This morning’s announcement by the Finance Minister is the start of a government program to put Canadians on a “debt diet”, according to CIBC World Markets. While this may remove some liquidity from the market, it should make economic growth more sustainable in 2011. “Canada’s economic mix has been the polar opposite of the U.S., […]
Mutual funds sales for December – in fact, much of 2010 – were reminiscent of Goldilocks. Investors found some fund categories too hot for their liking (equity), while others were starting to cool off (fixed income). Great luck for balanced fund managers, as investors opted for the “just right” asset mix. “Long term fund sales […]
At a time when investors and industry participants are calling for proper regulatory enforcement, we get word that the OSC is considering a request that an IIROC investigation be shut down. The request comes from Deutsche Bank Securities, which is under scrutiny for its role in the distribution of asset backed commercial paper products, which […]
Canada’s securities regulation regime is in dire need of an overhaul, as individual investors question whether the system is rigged against them, according to the chair of the board of governors of CFA Institute. Speaking to The Canadian Club in Toronto today, Marg Franklin called for the creation of a single national securities regulator in […]
The crisis of 2008-09 sent investors on a mad search for safety and a huge number of them sought refuge in bonds. Fixed income led mutual fund sales since the crisis, driving the price of bonds higher and yields lower. Some have suggested fixed income poses a threat as the next bubble.
Three years after the recession technically began in the U.S., things are starting to shape up, according to the economics team at UBS, which is predicting 3.3% nominal GDP growth for full-year 2011. That predicting makes the firm a bit of an outlier, as consensus estimates call for just 2.6% growth. “Monetary and fiscal policy […]
Just a warning to the IIROC-licensed advisors out there whose clients held onto their income trust holdings: You might get some confused phone calls the next time client statements go out. No doubt you explained to clients long ago that most of their income trusts would convert to corporate structures by January 1, 2011. Less […]
Reader Alert: We want to know what you think. Have your say and comment on our stories. Post your comments at the bottom of most stories on Advisor.ca and take our retirement poll here. Mutual fund sales finished 2010 on a strong note, with between $1.17 billion and $1.67 billion in net sales, according to […]
There's been a lot of talk lately about the Canadian dollar hitting parity against its U.S. counterpart, and the impact that has had – and will continue to have – on the Canadian manufacturing sector.
Here’s the deal, you can stash away up to $5,000 per year, invest in any of the most popular and accessible vehicles and your returns are tax free. Sounds good, right? But more than half of Canadians have not taken advantage of the TFSA, according to a survey commissioned by ING DIRECT. Even among those […]