Helping you make wiser investment decisions
UPDATED On Friday, March 13, 2020, the Bank of Canada cut the overnight rate by half a percentage point to 0.75%. It was a shocking move in a way, given that the BoC just cut rates by 0.5% a week earlier, but it’s clear that they think COVID-19 could be far more damaging to the […]
Automating Finance: Infrastructures, Engineers, and the Making of Electronic Markets. 2019. Juan Pablo Pardo-Guerra. Cambridge University Press. For some time now, the idea that the stock market is rigged has taken hold among the general public, certain politicians, and even many professional investors. The debate that greeted Michael Lewis’s 2014 book Flash Boys, which focused […]
Photo by Connally Morris on Unsplash When you think of a card with well-rounded benefits and flexible points, easy ways to redeem for travel, a healthy welcome offer, and generous hotel and insurance perks, American Express is often top of mind. While still not as widely accepted as competitors bearing the Visa or Mastercard name, […]
Photo created by freepik – www.freepik.com Q. My wife and I are both 57 years old. I have a business in Ontario, from which I earn $260,000 a year, and my wife makes $40,000 at her job. We have maxed out our RRSP contributions and we will soon do the same with our TFSAs. We […]
Do you ever wonder whether your active fund is worth the management and performance fees you charge? Would passive investments have yielded similar or better outcomes for your clients? If you haven’t asked yourself these questions, you can be sure your clients have asked themselves. And they will continue to, measuring what you deliver with […]
You’re rushing out the door and you pat that familiar spot to confirm you’ve got your wallet, only to find…nothing. I don’t know about you, but after searching yesterday’s pockets, my mind goes to some dark places. First, the kitchen pantry. Maybe I put the granola bar in my purse and my wallet in the […]
Beyond dividend yield, what determines the quality of Singapore’s favorite asset class, real estate investment trusts (REITs)? We examined that question in a Singapore Business Times article in October. One consideration we highlighted: The benefits of portfolio diversification in reducing return volatility. We also stressed the need to put the presence of income support and […]
When you apply for a mortgage, the bank will offer you an interest rate based on credit score. Under the stress test, however, that is not the rate the lender will use to determine your mortgage eligibility. Rather, it will make those calculations at a considerably higher interest rate, to ensure you’ll be able to […]
The coronavirus may be making its way around the world—95,000 people have contracted the disease, with about 3,300 having died from it. And, depending on how you look at it, it’s already affected nearly every person on the planet. From your portfolio, to your mortgage, to your travel plans, COVID-19 has likely impacted you in […]
What advice do the top women in finance have for those trying to make their way in the sector? Last year, I interviewed 50 accomplished women from around the world for my 2020 research paper “Top Tips for Business Success,” for release on International Women’s Day, 8 March 2020. As it turns out, five of […]
Equity Smart Beta and Factor Investing for Practitioners. 2019. Khalid Ghayur, CFA, FSIP, Ronan G. Heaney, and Stephen C. Platt, CFA. Wiley. For many years, the investment profession has debated the merits of passive and active investing. On the one hand, proponents of passive investing have invoked the concept of efficient markets, as well as […]
Some people do their own tax returns using consumer software (like TurboTax), while others opt to hire a professional to do it for them. Either way, the starting point for any tax return is pulling together all the necessary documentation. Last year’s tax return is a good starting point, as it gives a clue as […]
