Investments

Time to open an emergency account

It’s something every advisor knows and hopefully puts into practice: get your clients to establish an emergency bank account. From the 1970s through to the 1990s, this was a no-brainer, as interest rates were relatively good on the usual savings vehicles — high-interest savings accounts and Canada Savings Bonds. But in the last decade or […]

By Janet Freedman |February 10, 2009

4 min read

Treating a household like a business

During recessions and market downturns, homeowners often take comfort in their biggest investment asset: their home. But should they? With spending and investing on many people’s minds these days, home prices, and the widespread conviction that investors never lose money on a house purchase, are being tested. As with much in life, the value of […]

By Scot Blythe |February 10, 2009

5 min read

Budget 2009: Few items of interest for advisors

This year’s federal budget was not obviously aimed directly at financial advisors and their clients. There’s nothing comparable to measures we have seen in recent budgets such as pension income splitting in March 2007 or the tax-free savings accounts announced last February. Nevertheless, there are aspects of the 2009 budget that we should be thinking […]

By Peter Drake |February 3, 2009

3 min read

Too late for defence

After licking his wounds following last year’s savage bear-market mauling, Bradley Radin believes it’s better to stay the course and position Templeton Global Smaller Companies for better times. “I’m in the camp that believes it’s too late to be defensive. You want to be on the offensive and be ready for the rebound,” says Radin, […]

By Michael Ryval |February 2, 2009

3 min read