The average investor underperforms virtually all other traditional asset classes, even when inflation increases are included. J.P. Morgan, comparing 20-year annualized returns by asset class, found the average investor rings in at 2.1% compared to the S&P 500 Index at 8.2%. This [Read more]
Cash reserves held by Canadians have risen significantly since the global financial crisis. Earlier this year, CIBC World Markets reported that Canadians currently hold $75 billion in cash. That’s almost 10 per cent of the total value of overall personal liquid assets in Canada. CIBC also [Read more]
The independent research and consultancy firm ETFGI confirms 2015 was another banner year for the global ETFs/ETPs industry, with US$372.0 billion in net new assets – a 10% increase over the 2014 record of US$338.3 billion. Global assets under management grew from US$2.784 trillion to US$2.992 [Read more]
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]
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]
Investors pay fees for portfolio management, as they do for any professional service, but many are unaware of the variety of options regarding fee structure. One of the most popular is the fee-based pricing model. According to PriceMetrix, fee-based structures are the preferred method of [Read more]
Investor emotions are a portfolio’s worst enemy. Fortunately they are also predictable, following a route in sync with market cycles. The peak is the middle of a bull market, when investors are most optimistic. The trough is during a bear market, when investor emotions are correspondingly low. [Read more]
Although it’s understood that stock markets fluctuate, volatility still makes investors uneasy. Unfortunately, nervousness about market turbulence can cause them to make short-term decisions with detrimental impacts on long-term portfolio performance. Investors hastily sell but are usually [Read more]
Wise investors have dividend-paying investments in their portfolios and, if they don’t require the income, are even wiser to consider dividend reinvestment plans (DRIPs). Instead of delivering cash payouts, DRIPs reinvest the money to purchase additional shares. There are many advantages. To [Read more]
As Canadian investors contemplate tax season, they think about efficiency. Do I pay too much in taxes? How can I minimize them? One answer comes in the form of flow-through shares, which provide a legitimate tax-assisted investment vehicle to save or defer taxes. Flow-through shares are a [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]
As one year passes and another unfolds, it’s time to make Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) contributions. They’ve been around since 2009 and yet Canadians still largely misunderstand them. The annual BMO TFSA Report says 66 per cent claim to be knowledgeable about TFSAs, but only 22 percent [Read more]
Nearly $2.4 Billion in Orders for the $500 Million Offering Ontario has successfully launched a green bond program with a bond issue of $500 million, making it the first government in Canada to issue green bonds. There was strong demand for Ontario’s first green bond, with orders [Read more]
A BMO Psychology of Investing report revealed some worrisome data on investor emotions that included; two-thirds of those polled have not been in total control of their emotions when investing and; a majority of Canadians have invested on impulse at least once. That’s bad news for portfolios [Read more]
