The Canadian dollar may be dropping against the greenback this morning, but remains relatively strong when compared to other global currencies, notably the euro and the British pound. For any investors still in the European bond market, the soaring loonie threatens to gobble up any gains made there. “Currency movements can very easily wipe out […]
A fear of retirement grips Canadians, even as retired Canadians lead happy lives, according to an RBC poll. The first annual RBC Retirement Myths and Realities Poll noted that only 38% of pre-retirees over the age of 50 expect life to improve after retiring. “It’s natural to have concerns about retirement,” said Lee Anne Davies, […]
Next time you feel the urge to buy that expensive gadget you don’t need, desist. Next time you are tempted by the prospect of a luxury cruise you can ill-afford, resist. It is the practice of self-restraint that will help Canadians beat the tricky debt trap that has ensnared well over half the nation’s population. […]
IIROC and Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) are trying to find a way to exorcize the ghost of 5/6 stock market plunges that many now equate with a bloodbath. “The events of May 6 indicate how rapidly market conditions can change,” said Jean St-Gelais, CSA chair and president and chief executive officer of the Autorité des […]
Adding new advisors to the team is always exciting. The prospect of additional business can tempt a dealer to rush through the paperwork, but signing them up without the approval of the compliance department could leave the firm with a ticking time bomb. “When a new rep comes into the firm without due diligence done, […]
Member regulation (MR) notices issued by the MFDA are not rules; they are merely a tool to assist an interpretation, a sentiment that sums up the keynote speech by Robert Brush, partner, Crawley Meredith Brush LLP. He was speaking at the Association of Canadian Compliance Professionals’ 9th Annual Compliance Forum on Monday. “It seems to […]
“Point of sale (POS) is a waste of time.” Those were the opening remarks of Ellen Bessner, litigation partner, Cassels Brock and Blackwell, as she spoke at the Association of Canadian Compliance Professionals’ 9th Annual Compliance Forum on Monday. “That is why it hasn’t passed yet,” said Bessner picking up exactly where she left off […]
Canada escaped the recent economic downturn relatively unscathed as it had a short and shallow recession leading to a speedy recovery, says Paul Taylor, chief investment officer, BMO Harris Private Banking, Toronto. He was hosting a conference call themed ‘Dealing With Recovery’ which addressed a variety of topics related to the fragile global economic recovery, […]
The financial services sector faces an advisor succession crisis, due in large part to an industry structure that discourages advisors from arranging succession plans, according to speakers at the recent Advisor Distributors’ Summit. “There’s very little value for an advisor to say ‘I’m doing everything I can to build this thing up so I can […]
Active management is not dead, judging by the results of the first three months of 2010. Three quarters of Canadian Large Cap active managers outperformed S&P/TSX, according to the Russell Active Manager Report, the highest level since the second quarter of 2004. “The last two quarters have really highlighted the benefits of active management,” says […]