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Latest | Company News | Market Commentaries | Financial News    Tuesday, March 17, 2009 Maximum Income Security Benefits for 3rd Quarter of 2009 Please click on the following link for detailed information regarding the new rates for CPP and OAS. More...  Friday, February 15, 2008 Is Your Small Business Ready for the GST/HST Rate Reduction? On January 1st, 2008 the goods and services tax (GST) rate was lowered from 6% to 5% for the second time in 2yrs. The attached checklist will assist you in implementing this change for your small business. Download...  Monday, January 16, 2006 Election Staves Off Dividend/Trusts Tax Issue - For Now Income trusts have been front and center of the headlines for some time now. Especially after the Department of Finances's flip flop on taxation of income trusts in October. Bring yourself up to date on the situation with the December article from the Okanagan Business Journal by our financial analyst Dominik Dlouhy. More...  Wednesday, May 04, 2005 Pension Definition Cause Dilemmas Pension plan troubles have been in the news lately. Why? And which is best for employees and employers: defined benefit or defined contribution? Read this month's article from the Okanagan Business Journal from our financial analyst Dominik Dlouhy. More...  Monday, December 20, 2004 Making Money in Real Estate? Where do people make the most money in real estate? And how does real estate returns stack up against financial investments? Read this month's article from the Okanagan Business Journal by our financial analyst Dominik Dlouhy. More...  Friday, October 29, 2004 Mortgage Insurance Not Just About Cost There is no universal rule that can be applied to everyone when it comes to mortgage insurance. Read James Yih's article for some important factors to consider before buying mortgage insurance. More...  Tuesday, September 21, 2004 Boston Globe on Ed Owens It is not often you find a US newspaper referring to a Canadian mutual fund, but The Boston Globe mentions the Talvest Global Health Care Fund as an example of how award winning manager Ed Owens would manage a fund if he wasn't saddled with as much money as the highly successful Vanguard Health Care Fund. Worth a read: More...  Wednesday, July 28, 2004 Talvest Global Health Care Fund - Comments Ed Owens provides his comments on what has been the best health care performance fund over a period of seven years, since inception of the plan. The fund is divided into pharmaceuticals, medical devices, biotechnology and health services. Ed Owens also manages a larger and extremely succcessful health care fund available to Americans, called Vanguard Global Health Care (since 1987), which Morningstar rates 5 stars out of 5: low risk and high return, based on historical performance. The Canadian fund is smaller (about 1/20th the size). More...  Wednesday, March 31, 2004 CPP – Myth to Reality The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) has undergone changes over the past several years to transform it into one of the world’s best-run national pension schemes. More...  Thursday, March 04, 2004 Worry Less, Retire Richer RSP season has come and gone, and we have been flooded by advertising and "expert" advice on where to invest. Making the right choice involves several steps. More...  Monday, March 01, 2004 Wealth in Health The health-care sector comes up a lot when experts look to the most promising places to invest in 2004. There are two aspects to this view, the first being that many health-care stocks didn't enjoy quite the same bounce in 2003 that both the broad indexes and sectors like technology and gold did. The second is a familiar argument — demographics. More...  Friday, February 27, 2004 What is the best way to make money? Tips from the pros. These tips will not only help you secure your financial future, but will also help get you started in the sometimes overwhelming world of personal finance. More...  Friday, February 27, 2004 RRSP Cue: How much do you need? Canadians can be excused for feeling like a bunch of failures during February and viewing retirement with something approaching dread. More...  Thursday, February 26, 2004 RRSP Special Feature Just the facts. What you need to know when making decisions about your RRSP contributions. More...  Thursday, January 22, 2004 Don't get hit by falling rates Interest rates have now fallen to the lowest level in many a decade. Here is some advice to avoid the pitfalls of extremely low rates. More...  Friday, January 09, 2004 A bit of good news for taxpayers Need a bit more than a bit of good news now that Christmas spending is over and the bills from last month's overindulgence have started pouring in? You will need to send Ottawa quite a bit less of your hard-earned money this year, and you can decrease your income tax burden even more by putting some of those savings into your RRSP, now that RRSP contribution limits are increasing to $15,500 for 2004. More...  Wednesday, November 26, 2003 The horse is dead Someone, somewhere, needs to do something about the legal framework for defined benefit pension plans. More...  