Lamb |July 30, 2010

3 min read

Briefly:

Dynamic Funds has launched the Dynamic Emerging Markets Class, which will combine growth and value investing in one emerging markets mutual fund. As part of the Dynamic corporate class structure, it also offers tax efficient switching. The fund is managed by two of Dynamic’s stars: growth manager Rohit Sehgal and value-focused Chuk Wong, who will […]

By Steven Lamb |July 29, 2010

2 min read