More Canadians will turn to the capital markets in order to save for retirement, said Dina Palozzi, executive vice president, Client Relations, BMO Nesbitt Burns.

Speaking to the Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute in Edmonton, Palozzi said that over time, Canadians have come to rely less on governments and employers, and more on themselves for their long-term financial planning needs.

“The reality is that almost every Canadian who is contemplating a comfortable retirement is going to need a little or a lot of help from his or her investment portfolio,” she said. “Given this new reality, it is all the more important that retail investors have fair access to the capital markets.”

Palozzi emphasized that financial services organizations will play an increasingly important role in the realization of investors’ retirement goals.

A recent survey by Bank of Montreal revealed that retirement and long-term investing are the primary savings goals for more than half of Canadians. Investors are also seeking help when researching and choosing their potential investments.

“Whether it’s through online do-it-yourself portfolios, or one-on-one investment advice and discretionary portfolio management, individual investors have a wider range of products and services to choose from their bank or brokerage,” sai. Palozzi.

To a significant degree, she said, technology has brought about this shift.

“Via the Internet, individual investors have access to a vast array of data ranging from annual reports and company news releases to live annual meeting broadcasts and detailed reports by analysts. For the discerning investor, there are many opportunities to access useful information,” Palozzi said.

Like technological innovation, she said the recent introduction of new rules and regulations is also helping to make the capital markets more accessible to retail investors.

“Canada’s regulators have recently reinforced their commitment to fair disclosure regulations, which, among other things, prohibit all selective disclosures,” she said.

Palozzi applauded the creation of the System for Electronic Disclosure by Insiders (SEDI), an initiative of the Canadian Securities Administrators, which will provide greater convenience to all market participants and more timely information to investors about insider transactions.