Thursday, October 30, 2003 The Concorde's Dead. Long Live the Loonie. These key comments from Mackenzie Mutual Funds indicate the belief that interest rates may stay low for a long time, and that is due to the reluctance of the Bank of Canada to raise rates in light of positive signs coming out of the U.S., indicating a sustainable economic recovery. Finally! More...  Wednesday, October 15, 2003 Edmonton Rewrites the Record Walton International Properties represents an alternative investment that we have recently begun to recommend to our clients. For details, read the attached article from the Western Investor. Also see the Fall 2003 issue of The Fraser Report for other excellent investment alternatives. Download...  Wednesday, October 15, 2003 They’re back: Boomerang kids More and more young adults in Canada are living with their parents — whether they are returning home or have never left. More...  Thursday, October 02, 2003 U.S. trading scandal unlikely to happen in Canada Size and regulation of our fund industry make implementation of illegal schemes improbable. More...  Tuesday, September 30, 2003 Economy springs back to life Canada's GDP grew by 0.6% in July. More...  Tuesday, September 23, 2003 Acuity Investment Posture For information on Acuity's take on the economy and how the Acuity Funds are faring, please review the current Acuity Investment Posture now posted on our site.  Tuesday, July 29, 2003 TD Waterhouse on Income Splitting An interesting article from the April 2002 issue of TD Waterhouse Investor Services News. Income splitting presents an attractive option with the current low interest rates. Download...  Wednesday, June 11, 2003 Don't let estate spark family feud For many people, estate planning can be a difficult subject to face. More...  Wednesday, June 04, 2003 The best defence against market swoon Meeting with one's financial advisor, on a regular basis, allowed this investor to sleep through the bear market, rather soundly. The proactive approach of his financial advisor to make regular and decisive moves to protect his capital also helped to even out returns and stay on track. How does your portfolio management stack up? More...  Monday, May 26, 2003 Derivatives: Insurance or a gamble? Warren Buffet is on the warpath — this time over financial derivatives. More...  Thursday, May 15, 2003 Is our dollar rising or the U.S. dollar falling? The Canadian dollar closed at US71.80¢ last week, the highest weekly closing level since October 1997. The Canadian dollar's strength reflects the underlying strength of the Canadian economy and the interest rate differential over U.S. rates. But the main reason is the absolute weakness in the U.S. dollar. More...  Thursday, May 15, 2003 Where the Real Risk Lies: the Bond Bubble In this article by Nick Murray, examine the great risk of bonds when those who buy them put there faith in an area is that is far oversold. Download...  Wednesday, May 14, 2003 Apprehensive investors said hoarding cash Nervous Canadian investors are sitting on their cash, holding an estimated $45 billion in liquid assets such as bank accounts, according to a report released yesterday. More...  Monday, May 12, 2003 $100 Billion Dollar Company’s Annual Business Meeting Takes Five Minutes Read Chuck Webb's thoughts about his weekend with Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway. More...  Monday, April 14, 2003 7 Simple Steps to a Debt-Free Life Spring forward in your financial planning by taking the steps toward a debt-free life. Please read on.  Wednesday, April 09, 2003 IMF pegs Canada as leader Canada's economic growth should continue to lead the world's other major industrial countries. More...  Sunday, February 23, 2003 Standard Life Global Insight - December 2003 "Every sector tells a story." This issue of Global Insight looks at the importance of changes in sector and market composition over time. Download the PDF for more details. Download...  Saturday, February 15, 2003 Bear Market Decisions The market always comes back. Always! Financial author Garth Turner says, ?The market always goes up. The market's normal, steady, historic and divine direction is up. Reversals are aberrations ... unique opportunities to buy into a rising tide at reduced prices." History shows that?s true. More...  Friday, February 14, 2003 Chart of the Day An excellent chart about the impact of war on the markets. For additional charts on such subjects as the economy, demographics, mega-trends, etc., you can sign up at www.chartoftheday.com. More...  Thursday, January 23, 2003 Bill Sterling's Sterling Report — The Year Ahead: Looking For The Pony Those of us who invest in stocks for a living are basically optimists. Obviously, these have been extremely trying times for optimists, with most major stock markets around the world now having posted three consecutive years of negative returns. More...  Thursday, January 23, 2003 One woman's quest to find a trusty financial adviser A 34-year-old business owner discusses her extensive search to find the right financial adviser. More...  