Risk is a four-letter word nobody likes, and portfolio managers are no exception. However, the emergence of several new asset allocation methods that move away from the fixed mix strategy gives cause to see risk in a new light. These risk-focused methods can lead to better portfolio choices and thereby provide better protection during market […]
For the first eight months of 2009, more than 300,000 Canadians received a pink slip. And some who lost their jobs also had to deal with large sums in severance, and the uncertainty of what to do with it. Bruce Cumming, president of Cumming & Cumming Wealth Management in Oakville, Ont., confirms he saw a […]
Despite the growing popularity of social media sites, only 14.9% of financial advisors in the U.S. say they use Twitter to communicate with clients or colleagues, according to a survey by InvestmentNews. That may still too high, in the eyes of William Donegan, chief compliance officer at Scotia Securities Inc. He says the use of […]
Scotiabank has announced plans to bring together several areas of the bank to improve its overall asset management operations and to grow its wealth management division. “We have been growing consistently and convincingly and see this as an opportunity to further support our ability to drive organic growth,” said Glen Gowland, president and CEO, Scotia […]
After 10 consecutive months of decline, Canada’s gross domestic product showed a glimmer of hope in June with a 0.1% rise in GDP. And there’s plenty of evidence that growth continued through July and August, according to report by Dr. Sherry Cooper, chief economist of BMO Capital Markets. Canada’s economy fell at an annualized rate […]
Canadians who recently find themselves involuntarily unemployed may take comfort in the fact that the average duration of unemployment is fifteen weeks, according to a new report from CIBC World Markets. This is a marked improvement to the 1991 recession when the average duration of unemployment was 20 weeks. Moreover, the current unemployment period is […]
Canada’s venture capital activity continued to fall in the second quarter, according to a report by Canada’s Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (CVCA). The pace of venture activity in the second quarter was down 42%, compared to 34% in the first quarter of 2009. In nominal dollars, 2009 Q2 had the lowest amount of […]
Canada’s GDP contracted by 0.5% in May, posting a slightly worse performance than the 0.3% contraction analysts had predicted. The malaise in the goods-producing sector led the decline as manufacturing activity dropped by 1.6% in May. With the Canadian dollar at its highest point since October 2008, recovery in manufacturing could be held back. The […]
It is no surprise that charities suffer during market downturns. In the recent recession, most charities saw a sharp drop in major donations. Meanwhile, donor-advised funds flattened and endowments funds shrunk. “Community Foundations Canada recently announced that donations across the system were down 37% year over year,” says Malcolm Burrows, head of philanthropic advisory services, […]
Whether it’s due to layoffs or career changes, a growing number of people are taking extended periods off work. For those with defined benefit pension plans, the long absence from work could erode the value of their pension entitlements. Fortunately, one of the perks offered by most public defined benefit pension is the opportunity to […]