Practice

Income solutions for everyone

The divide used to be fairly clear: Equities for the young ’uns, income solutions for retired folks. The mere mention of the word “dividend” to a pre-retiree sitting across your desk might have drawn stares.

By Michelle Patey |February 8, 2011

10 min read

Planning and Advice

Cdns baffled by retirement planning

When it comes to retirement planning, Canadians are suffering from the willing-but-not-able syndrome.

By Vikram Barhat |February 7, 2011

2 min read

Planning and Advice

Get more with less

Reader Alert: This is Part 2 of a three-part series. For Part 1, go here. In September 2010, members of the Institute of Advanced Financial Planners met in Banff, Alberta to consider the organization’s annual case study. This year’s case involved a client that everyone could identify with. This is the story of Russell, a […]

By Steven Lamb |February 7, 2011

5 min read

Planning and Advice

Netting new clients

There is no doubt that referrals are the preferred way to grow our practice but sometimes clients don’t always send along the right type of prospects. Also, what if you want to target a specific market such as business owners for the first time? Direct mail has helped us grow our practice and target specific markets over the years. Here’s how it works and how it can work for you.

By Mathieu Paradis |February 2, 2011

3 min read

Boutique, bank battle rages on

The turn of the 21st century was a time of opportunity for boutique advisory firms. Independent firms targeting mass affluent clients and their advisors, boutiques had a proposition they thought the banks couldn’t beat: a less bureaucratic culture and a focus on client service over transaction volume. What made this more attractive was the banks […]

By Scot Blythe |February 1, 2011

10 min read

An advisory group instead of a team

A career in financial services is probably the unlikeliest of gifts a boyfriend can get, but perhaps one of the greatest, as Angus Watt, managing director, individual investor services, Angus Watt Advisory Group, National Bank Financial, discovered.

By Vikram Barhat |February 1, 2011

3 min read

Preventing mistakes with behavioural finance

Mr. Silverman was upset during the 1999 client review meeting. He couldn’t fathom why you, his advisor, had not increased his equity allocation to take full advantage of the bull market in which his peers were participating. You were reminded of that meeting during the 2009 review when Mr. Silverman declared that he “had enough” and “couldn’t take it anymore.” He felt he was over-exposed to equities in the first place.

By Stephen Horan |February 1, 2011

6 min read

Preventing mistakes with behavioural finance

By Stephen Horan |February 1, 2011

6 min read

Beware the new e-rules

Recent federal government regulations will allow banks and other financial institutions to do more business with customers online and electronically transmit documents currently mailed at hefty postage, printing, disposal and environmental costs.

3 min read