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Many investors and advisors are reluctant to buy an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) with a relatively small asset base or low trading volume. This results from the fear of inputting a trade so large that it causes an unfavourable move in the market price...

In the mid-1990s, interest rates offered on guaranteed investment certificates (GICs) ranged from 6% to 8% per year for five-year terms. Those rates – generous by today’s standards – were a far cry from the double-digit rates available just a...

There are few investments that investors love more than those that spin out regular cash payments. One such strategy – Covered Call Writing – is attracting a lot of attention and investor dollars. Many investors view this strategy as generating...

In 2016, the Philadelphia Federal Reserve published a paper of its study of the bankruptcy filings of individuals living in close proximity to the winners of large lottery jackpots. They found that when an individual wins the lottery, people in the...

Throughout most of this century, investors have been down on bonds. The argument was that rates are historically low and are bound to rise – which would push bond prices down. (Prior to this year, I’ve heard that my entire career.) With North...

Over the past two decades, investors have had seemingly little patience for an underperforming investment or money manager. Investors tend to dump the laggard for “something that’s doing better”. But an understanding of market...

This blog will be considered Part 2 of a 3-Part series pertaining to Portfolio Monitoring. Please view the Part 1 blog. Effective Performance Analysis Requires Qualitative Insights The phrase stamped on every investment fund prospectus is something...

Nearly every financial and wealth advisor speaks of the importance of putting clients’ interest above all else. The words roll off the tongue. It is much harder, however, to back up those words with consistent, meaningful actions. In a blog from...

How can you find a great financial advisor – a true professional? This age-old question has long been answered with suggestions of requesting referrals from friends, doing internet searches, and asking standard questions of prospective advisors....

The rollercoaster that was 2020 has slipped into the rear view. So many of us are looking forward to a happier and healthier 2021 and beyond. The turn of the calendar is also a time of resolutions for many. Once the financial planning basics are...