Most people desire to see their children become well educated, and given the burden of financing post-secondary learning, it’s no wonder education planning and savings has become a staple of the financial planning and investment industry. Of course, the most popular method to save for education is the Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP). The benefits […]
One of the most common objections to purchasing an insurance policy is: “If I just saved that money instead of paying for this policy every month, I’d end up with more money than the insurance would pay me.” I’m sure every advisor has heard that argument at least once, and the simplest rebut is, “Sure, […]
One of the most common objections to purchasing an insurance policy is: “If I just saved that money instead of paying for this policy every month, I’d end up with more money than the insurance would pay me.” I’m sure every advisor has heard that argument at least once, and the simplest rebut is, “Sure, […]
As the baby boomer generation has aged, the ever-shifting forces of demographics have begun to push the financial industry from one focused on wealth building and accumulation to one that will concentrate on distribution and income generation. The signs of this are inescapable to anyone who has been paying attention. While 10 years ago, the […]
Last week’s regulatory changes by Britain’s Financial Services Authority (FSA) received little coverage here in Canada. However, these are changes that should grab the attention of Canadian advisors, suppliers and regulators alike. The biggest change made was regarding how advisors get paid. The FSA has effectively banned upfront sales commissions from being attached to any […]
While they’ve been around for just over two years, Guaranteed Minimum Withdrawal Benefit (GMWB) segregated funds have made a significant impact on the Canadian marketplace. The introduction of an investment vehicle that offers the opportunity to participate in investment markets while guaranteeing a stream of income for life has been so attractive to the marketplace […]
On more than one occasion, I’ve exchanged views with clients and colleagues about participating (par) whole life. At issue are various nuggets of wisdom passed along by industry associates, and others who share a view that par provides a poor rate of return. While whole life providers have given advisors a plethora of marketing material […]
Necessity is the mother of invention, as the proverb says. Whenever there’s a need, someone will invent a device to meet that need. While the expression generally refers to things mechanical, it’s also true in the investment management market. Mutual funds, exchange traded funds, linked notes and many other structured investment vehicles all represent innovations […]
Not long ago, a mutual fund wholesaler was in my office touting the benefits of his product offering to my business partner. While the two agreed on the value of the product, they agreed to disagree about its tax efficiency in non-registered portfolios. My partner observed the product wouldn’t be as tax-efficient as some of […]