Industry

MER report valid, but take a closer look at the numbers, analyst says

(June 12, 2003) A controversial report from Morningstar Canada analyzing rising management expense ratios (MERs) in the mutual fund industry is fair, one industry analyst has concluded. However, the increase in MERs is perhaps not as dramatic as it first appears, says Dan Hallett, senior investment analyst at Sterling Mutuals. The report, released earlier this […]

By Doug Watt |June 12, 2003

2 min read

Advocis conference update: Maritime Life chief reminds advisors true value is in client relationships

Describe scenarios instead of making predictions; Remember their true value is in providing outcomes, not illustrations; and Keep in close contact with clients. During his freewheeling and entertaining presentation, Black also touched on bank mergers (he’s against them, saying they don’t serve the customer’s best interests), insurance company consolidation (he thinks the industry is nearing […]

By John Craig |June 12, 2003

3 min read

Employers forced to cough up more as pension assets decline

(June 11, 2003) Registered pension plans (RPPs) lost nearly $4 billion last year as stock prices declined, forcing employers to significantly increase their contributions, Statistics Canada reported today RPPs had revenues of $13.7 billion and expenses of $15.3 billion in the fourth quarter of 2002, resulting in a $1.6 billion loss. For the year, the […]

By Doug Watt |June 11, 2003

2 min read

MERs rising, Morningstar study finds

(June 10, 2003) In down markets, investors are likely to question anything they suspect is draining their accounts. And if they think mutual fund fees are higher than they used to be, they might be right. A report from Morningstar Canada says Canadians paid over $10 billion annually for the past three years and it […]

By Steven Lamb |June 10, 2003

2 min read