According to a recent survey done by Franklin Templeton, Canadians are generally quite optimistic about their future, with 92% looking forward to retirement. On the whole, Canadians are planning on traveling, spending time with friends and family, and pursuing hobbies. Despite the optimism, 82% are [Read more]
It’s been a rocky year for investors but that doesn’t mean things need to get worse as we near tax loss selling season. Some prudent planning done now can reap dividends later. Generally speaking, most retail investors conduct tax loss selling during the latter part of November and the first [Read more]
A study by BMO Global Asset Management found that one quarter of already-retired Canadians are surprised to find their savings are not as sufficient as they thought. A key factor is that people are living longer. Statistics Canada says the average Canadian male will live 84 years and females 87 [Read more]
Every year many Canadian families are face with paying for a large portion of their child’s post-graduate education. A study conducted by BMO Global Asset Management found that 70% of parents are worried their children will not be able to afford university or college. As a result, they are [Read more]
Mutual funds have long been a favorite of Canadian investors. According to the Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC), 4.6 million Canadian households own mutual funds representing $1.14 trillion in assets. Many opt for mutual funds for their simplified approach to investing. However, [Read more]
Independent research and consultancy firm ETFGI reports there are 5,410 exchange-traded products (ETPs) globally, with 10,477 listings from 222 providers listed on 60 exchanges. These ETPs represent US$2.62 trillion as at the end of July. The most popular ETP is the Exchange Traded Fund (ETF). [Read more]
If not placed in the context of either market history or investment horizon, a significant market drop will cause some investors to doubt the wisdom of their investment plans and become nervous. Then they jeopardize their long-term portfolios by making short-term decisions during the turbulence. [Read more]
Research and consultancy firm ETFGI reports that globally listed assets of ETFs and exchange-traded products reached a new record high of US$2.55 trillion at the end of May 2014. Canada represents US$63.2 billion of those assets. This remarkable growth has also brought changes. ETFs started out [Read more]
Canadian residents, who die owning assets such as vacation properties in the United States or stocks in U.S. companies, may be subject to U.S. estate taxes. For tax purposes, assets include real and tangible personal property situated in the U.S., shares of U.S securities and units of U.S. mutual [Read more]
TD Economics reports that more than 500,000 Canadians spend significant periods of time in the United States. These individuals may be unaware that a Canadian can be deemed a U.S. person and subject to U.S. tax filing requirements if holding certain investment vehicles. The definition of a U.S. [Read more]
Recent technology sector events, such as King Digital Entertainment’s IPO and Facebook’s $19 billion acquisition of WhatsApp, have investors talking about a bubble. Price-earnings ratios in the sector are certainly high, and some valuations may not be realistic, but data show the sector [Read more]
Sensitivity to market volatility and concerns about rising interest rates have many investors turning to alternative strategies as a way to get downside protection. Data provider Hedge Fund Research says total assets in the global hedge fund industry have increased to $2.63 trillion. Meanwhile, [Read more]
As Benjamin Franklin said, “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Fortunately for some Canadian investors, the latter can be controlled. For those investing outside their registered plans, corporate class funds offer a tax efficient means of [Read more]
Increased life expectancy has investors worrying that they will outlive their retirement assets, and their anxiety is magnified by concerns about preserving the assets through future market gyrations. This nervousness is reasonable and understandable but there are ways to address it. One is the [Read more]
Pondering the possibility of a personal health crisis is not easy and, despite the growing prevalence of debilitating illnesses and other disabling events, many people put it on the back burner. However, when the unexpected happens, the immediate financial impact can be devastating and negative [Read more]
