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In the advice industry, it’s all about technology

Make the most of tech with these tips for advisors, firms and providers

binoculars
Mary Hagerman

ETF outlook for 2025 and beyond

Continued growth and innovation are expected

Wooden dominos falling
Tashia Batstone

Breaking down barriers to financial planning access

Professional planners have a vital role to play in helping underserved Canadians

Global growth
Andy Mitchell

Global perspectives and trends shaping the investment funds industry

IFIC panel discusses ESG disclosures, fund sales and international collaboration

Three-generation family takes a photo in a park
David Reeve

Intergenerational wealth transfer can be captured with tech

Engage younger investors on their terms

  • By: David Reeve
  • November 27, 2024 November 22, 2024
  • 16:00
Illustration of two people shaking hands on two upward arrows
Ellen Bessner

Breaking up doesn’t have to be hard to do

Three steps to reduce the risk and pain of advisor partnership breakups

Businesspeople arm wrestling
Ellen Bessner

Breaking up is hard to do, Part 1

Risks when partnering with other financial advisors

CRA signage
Jamie Golombek

CRA confirms its approach to interest deductibility

Agency provides examples of when income-earning purpose is met

Happy mature woman holding hands with her family while moving up the hill towards their picnic place.
Susan Silma

The new retirement requires a new approach

It’s time to think differently about retired clients

  • By: Susan Silma
  • October 16, 2024 October 16, 2024
  • 16:09
old way, new way
Tashia Batstone

A time of transition for the financial planning profession

Financial planners continue to adapt to a whirlwind of new developments in recent years

Canadian flag
Andy Mitchell

Investment funds industry bucks Canada’s low-productivity trend

Conference Board of Canada report details industry’s economic impact

Computer with financial growth
David Reeve

Addressing internal challenges to wealth firms’ growth

Advisor time constraints, attrition are controllable factors

Stormy waters
Ellen Bessner

Don’t go down with your client’s ship

Use these three steps to deal with clients who insist on unsuitable investments

Technology will drive harmonization, regulators say

The insurance industry is taking a page from the mutual fund industry, leveraging technology to address mounting disclosure regulations

AI is not just another fad

AI is slowly making its way into the wealth-management industry and will ultimately transform financial advisors’ role

Is financial services the next music industry?

Blockchain technology may transform financial services just as peer-to-peer file-sharing technology changed the music industry almost 20 years ago

The future has never looked brighter

In his final column, Cary List shares his thoughts on the future of financial planning

  • By: Cary List
  • March 26, 2021 March 26, 2021
  • 15:00

Financial literacy: taking the long view

The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada’s renewed national strategy for financial literacy can help Canadians focus on the future

  • By: Cary List
  • January 29, 2021 January 29, 2021
  • 15:00

Toward a grand renewal

Financial planners can play a key role in rebuilding Canadians’ confidence

  • By: Cary List
  • November 27, 2020 November 26, 2020
  • 15:00

The need for sustainable business supply chains is growing

Advisors and their clients stand to benefit when corporate leaders focus on building socially and environmentally responsible enterprises

  • By: Deb Abbey
  • February 21, 2017 November 17, 2019
  • 06:00

Opportunity knocks for investors who want to make an impact

A growing base of investors are looking for investments that contribute measurably to environmental and social sustainability

  • By: Deb Abbey
  • October 20, 2016 November 17, 2019
  • 05:00

Diversity makes dollars and sense

Corporate boards and executive teams that lack gender and cultural diversity risk missing out on opportunities to generate long-term value

  • By: Deb Abbey
  • August 18, 2016 November 17, 2019
  • 05:00

Investor stewardship and proxy voting: A new era of transparency

Public database of proxy voting records aims to better align asset managers and owners

5 actions for fund managers to overcome ESG pain points

Evolving expectations leave some managers struggling

  • By: Dustyn Lanz
  • October 16, 2023 October 16, 2023
  • 15:00

Will Canada import America’s anti-ESG campaign?

Opinion: The backlash has limited prospects for four reasons

No note-taking requirements in CFRs? Think again!

The rules are in code. Here’s how to crack the code

To protect yourself and clients, rethink trusted contacts

Why clients need to name different people as PoA and TCP

Do your notes pass the sniff test?

Here are three steps to prove suitability

The CSA must act on critical reforms

Two key issues — the best-interests standard and reform of mutual fund fees — require timely and effective action

Treat shareholders fairly when venture issuers raise capital

FAIR Canada supports exemptions that have the key features of rights offerings or private placements in compliance with the TSXV’s private placement rules

Reform of accredited investor exemption is needed

Current regulations assume that an investor’s wealth is a proxy for sophistication. This has to change

Opinion: Tax reform needed to lift gloom in corporate sector

Federal budget did little to invigorate sluggish investment spending

Does growth in self-managed accounts defy need for advice?

