Credit bureaus can be misleading: they can make a potential agent look good if you don’t know how to find the skeletons in the closet. “Hidden within the credit bureau is a lot of useful information that people don’t pay attention to,” said Ian Robinson, president of Greengrass Group, in a session entitled “Hiring Smart,” […]
Moderated by: Vikram Barhat Participants: Tony De Thomasis, president, De Thomas Financial Corp., Mark Yamada,president, PUR Investing Inc. Tony De Thomasis: In my mind nothing has changed. What happened in 2008 was like the Black Swan book. It’s something that happens once every 80 or 100 years. I’m not going to change the way I […]
China’s reputation sure does precede itself. Canadian financial industry made it clear they are unimpressed with China’s recent decision to de-peg its currency, the renminbi or yuan, to the U.S. dollar. Industry experts are looking at it against the backdrop of a poor track record and fickle international policy, as they point out that the […]
Strong support from distributors and carriers is helping the eData initiative make giant strides towards its realization. The eData initiative is a cooperative effort between CLIEDIS member carriers, distributors and system and software providers to develop a process for e-transactions and straight-through processing, starting with new business. Scott Sinclair, COO, Transamerica and co-chair of the […]
It may seem like an absurd investment strategy but this is the time to invest in European equities. At the recent Bull & Bear Symposium, financial experts from the U.S. made a strong case for investing in Europe and Emerging Markets. “In this market we’d be buying European equities,” said Jason E. Todd, Morgan Stanley […]
Warren Buffett’s call to alms hasn’t gone unnoticed in the financial fraternity of Toronto. But while most feel Buffett’s initiative is sound, his intentions may not be. In short, no one’s getting swayed that easily. For those who came in late, Warren Buffet and Bill Gates are asking the world’s billionaires to sign a pledge, […]
Here’s a sign that the financial crisis is behind us: Sceptre Investment Counsel Limited and Fiera Capital, Inc. have signed a definitive agreement to merge the two companies. The announcement may well be saying that resurgent Canadian companies have enough cash, credit and confidence to undertake such deals. The new company will be named Fiera […]
An increasing number of Canadian investors prefer not to limit their investments with just one firm, despite showing a marked increase in overall satisfaction with the quality of services received. According to a report by J.D. Power and Associates, investor satisfaction has increased considerably from 2009 as the market recovered, but investors are exercising caution […]
The value of financial planning gets yet another stamp of approval. Investors with financial plans feel better prepared to deal with difficult economic times and better equipped to attain a wide spectrum of life goals, according to a study conducted by Financial Planning Standards Council (FPSC). The study notes that Canadians engaged in comprehensive, integrated […]
A fish rots from the head down. Take any firm flirting with compliance and the fact will be on display in all its allegorical glory. The tone, therefore, must be set from the top. It is the job of senior management to create a culture of compliance and make it a key strategic priority, said […]