With Uncertainty

As the central banks continue to raise rates in their fight to curb inflation, many observers have pointed to the current outlook for the economy and financial markets as uncertain: Did the central banks wait too long to control inflation? Is a full-blown recession imminent?

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Inflation & Interest Rates: Has Inflation Peaked?

We are in one of the most aggressive tightening cycles in more than 40 years. Are higher rates helping to curb inflation? At the time of writing, there have been positive disinflationary signals as commodities prices, notably energy, have moderated and certain pricing pressures appear to be easing.

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Keep Calm and Plan for Volatility

Keeping your nerve when you see minus signs on your portfolio statement is not easy. Throw in a global pandemic, the rising cost of living, interest rate hikes, and a news cycle of war and political division, and it’s little wonder many investors want to exit the market and hunker down until the good times return.

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Federal Budget 2022 Recap: Few Significant Changes for Investors

This past spring, the federal government delivered its budget with few significant changes for investors: no changes to the capital gains inclusion rate or federal income tax rates. Many initiatives address the hot housing market. Here are some highlights.

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During Volatile Times: The Continuing Case for Dividends

The long-term case for dividend-paying equities continues to be compelling. During volatile markets, such as we are experiencing today, dividends can play a role in reducing overall portfolio risk and volatility. Over the longer-term, increasing dividend payouts and the potential for compounded growth can make dividends an integral part of an investment portfolio.

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During Volatile Times: The Case for Goals-Based Investing

Goals-based investing differs from traditional investing programs that generally allocate assets and measure progress based on market benchmarks. Instead, it focuses on the investor by mapping savings and investments to unique goals, which may involve specific time horizons and risk profiles, while measuring progress towards achieving these goals.

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The Importance of Holding On

It has been difficult to find much market commentary that suggests positive developments in the financial and economic markets over recent times. The reasons are many: high and persistent inflation, more aggressive tightening policies by central banks and the prospect of recession. This has created significant uncertainty over the path forward.

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The Worry of Recession? Reasons to Keep Perspective

With slowing global growth, persistently high inflation rates and as the central banks have taken a more aggressive position to combat inflation by raising interest rates faster than anticipated, the media has been preoccupied with evoking fear that a recession is imminent. While this is a legitimate worry, we suggest that maintaining perspective may be worthwhile.

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You Asked: Transferring Family Property to the Next Generation

With the arrival of summer comes cottage and cabin season once again! Many family properties have been owned over generations and there is often a desire to keep them in the family for decades to come. Yet, many children do not have the funds needed to buy the property.

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Inflation … What does it mean?

Filling up your gas tank in recent months is like seeing the bill for your toddler’s birthday party – “how much?” For a smooth family life, however, both must be paid.

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Six investment myths busted

Gordon Gekko hasn’t done the investment industry’s reputation any favours. Michael Douglas’ unscrupulous movie character quickly became shorthand for all that is wrong with Wall Street and financial markets with his infamous ‘greed is good’ speech. But you don’t have to look too far away from the big screen to see real-life examples of people whose actions have perpetuated the link between the wealth industry, untrustworthy characters and get-rich-quick trades.

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Wealth transfer: Preparing the next generation

Intergenerational wealth, on our TV screens at least, conjures images of Succession’s Logan Roy dismissing one of his weasel kids with a sneer and expletive. Roy, the fearsome patriarch, who built his business from nothing, watches in disgust as the heirs to his throne – who do no work of any note - connive and backstab in an effort to win the keys to more money and power.

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Managing money in a rising interest rate environment

Canada’s benchmark interest rate hit an all-time high of 16% in 1991 – and here investors are in 2022, freaking out over projections it’ll touch 1% by June. But there’s a reason for the current unease. Despite rate increases being forecast the minute governments and central banks opened the floodgates on trillions of dollars of stimulus, things have now “got real”.

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Should I stay, or should I go?

Between the pandemic, inflation, and geopolitical tensions, market uncertainty reigns right now. You might have heard some disturbing words, like shares “plunging”, prices “soaring”, and investment “volatility”. Many people, therefore, are asking themselves: should I take money out of the market and get back in when skies are clearer?

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Keep Time on Your Side

Being invested can be one of the best ways to grow wealth over the longer term. Yet, after an extended period of gains, some investors may feel hesitant to put money to work in equity markets. While volatility was muted for most of 2021, let’s not forget that it is a normal part of equity markets. It is the price paid for the upside potential.

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The Timeless Wisdom of Warren Buffett

We may all benefit from some investing perspective as we experience increased volatility and rapid decreases across most equity markets. Who better to draw on for that wisdom than one of the most successful investors of our time, Warren Buffett. Many of Buffett’s messages are timeless. In fact, a more recent academic study analyzed years of Buffett’s shareholder meetings, which have attracted tens of thousands of investors from around the world, and confirmed that the Oracle of Omaha’s key messages has recurring themes.

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