Tech, profound shocks have changed investor behaviour

  • By: Ian Russell
  • January 16, 2023 January 16, 2023
  • 15:00

Creating policy to improve business spending, productivity

A new approach is needed to replace failed government programs

  • By: Ian Russell
  • November 21, 2022 November 21, 2022
  • 15:00

Another reminder to help clients understand their TFSA room

Taxpayer penalized for overcontribution after relying on My Account information

Considering capital gains post–June 25

Advisors should speak to clients annually about crystallization

Ensure your client reports all RRSP contributions

In one case, failure to report resulted in an overcontribution penalty

Millennials see retirement and financial planning differently than other generations

Financial planners and financial advisors need to understand millennials’ preferences to gain their trust and business

Listening is key to conversation

Financial advisors can build deeper connections with clients by using active listening skills

Vulnerable clients need special care and due diligence

Financial advisors should be aware of how to identify and engage effectively with vulnerable clients

Be bold, regulators

Those still timorous and uncertain about introducing a best interest duty have a duty, themselves, to become decisive

  • By: Neil Gross
  • October 31, 2016 November 10, 2019
  • 05:00

Non-GAAP metrics: investors’ little helpers or harmful nonsense?

Every company can calculate non-GAAP metrics however they want, so there’s real risk of investors and markets being misled

  • By: Neil Gross
  • October 3, 2016 November 10, 2019
  • 05:00

Class dismissed

Overcautious courts are erecting barriers to securities class actions, even though these lawsuits are essential for maintaining the integrity and fairness of our capital markets

  • By: Neil Gross
  • September 6, 2016 November 10, 2019
  • 09:00

Managing the risks related to social media

Read and follow your firm’s guidelines on social media use and take the necessary steps to protect yourself

  • By: Yan Huard
  • September 20, 2017 November 17, 2019
  • 16:20

Why security professionals fell short on ransomware attacks

Although it’s costly to upgrade key IT systems, the costs of not doing so could be much greater

  • By: Yan Huard
  • July 27, 2017 November 17, 2019
  • 05:00

Cyberthreats extend beyond money

Hacktivism, ideological insiders and intelligence gathering are key sources of cyberattacks threating financial services firms

  • By: Yan Huard
  • May 25, 2017 November 17, 2019
  • 09:30

Capturing the mass affluent wealth segment

This growth opportunity requires freeing advisors from time constraints and meeting demand for hybrid advice

Leverage pre-trade compliance to drive value

New regulations come with cost but also opportunity

Will 2024 be the year of compliance technology?

Several factors, including regulatory enforcement and improved productivity, are driving a surge in adoption

Reducing regulatory burden: An ongoing priority

Regulatory efficiency saves costs and ultimately benefits investors

Financial advice and the resilient investor

Advisors play an important role in enhancing resiliency

Investment funds and the move to T+1

The best solution to the complex transition may be flexibility

  • By: Paul Bourque
  • September 12, 2022 September 12, 2022
  • 15:00

A better way to meet compliance disclosure requirements

Let’s use principles-based regulation to clients’ advantage

A CRM2 report card

Good work all around, but more needs to be done

Communication as the great differentiator

Use these tips to build an approach that engages clients and inspires referrals

Celebrating 10 years of ETF-based portfolio returns

Why one portfolio manager believes ETFs have revolutionized the investment landscape

Why holding index funds within a life insurance policy can be tax-efficient

Permanent insurance also has a host of other tax benefits

My secret weapon for better portfolio management

Primarily using ETFs has helped one advisor to make better investment decisions, but she attributes some success to a powerful non-financial practice

5 things to know about leveraged and inverse-leveraged ETFs

Get the inside scoop, from fund features to volatility and risk

How ETFs can help you navigate volatility

Volatility is stressful but not novel, and ETFs can work in a jarring investing climate

Better and more integrated ESG investing standards are progressing

An enhanced Canadian ESG identification framework is advancing on a foundation of international and domestic norms

Sustainability or ESG?

Identify companies that understand the difference

Social purpose: A business imperative

Help clients identify companies with meaningful purpose

ESG reporting: A means to progress…or a means to an end?

The increase in ESG reporting hasn’t been accompanied by improvements to society and the environment

Fund administrator: Understanding this essential support role

Services include addressing investor requirements and mitigating compliance risk

Hedging against climate risks using weather derivatives

Alain Brisebois of CWP Energy discusses these often-misunderstood products

The future of ETFs

Erika Toth of BMO Global Asset Management shares her thoughts on the ETF landscape

To deliver value, financial planners must move beyond tech assumptions

It’s time to dig deeper to understand how Canadians want to receive financial planning advice

Canadians must be educated about financial planning qualifications

Understanding the skills and competencies to look for in a financial planner empowers the public

U.S. Supreme Court upholds a tax on foreign income

Justices left in place provision of 2017 tax law expected to generate $340 billion, mainly from foreign subsidiaries of domestic corporations

Financial literacy is a shared responsibility. Let’s get it right

Opinion: Education should be widely accessible and relevant to today’s youth

Building trust with fee transparency

IFIC is working with the industry and regulators on TCR implementation

Canada’s investment funds industry can lead in diversity

The result will be greater creativity and resilience