Regular Investor’s Digest of Canada columnist Keith Richards observes that seasonality is a likely catalyst for corrections and suggests some exchange traded funds that may be best suited to capitalize   Read More

“Imagine that in some private business you own a small share that cost you $1,000. One of your partners, named Mr. Market, is very obliging indeed. Every day he tells   Read More

Every gambler knows / That the secret to survivin’ / Is knowin’ what to throw away / And knowin’ what to keep / ‘Cause every hand’s a winner / And   Read More

Follow the money into cyclical emerging markets or hunker down with some steady defensive stalwarts? The MoneyLetter’s regular investment strategy columnist John Stephenson recommends a combination of two emerging market   Read More

All investors, even conservative retirees, should hold some top-quality high-yield stocks that regularly raise their dividends. But generally speaking, it’s a good idea to use your own cash and refrain   Read More

Robert ‘Bob’ Walkden, a long-time chairman of this company’s investment planning committee and its last remaining direct link to our founder George C. Armstrong, died this month. Bob spoke often   Read More

Portfolio manager Keith Richards, a regular Investor’s Digest columnist, reminds us that mining is not just a precious metals game. He finds some industrial metals that offer intriguing possibilities as   Read More

Samantha Prasad is a tax partner at the Toronto-based law firm Minden Gross LLP and a regular contributor to The TaxLetter. Her practice focuses mainly on corporate, estate and international   Read More

Have your cake and eat it too. Impossible? Maybe not, says portfolio manager Keith Richards. Mr. Richards names some stock sectors and specific exchange traded funds that you can use   Read More

The outcome of the U.S. election is making investors skittish. However, notes market observer Edward Gardiner, a Trump victory will precipitate a stock market disaster—but the price of gold will   Read More

The yields on 10-year government bonds are far lower than the dividend yields of many stocks. This is like the situation that existed until the mid-1950s. We expect government bonds   Read More

We’re not talking about the results of a share split when we talk about split shares. A split share corporation is established for the specific purpose of transforming the dividends   Read More

“Shop as if you were buying a car”
“I don’t know about you,” said Tom, our most seasoned investor, “but when I was ready to start buying stocks, I really   Read More

Technical analyst and portfolio manager Keith Richards says bonds, utilities and consumer staples tend to do well in the weaker market months of May to November. He names some favourite   Read More

Investor’s Digest of Canada columnist Jeana Deal reveals some potential swing trades to make during the slow period of the year. Consumer goods stocks and tech stocks stand out among   Read More

Too many investors, when faced with a market correction (a drop of at least 10 per cent) or a bear market (a drop of 20 per cent or more), get   Read More

Since 1802 the dollar has lost 95 per cent of its purchasing power. After inflation, a dollar invested in stocks in 1802 would’ve soared to $704,997 by 2012. A dollar   Read More

An ‘old school’ manufacturing stock and a ‘new age’ technology stock may seem like an odd couple for a ‘2 Best Buys’ story in Investor’s Digest of Canada. But here’s   Read More

Some investors are unsure if their full-service stock brokers are doing a good job for them. Here are some ideas about how to judge your stock broker. But you should   Read More

Have your cake and eat it too. Impossible? Maybe not, says portfolio manager Keith Richards. Mr. Richards names some stock sectors and specific exchange traded funds that you can use   Read More

We don’t know if portfolio manager Keith Richards gave any advice to Casey and the strawberry blonde he adored, but Mr. Richards recently warned his readers in The MoneyLetter to   Read More

With apologies to the “No Sex, Please—We’re British” playwrights,  The MoneyLetter’s behavioural finance analyst Ken Norquay takes a look at why people make seemingly irrational decisions about investment strategy. His   Read More

Investor’s Digest of Canada columnist Jeana Deal reveals some potential swing trades to make during the slow period of the year. Consumer goods stocks and tech stocks stand out among   Read More

Since 1802 the dollar has lost 95 per cent of its purchasing power. After inflation, a dollar invested in stocks in 1802 would’ve soared to $704,997 by 2012. A dollar   Read More

Voters in the United Kingdom have voted to leave the European Union. The U.S. Fed has signaled that U.S. interest rates will remain lower for longer, perhaps not rising until   Read More

Act like you own the company. Think about it. You’ve got the information about the company at your fingertips. Look it over, and figure out how you’d run the company.   Read More

