Reports from PwC, Manulife and Purpose address the uncertainty
Escalation of the U.S./China trade war is the biggest risk
The financial services industry faces many challenges this year, including slowing growth, rising interest rates and changes to the regulatory framework
The Ontario government, elected last June, has a policy of deregulation in general, but also is willing to interfere with policy-making directly
As ETFs' explosive growth in AUM continues, expect more actively managed ETFs and lower fees. While mutual funds' massive AUM dominates - for now - both types of investments have a place in client portfolios
Squeezed by rising operations costs, heavier compliance burdens, shifting client expectations and tougher competition, independent asset-management firms increasingly are open to fielding attractive offers of sale or merger
A flat yield curve — or, worse, an inverted one — will make business for banks, life insurance companies and utilities more difficult. Either curvature also is a sign of poor business conditions ahead
Tax specialists anticipate narrowly targeted changes, as opposed to broad-based tax cuts, in the upcoming federal budget as the Liberals prepare for an election
New class of mutual funds gives investors access to defensive strategies such as short selling, leveraging and use of derivatives
As retiring baby boomers need help with their increasingly complex finances, planning becomes more critical