Top tips from portfolio managers in 2016

Throughout the year, we posted AdvisorToGo podcasts and related articles on a variety of topics, including investing around the globe and where to find opportunities, interest rates, volatility and geopolitical developments.

In reverse order, here are the most popular stories of 2016.

• Reasons to invest in life insurers

In 2016, Canadian life insurance companies were expected to perform better than banks.

• Why government bonds aren’t safe

These days, the trade-off for low default risk appears to be a really low reward — or, if you’re in Europe or Japan, a negative reward.

• Time to turn to safe havens

It’s no secret that central banks are running out of options. For 2016, safe havens were the preferred hedge.

• Don’t make these 2 investment mistakes

The first step in avoiding behavioural blunders is combining good qualitative and quantitative research. Here are the mistakes to avoid.

• Dips ahead for loonie and USD

The loonie surged in Q1 due to factors such as rising oil prices. And as Luc de la Durantaye predicted, there were in fact several dips throughout the year. Here’s a look at what was expected.

4 and 3. Bad news for business owners, corporate-class investors

Tax expert Jamie Golombek offered his reaction to the 2016 budget, which proposed changes for small business owners and clients who own corporate-class funds.

Since then, the Finance Department changed the effective date for corporate-class switching to January 1^st.

Here are Golombek’s latest comments, which fills the number three spot on the list.

• Loonie won’t fully recover until end of 2016

The loonie hit mid-January lows but then started gaining by early March due to oil trends and a weaker U.S. dollar. The loonie peaked in May just below US$0.80. As predicted, the CAD perked up at the end of 2016, but we’re still waiting for the full recovery.

• U.S. election series

One of the biggest stories of the year was President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign and election win. We spoke to experts about the probability of a Trump presidency (in September, markets had attached less than 20% probability that Trump would win). Portfolio managers also offered insight on how the election would impact currencies and what to expect for Canadian stocks under a Trump or Clinton presidency.

After the election, American Century Investment’s Peter Hardy pointed to the opportunities and risks in the U.S.

Also, here’s an update on how currencies were doing post-election and some tips on how to talk about Trump’s impact with clients.