Wednesday, December 18, 2002 AIC Tax Smart Bulletin Year-end tax planning can buy your 2003 Christmas gifts on CCRA's tab. Making sure you use many of these crucial tax planning tips can have a profound effect in reducing your 2002 income tax bite. Take time to take a look, and save money. Download...  Monday, December 02, 2002 Riding the Waves How to take advantage of market volatility More...  Wednesday, November 27, 2002 Pop Goes the Investor! Investor behaviour modification is where we, as advisors, are truly valuable. More...  Friday, November 15, 2002 University to cost $125,000, bank predicts The cost of education is destined to rise much faster than income and inflation in the years ahead. Analysis by TD Bank suggests that, in future, many more Canadian students might need to live at home while attending university, unless their famililes devote considerable savings to this end, starting now. Your Fraser Financial Group advisor can provide complete information and advice on how to access Canada Education Savings Grants for your children or grandchildren. More...  Tuesday, November 12, 2002 Building Your Financial Library Have you ever thought of building your own financial library? Here are a few suggestions to get started. More...  Thursday, November 07, 2002 How Much Will I Need For Retirement? The closer you are to retirement, the more crucial the need to project your spending needs in retirement. You will also be better off trying to be more accurate in your approach. According to James Yih, there are two basic approaches to determining how much you will need. More...  Wednesday, November 06, 2002 Seizing opportunities in adversity Many market historians are comparing the current market downturn to the recession of 1973-74. As markets remain volatile, a look at history may offer insight into what course of action might be appropriate for you. Download...  Tuesday, October 29, 2002 Economic Outlook is Positive for all Canadian Provinces An upbeat article from the Conference Board of Canada. More...  Friday, October 18, 2002 Poll Finds Canadians Holding Their Course, Optimistic About Long-Term Savings Goals Investor Sentiment Index reflects strong interest in fixed income, cash and real estate. More...  Wednesday, October 09, 2002 A Beautiful Market The market is absolutely beautiful right now. When people are fearful, as they are now, it's time to be greedy, and so it's a good time to own stocks, says Investments Inc. CEO Ken Fisher. More...  Monday, October 07, 2002 How can income splitting help cut my household tax bill? Revenue Canada has several rules that limit the use of income splitting. Even so, there are a number of strategies you might be able to use to reduce your family's taxes. More...  Thursday, September 26, 2002 Stocks are less risky? Fred Sturm has proven correct several times in the past, and now he is saying there is a significant risk premium in buying bonds, while stocks are less risky. What gives? Download his comments in Acrobat PDF format to find out. Download...  Wednesday, September 25, 2002 Buffett bullish on stocks Investment guru says stocks are out of sync with economy and should rebound long-term. More...  Monday, September 23, 2002 In Incomes We Trust Income trusts seem to be the latest investing rage. But what are they? As part of a properly diversified portfolio, they can be a valuable asset, but like most investments there are associated risks and rewards. More...  Monday, September 23, 2002 Stocks or bonds ... what will perform in 2003? Low interest rates and massive cost-cutting by US businesses are setting the stage for North American stock markets to outperform bonds in 2003, says a report released by BMO Nesbitt Burns Economics. More...  Friday, September 20, 2002 AIM Market Insight Investors looking to gain a little perspective on historical periods when markets performed similiar to the past three years will want to read this Market Insight from AIM/Trimark and discuss it with their advisors. Download...  Thursday, September 19, 2002 Dismal investment knowledge of Canadians seen as "wake-up call" Your relationship with your financial advisor should be one of stewardship, counsel, and education, so that an evolving mentor-student team can develop. You should be able to count on learning something new about investing with each visit with your independent counsellor. Advisors and their clients need to share this burden of understanding to obtain optimal results. This survey (you can take the survey yourself and test your own knowledge) shows Canadians are not up-to-snuff on investment knowledge, and the results can be tragic. More...  Wednesday, August 28, 2002 A Snapshot of Long-Term Care Expectations Among Americans Many children with elderly parents fail to discuss issues of great importance to both, including what to do (and who is to pay) for your parents long-term care. Now there is a solution. Discussing, pre-planning and making contingency plans for mom and dad's health care issues requires empathy, tact, and diligence, and in some cases bravery on the part of both generations. Exploring attractive solutions to long-term health care needs can save both generations from enormous financial and emotional drain. More...  