News and resources for Canada's top financial advisors
Industry
(February 24, 2003) Pension plan sponsors are welcoming healthcare provisions laid out in last week’s federal budget. But although they are pleased that issues such as primary care, home care and catastrophic drug coverage have been addressed in the $16 billion five-year Health Reform Fund, they caution that the success of the budget initiatives will […]
By Anna Sharratt |February 24, 2003
3 min read
(February 24, 2003) Sun Life Financial, Canada’s largest insurer, has no interest in merging with one of the country’s big banks, company CEO Donald Stewart suggested today in Montreal. Calling a bank-life insurance merger “fraught with risk,” Stewart said Sun Life is instead focusing on international expansion. “It is not clear to us that a […]
By Doug Watt |February 24, 2003
2 min read
(February 21, 2003) A recent call for more co-operation in the financial services industry from Advocis, Canada’s largest professional association of advisors, has produced a mixed bag of responses from other associations and advisors. The head of the fledgling Canadian Institute of Financial Planners says he thinks Advocis wants to get rid of all other […]
By Doug Watt |February 21, 2003
(February 21, 2003) Advisors weighed in on both sides of the Ontario Securities Commission’s ruling that prominent financial commentator Brian Costello gave advice without being licenced. While some thought the OSC was overextending its reach, others called for even tighter scrutiny of unlicenced commentators. “This kind of decision will give them further proof that they […]
By Scot Blythe |February 21, 2003
(February 20, 2003) “Calls for regulatory reform to boost investor confidence in the U.S. are echoing throughout Canada and around the world,” says Investment Dealers Association president Joe Oliver. But if Canada is going to reform its fragmented system of securities regulation, political leaders must step up to the plate to champion the cause, Oliver […]
By Caroline Cakebread |February 20, 2003
(February 19, 2003) Brian Costello violated the Ontario Securities Act by not registering as a financial advisor, a three-member panel of the Ontario Securities Commission has ruled. The panel also decided that the popular financial commentator failed to disclose numerous conflicts of interest. A ruling on possible sanctions against Costello will be announced following submissions […]
By Doug Watt |February 19, 2003
(February 18, 2003) With declining interest rates, seniors are getting less of their retirement income from private investments and more from registered savings, whether in a Registered Retirement Savings Plan or a Registered Pension Plan, says Statistics Canada. In a report released last week, Statistic Canada analyzed the sources of retirement income from 1990 to […]
By Scot Blythe |February 18, 2003
(February 17, 2003) Great-West Lifeco has emerged as Canada Life Financial’s white knight, today announcing a friendly $7.3 billion takeover bid for the Toronto-based insurer. The offer trumps an earlier hostile bid for Canada Life from Manulife Financial. Great-West says it has agreed to acquire all of Canada Life’s common shares for a combination of […]
By Doug Watt |February 17, 2003
(February 18, 2003) Armed with a larger than expected surplus and buoyed by a resilient Canadian economy, Ottawa opened up the federal coffers today, committing billions of dollars in new spending to healthcare, defence and the environment. The federal budget also includes some tax reduction measures, including a long-awaited increase in RRSP contribution limits. Budget […]
4 min read
(February 18, 2003) Retirement savers got a mixed tax break in federal Finance Minister John Manley’s first budget. RRSP contribution limits will go up but not as high as many expected. Still, the budget offered a glimpse of potential future tax assistance for retirement savings even as its focus was directed more toward small businesses […]
By Scot Blythe |February 17, 2003
7 min read
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