Home Newspaper October 2006

October 2006

Focus on Products

Regulators and IFIC hammer out client-friendly disclosure documents

Study finds Canada has the highest mutual fund fees in the world

Some new mutual funds offer currency hedging to protect investors against fluctuations in the Canadian dollar

Paper maintains there is a better way to construct a benchmark than market capitalization

“The only way anyone knows we’ve come on board is that performance improves,” says fund manager John Arnold

Canadian markets are having a good run, but experts say now is the time to use international investments to protect a portfolio

Industrial Alliance has been busy making a series of changes to the funds it acquired and merged last December

Comparison of CI Canadian Investment Fund, AIM Canadian Premier Fund shows different styles can complement each other

The U.S. Federal Reserve Board has stopped hiking interest rates, but managers are wondering what it will do in coming months

HSBC closes fundVancouver-based HSBC Investments Funds Inc. is terminating HSBC LifeMap MM Conservative Portfolio, effective Dec. 15, 2006. Unitholders may redeem their investments or switch…

Some companies offer riders on home policies to cover some of the costs of getting back your good name

Special Feature

The five firms that did best in the category had no qualms about investing in technology tools

With more firms pulling up their socks, advisor satisfaction is going up across the board

Mutual fund licences still most popular, but increasingly sophisticated clients want advisors to handle broader array of products

But opinions about what needs to be upgraded are based on the advisor’s channel of business

Advisors have high praise for firms that help them develop strategies to pass on their books

CFAs and CIMs have fewer clients, yet books are twice as big

For some, independence is running a business without interference; for others, it is work/life balance

But payout structures differ greatly, based on the channel in which the advisor works

Performance and importance ratings go up for quality of product offering, freedom to make choices

But regional dealers, bankers are offering stiffer competition for wealthy clients

Investment research

U.S. house prices, interest rates are key factors in future economy

Archer Daniels Midland Co. and Tate & Lyle PLC are sound firms, but vulnerable to commodity price swings

Seasonal trades depend on the calendar for entry and exit points, not on thorough technical analyses

TSX-listed companies holding uranium resources may see great success over the next several years

Three key trends show stock market still rising, corporate earnings at new high, interest rates down from 1981

The foreign bank counts its global expertise and co-operative management style among its key competitive advantages

Domestic bond investors now face the choice of finding income in alternatives or buying into a rate drop

Comment & Insight

Looking back, I am not sure how this started. But sometime in the spring of 2005, we found milkweed growing in our front garden. Our…

News of two new plants cheers Prairie farmers

In the past couple of years, Canadians have seemingly forgotten how to save. Content to see the value of their houses climb and the size…

The Harper government’s proposed Federal Accountability Act must be studied very carefully

This questionnaire will help you describe this past summer’s stormy weather in great detail

Outgoing Alberta premier paints successors into a corner with his mismanagement of the boom

Former premier’s criticism of Klein for leaving a “mess” is completely unwarranted

Self-proclaimed “Internet evangelist” admits technology is no substitute for human contact

Building Your Business

Possible to cover thousands of potential investments, from equities to exchange-traded funds and commodities

Financial advisors are familiar with the essentials of traditional travel: toothbrush, clean underwear and a freshly pressed shirt or blouse. The essentials of high-tech travel…

Spend the money to hire a lawyer for a partnership agreement, incorporation, growth and winding up the business

Before your snowbird clients depart for warmer climes, you’ll want to meet with them to review their investment portfolios and budgets and discuss tax issues.…

Wrap water-damaged computers to keep them wet; store backup discs at another location; use a surge protector

Before snowbirds spread their wings and fly away, they should take steps to protect their property and their health

One of the hottest areas in Canadian real estate these days is the recreational property market, as boomers and younger Canadians race to buy prime…

More people are counting on home equity to shelter them from a retirement crunch

Federal panel seeks input on ways the tax system might be used to help families meet the needs of disabled adult children

Don’t talk to John O’Connell or his team at RBC Dominion Securities Inc.’s The Harbour Group about client segmentation. He’ll hear nothing of it.“That ‘I’ll…

While advisor tries to keep up with the latest releases, his practice starts spinning out of control

The Internet probably is causing many of your high-tech headaches, but it also can help solve them

Fewer of the newer generation joining the industry, and many are too busy to participate

Authors want business people to replace age-old tenets with tactics that really work

Harbour Group advisors have $2.4 bil. in AUM

Put away the BlackBerry, eat dinner together, limit evening activities and keep a sense of humour

Don’t get lost in the shuffle. Add a personal touch to make an impact

News

Banks, Fairfax Financial Holdings drive strong, overall earnings gains

President and CEO Greg Reed says the aim is to become “the partner of choice for advisors”

Executive shuffle gives company a decentralized corporate structure, with managers in nine time zones

Jason Farris didn’t rise through the banking ranks. In fact, the top job is his first job at a bank

New study says older Canadians don’t necessarily have to be healthy to feel satisfied with their lives

Clients who buy mutual funds based on recommendations of advisors may find themselves, on average, worse off than do-it-yourself investors, says a recent U.S. study.The…

After buying up its competitor, it intends to double 2006 revenue

The fund industry has been getting blasted for having high fees, so some firms are absorbing costs to remain competitive

Average Canadian family paid almost 30% of earnings in taxes in 2005, vs 22.1% in 1961

Inability to win two very long and expensive cases have critics loudly questioning the commission’s abilities

With equity gains and real estate values soaring in recent years, household savings have dropped. But those drivers may subside

Court cases will determine the liability institutions face when advisors contravene the rules

Brief to Quebec government seeks open-border fund policy, changes to let investors leave laggard funds without penalty

About 9,200 clients sue for $130 million; Quebec regulator Autorité des marches financiers named as defendant

Many advisors have tended to ignore ETFs, but Claymore Investments plans to get their attention

Scheduled five-year review of PIPEDA to consider third-party information, privacy when buying books

Some fund companies’ sites provide better information faster than others

Is it worthwhile for fund manufacturers to own distribution channels?

Brokers warned against giving advice