Beating the S&P/TSX Composite Index has been a challenge for active managers for years, so it’s no surprise that that most Canadian mutual funds underperformed yet again. According to the Standard & Poor’s Indices Versus Active Funds (SPIVA) report, only 8.2% of Canadian equity active managers outperformed the Composite Index. “Compared to previous reports, it’s […]
If you’re wondering how Canada’s investment managers are feeling about the country’s economic future, Morningstar Canada can sum it up in two words: cautiously optimistic. In the research company’s first Morningstar Investment Manager Survey in four years, the overall consensus among the 23 investment firms surveyed was that North America’s economy should improve in the […]
If there’s any topic that can spark a heated debate, it’s the rising price of oil. Where the cost of the expensive commodity will go was the main topic of discussion during a Morningstar Investment Conference panel on Wednesday, with one forecaster saying we’ll see a barrel of crude hit $140, while another speaker said […]
Getting sued is every advisor’s nightmare. Not only does it damage your reputation and potentially result in a revoked license, but court cases, on average, last one month and cost about $100,000 after tax. While you can’t stop your clients from taking legal action, there are ways to protect yourself from costly, ongoing litigation. The […]
New Brunswick is the latest province to allow Mutual Fund Dealer Association members to incorporate, leaving Alberta as the only jurisdiction that forces advisors to act as individuals. The move toward incorporation meant the New Brunswick Securities Commission (NBSC) had to suspend MFDA rule 2.4, which states that advisors have to be paid as individuals. […]
(June 2008) A wedding takes a lot of preparation — flowers, food, venue — but one type of planning that soon-to-be newlyweds often overlook is their finances. Many couples, especially if they’re getting hitched for the second time, come into the marriage with separate investment accounts and their own homes, so figuring out what to […]
(May 2008) When Jim Flaherty announced in October 2006 that income trusts would be taxed in 2011, many investors thought the market was as good as dead. But that hasn’t been the case. In fact, the income trust sector has not only rebounded, its benchmark is outperforming the TSX Composite Index by about 7%. Leslie […]
The securities industry continued its downward spiral in the first quarter of this year, with total operating revenues falling 9% to $3.9 billion from Q4, and 14% year-over-year, says a new Investments Industry Association of Canada securities industry performance report. Operating profits also dropped, declining 15% from the previous quarter and 37% from the same […]
The rising cost of oil isn’t just hurting drivers’ wallets; it’s harming Canada’s low inflation rate — and your clients’ financial plans — as well. A new CIBC World Markets report says the price of shuffling goods and raw materials around the world has increased dramatically, and that’s driving up inflation. “Exploding transport costs may […]
As news goes from bad to worse in the economically challenged United States, things in Canada are only looking up. A new CIBC World Markets report says TSX earnings will rise by 21% this year, with a further advance of 12% in 2009. “Analysts have been lifting their expectations for earnings growth north of the […]