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U.S. pension funds are slashing their projected investment returns from major asset classes through 2013, prompting some to predict the impending death of defined benefit (DB) pension plans in that country, according to a study. Greenwich Associates’ survey of 1,000 U.S. institutions regarding their expected annual rates of return on individual asset classes for the […]
By Jody White |February 2, 2009
2 min read
Some of the major advantages mutual funds have enjoyed over exchange-traded funds — automatic investment and withdrawal programs — are no longer. Responding to increased advisor interest in ETFs, one provider has introduced a distribution reinvestment plan (DRIP), a pre-authorized cash contribution plan (PACC) and a systematic withdrawal plan (SWP) for its ETFs. DRIPs, PACCs […]
By Mark Noble |February 2, 2009
4 min read
Canaccord Capital has completed its Canaccord Relief Program, which repurchases, at par value, up to $152 million of restructured third-party asset-backed commercial paper from eligible clients. “Over the past 17 months, Canaccord has worked to protect our clients’ best interests through a very difficult situation,” said Mark Maybank, COO of Canaccord Capital. “I’d like to […]
By Staff |February 2, 2009
Canada overflows with designations, some related to the sale of a product, others gradually becoming required for membership in a recognized industry association. One organization, the Institute for Advanced Financial Planning, isn’t seeking to regulate sales or education, but the practice of financial planning itself. Advisor staff talked recently with the IAFP president, Ottawa financial […]
By Scot Blythe |February 1, 2009
8 min read
If investors truly believe that “this time it’s different,” they need to understand that they are betting against almost 200 years of market performance, says Jim O’Shaughnessy, the Connecticut-based star fund manager renowned for his quantitative investment philosophy. O’Shaughnessy, chairman and CEO of O’Shaughnessy Asset Management, who manages a number of popular mandates for RBC […]
By Mark Noble |January 30, 2009
5 min read
Welcome to the weekly roundup of news affecting you, as covered by Advisor.ca and our sister publication, Conseiller.ca. Read this section every week to catch up on the news you missed, or click here and subscribe to get regular updates sent to your inbox or BlackBerry. Skip to: Quick links, stories this week. Or click […]
By Kate McCaffery |January 30, 2009
The Canadian economy contracted 0.7% in November, according to the latest data from StatsCan. That’s almost double the rate of contraction expected by economists, with a consensus estimate of 0.4%. In October, the decline had been just 0.1%. “The combination of the fall’s intense financial market volatility and the deepening global downturn caught up with […]
By Staff |January 30, 2009
The hedge fund industry is facing the most serious challenge in its history, due in no small part to the fact that many funds that marketed themselves as so-called alternative assets have fallen just as fast, and just as hard, as plain vanilla equity funds. But there are some mandates offering non-correlated performance. Anyone invested […]
By Mark Noble |January 29, 2009
The near-collapse of the American financial system, and the global economic downturn it has caused, have proven the risks associated with lax corporate governance, yet many Canadian investment firms are doing little to hold management’s feet to the fire, according to a study on proxy voting. The eighth annual Key Proxy Vote Survey, conducted by […]
By Steven Lamb |January 29, 2009
The slowing economy has led to increased bankruptcies in Canada, according to consumer credit rating agency Equifax Canada. The number of bankruptcies has increased by 9% year-over-year, to 109,068 at the end of November 2008. “Unfortunately, our latest data illustrates that the weaker economy coupled with high personal debt levels has led to an increasing […]
By Staff |January 29, 2009
3 min read
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