Most individuals are aware of the importance of investing – not everybody does it, but they know that it can be beneficial for their future. For those that are able and engaged in investing, a good percentage will invest their savings through their financial institution, a financial advisor or some... read more →
Nov
23
Nov
09
Love him or hate him, Donald Trump has been elected as the next President of the United States of America. This surprising outcome contradicts the pre-election polling results which showed Hillary Clinton as the favourite. This is the second high-profile failure of polling firms this year, given the Brexit surprise... read more →
Oct
14
The temperature was not the only thing that was hot this past summer as equity markets experienced sizzling returns around the world without any significant catalysts to explain the behaviour. The absence of any “bad news” might be the best explanation for the rise. Fixed income returns were also positive,... read more →
Sep
22
** Special to The Just Word Blog from Malcolm Burrows, Scotia Wealth Management ** Canada has the most generous tax incentives for charitable giving in the world, but the nature and extent are largely unknown to Canadians. Why does this paradox exist? There are practical issues that shape our understanding... read more →
Sep
06
The advent of the mutual fund was one of the greatest innovations in the field of finance. Mutual funds created a practical means for common folks to invest in the markets which used to be only accessible by the wealthy. The mechanics of how mutual funds operate have not changed... read more →
Aug
19
The Canadian financial services industry is facing some existential challenges. Over the past decade, the investment sector has seen a slow decline in best practices and value-driven client service. Consumers have taken note of this industry shift and the results are worrisome: investor trust in financial professionals in Canada has... read more →
Jul
15
Capital markets were sailing along smoothly in the second quarter until the Brexit tidal wave came crashing down. Equity markets around the world sold off sharply for two straight days after the people of the U.K. surprisingly voted in favour to leave the European Union. As we mentioned in our... read more →
Jun
24
Yesterday, a referendum was held in the U.K. to determine if the U.K. would exit the European Union, known as the “Brexit” vote. Despite advance polls indicating that the likely outcome would be for the U.K. to remain, the surprising result was a 52% majority in favour of leaving. This... read more →
Jun
24
The mutual fund industry is a mature industry that remains extremely profitable despite overwhelming evidence suggesting that alternative options such as exchange traded funds (ETFs) are far more beneficial for investors. Although mutual funds continue to have their market share eroded by ETFs, the fact that the assets in mutual... read more →
Jun
17
Most investors are aware of what a mutual fund is, but there is less general understanding about what an exchange traded fund (ETF) is. Much of the discrepancy can be explained by the fact that mutual funds have been around for more than 50 years longer than ETFs which were... read more →