Markets have hit some resistance as the weather has warmed and seasonality is a likely catalyst for the correction. The S&P/TSX Composite Index has found resistance just above 14,000. Technical   Read More

Technical analyst and portfolio manager Keith Richards says bonds, utilities and consumer staples tend to do well in the weaker market months of May to November. He names some favourite   Read More

Some new investors, when the time comes to actually buy stocks, practically need a straight jacket. They want it all, now. It must be how a gambling binge feels. They   Read More

Branch Rickey was a cigar-chomping Methodist who changed the face of baseball forever. He invented the farm system. He broke the colour barrier by bringing Jackie Robinson to the Dodgers.   Read More

When you buy stocks in sectors and sub-sectors of the market, keep your goals in mind. If you’re a conservative, income-seeking investor, focus on utilities, financial stocks and consumer stocks.   Read More

The MoneyLetter recently had an exclusive interview with John O’Connell, Chairman and CEO of Toronto-based Davis Rea Investment Counsel, which he bought in 2010. Before that Mr. O’Connell worked for   Read More

Watch the mutual funds outside your registered accounts. Otherwise, you may find yourself on the hook for taxes if you buy just prior to an end-of-year capital gains distribution. And   Read More

Investors building their wealth usually depend on stocks. Many studies have shown that stocks outperform bonds and cash over long periods of time. And the reinvestment of dividends is essential   Read More

‘What? Me worry?’ would be MAD magazine cover boy Alfred E. Neuman’s attitude about the stock market. But The MoneyLetter’s behavioural finance analyst, Ken Norquay, has his own take on   Read More

These days you hear a lot about “enhancing shareholder value”. That is, managements of many firms want their shares to perform well. Management, of course, has a fair bit of   Read More

In chemistry, ‘volatility’ refers to the ability of a substance to evaporate quickly—or, under the right conditions, to explode. In investments, it means much the same thing. Still, we don’t   Read More

Economist Paul Samuelson quipped: “The stock market has forecast nine of the last five recessions.” So, advises Toronto-based portfolio manager John Stephenson, dial down the noise about continuing market gyrations   Read More

Since the U.S. Federal Reserve’s 1913 creation, gold has retained its purchasing power while the U.S. dollar is worth 98.2 per cent less. Nick Barisheff, president and CEO of Markham,   Read More

Barrie, Ont.-based ValueTrend portfolio manager Keith Richards thinks so and he offers nine indicators as the evidence that convinced him to adopt a bearish market outlook and a defensive investment   Read More

Recurring seasonal effects can and do occur even in so-called efficient markets that are supposed to reflect all relevant news and information. (For example, the cost of heating your home   Read More

The Money Reporter currently recommends a 40-per-cent portfolio allocation to fixed income securities, and 55 per cent of that in corporates. It is worth considering using some preferred shares to   Read More

You must turn your RRSP into a RRIF or an annuity by the end of the year you turn 71. Otherwise you’ll receive all your RRSP money and have it   Read More

When stock markets turn volatile like they did earlier this year, many investors start looking for refuge — a place to put their money simply to preserve it and maybe   Read More

Mark Halpern, a Markham, Ont.-based certified financial planner and trust and estate practitioner, is a regular contributor to The TaxLetter. He says investment and tax planning strategies like the immediate   Read More

“…there are known knowns; …there are known unknowns; …there are also unknown unknowns.”–Donald Rumsfeld.  “Don’t pretend to know the unknowable.”–Ken Norquay.
Behavioural finance strategist Ken Norquay is a frequent contributor to   Read More

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant,   Read More

You should choose a systematic withdrawal plan carefully so your money doesn’t run out before you do. A 1997 book, Die Broke, advocated planning your finances so that “The last   Read More

The financial sector’s exposure to the energy sector is driving banking stocks down world-wide. John Stephenson is portfolio manager and President and CEO of Stephenson & Company Capital Management Inc.   Read More

Your best long term strategic investment plan is to balance your portfolio across the five main sectors of the economy: finance, utilities, consumer products and services, manufacturing and resources. Each   Read More

If you believe a continued market downtrend for the intermediate term is likely, then shorting the market with exchange traded funds, stocks, currencies and gold might be of interest to   Read More

Markham, Ont.-based Mark Halpern is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) with special expertise in tax planning for high net worth individuals and their families.   Read More