Assessing the Risks of a Recession


Assessing the Risks of a Recession

Canada was not in recession in early 2015, and never has been without a U.S. recession. Indicators of a U.S. recession are rising, namely yield curve flattening and tightening lending standards... ...but these...

Five Year-End Tax Planning Strategies


Five Year-End Tax Planning Strategies

As we approach the end of 2015, investors should be aware of things they can do with their portfolios to minimize their 2015 taxes. Here are five strategies to ease the burden...

What Drives Interest Rates?


What Drives Interest Rates?

With interest rates at record low levels, investors ranging from long-term investment funds (Pension Plans & Endowments) to individuals planning for retirement are facing a number of unique challenges.  So what drives market...

How to Make an RRSP Decision that's Right for Your Age


How to Make an RRSP Decision that's Right for Your Age

As the RRSP deadline of March 2 approaches, many investors are reviewing their portfolios and strategies, but with the Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA), investors have another place to put their funds. In...

The Oil Conundrum


The Oil Conundrum

In the spring of 2014, the feeling among investors was that crude oil prices would average $101 per barrel over the next year and $103 per barrel over the next 2 years. Fast forward...

Why The Bank Of Canada Will Raise Rates Later And Slower Than The Fed


Why The Bank Of Canada Will Raise Rates Later And Slower Than The Fed

- Our interest rate outlook implies that the Bank of Canada will normalize monetary policy both later and more slowly than the US Federal Reserve. - We expect the US Federal Reserve to...

Four Ways to Protect Yourself from Another Market Crash


Four Ways to Protect Yourself from Another Market Crash

Six years ago this month, the venerable, 158-year-old investment banker Lehman Brothers collapsed and the world was plunged into the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. As the sixth anniversary of the...

The Good and Bad of High-frequency Trading


The Good and Bad of High-frequency Trading

Since the publication of Michael Lewis’s new book, Flash Boys, a startling amount of attention has been given to the practice of high-frequency trading. HFT is a nuanced and highly complex part of...

Tax Tips: New CRA Requirements


Tax Tips: New CRA Requirements

You’ve made your RRSP and TFSA contributions. You’ve done your end-of-year tax-loss selling. You’ve contributed to registered charities. You’ve done all the right things to manage your taxes. Now that March is here...

Six RRSP Traps to Avoid


Six RRSP Traps to Avoid

It’s that time of year again when many investors look at their portfolios and make their annual RRSP contributions. The variety of investment options can be stressful and confusing, causing some investors to...

New Rules that Might Affect Your Investments in 2014


New Rules that Might Affect Your Investments in 2014

A new year raises a number of questions for investors. How will stock markets perform? When will interest rates go up? And what rules have changed that will affect assets or tax and...

Retirement Planning: Time to Rethink Old Formulas


Retirement Planning: Time to Rethink Old Formulas

When it comes to investing, the traditional asset-allocation rule goes something like this: Start with 100. Subtract your age. That’s the percentage of your portfolio that should be invested in stocks. The balance...