Monday, August 19, 2002 Take Advantage of Market Declines Using RESPs With the recent declines in the values of some of your funds, wouldn't you like to have a return of 20% this year - with some potential tax savings? More...  Thursday, July 25, 2002 Managing Emotions Whether it's euphoria or anxiety, allowing emotions to seep into investment decisions can be costly. Instead, prudent investors should aim to emulate the unemotional approach of a professional portfolio manager, a mindset that can be achieved with a disciplined investment process and a sense of perspective. More...  Tuesday, July 23, 2002 Don't Miss Out By Not Staying In Having experienced declines in their portfolios over the past couple of years following an unprecedented bull market run, it's easy to understand why some investors are attempting to stop the loss by pulling their money out of the market. However, as psychologically satisfying as this strategy may be in the near term, in reality, it could be a very costly one when the market inevitably rebounds. More...  Wednesday, July 17, 2002 Cycling Through Emotions Markets are often driven more by emotional sentiment than by cold, hard facts. At the moment, there would appear to be a major psychological disconnection between the strong American and especially Canadian economies, and stock markets in general. We can all profit from bearing this message in mind. More...  Friday, June 28, 2002 It’s Not What You Know, it’s Who You Know In this issue of Kanga's Korner, Tony Massie offers a controversial view of the US dollar going forward. More...  Thursday, June 27, 2002 Understanding Risk and Reward "It's one thing to take a calculated risk and quite another to subject your assets to risks that you don't realize you are taking." Putnam Investments looks at 8 risk types and their relationship to various investments, in Individual Investor. More...  Wednesday, June 26, 2002 Plan in Advance for Costs of Caring for Aging Parents Now, you and your parents can benefit from quick and accurate answers to both difficult and troubling questions that emerge as they age. View this PDF file for further information. More...  Friday, May 10, 2002 What If I Lose My Job? In the current economic climate, many Canadians will be faced with the unfortunate circumstance of losing their jobs. If you, or someone you know, are faced with this reality, here are some suggestions from an article by Jonathan Ritchey in our most recent newsletter. More...  Wednesday, May 08, 2002 Pensions: A Huge Decision When it is time to make a decision about pension benefits, it is crucial to fully understand your options and the ramifications of your choices. Read on in this article by Craig Gronsdahl in our current newsletter. More...  Friday, May 03, 2002 Times of Transition: What's Going On? In this article from our Spring 2002 newsletter, Gary Huston examines some of the many events that may cause us to re-examine our financial needs and how we expect to achieve them. More...  Thursday, April 04, 2002 Morgan Stanley: Investment Research The case for Europe. Download...  Thursday, April 04, 2002 Are You a Victim of Downsizing? If you are laid off or have elected voluntary buyouts, you will have a number of financial decisions to make. James Yih offers some suggestions in FUNDamentals. More...  Wednesday, March 20, 2002 Waite's Vitamin B: Plan on Paradox Change is here to stay whether we like it or not. Read what Steven Waite has to say about companies like Ford. More...  Sunday, March 10, 2002 Is this a rally with legs? Distancing yourself from unethical investment firms, buying integrity and scrutinizing the ethics of company executives has always been smart. Despite the rally delay caused by the Enron controversy, markets surged ahead this past week, creating some nice short-term gains. Will the current rally last? To find out more about it, read this informative article. More...  Monday, March 04, 2002 Investor Summit: Prosperity 2002 Consistently using tax-smart strategies grows our money efficiently, yet this is an often ignored concept among many Canadians. Infamous investor Warren Buffet, when asked why few who try can emulate his successful strategies (which have created for him double-digit billionaire net worth) comments, "Most who try cannot be patient but want to get rich quickly; I prefer to do it slowly." Discipline, planning, attitude are all important ingredients: they shouldn't be overlooked (see our latest newsletter article on attitude and investing). Download...  Saturday, March 02, 2002 Dollar Cost Averaging - A Formula for the Disciplined Investor Investors want to buy low, sell high. Yet, many people tend to get caught up in a buying spree and invest when stocks are soaring, then lose nerve and sell out when they are sinking. For them, a more disciplined alternative could be dollar-cost averaging. More...  Friday, March 01, 2002 Manufacturing growing again The manufacturing sector is growing for the first time since July 2000, according to the Institute for Supply Management. ISM's February index rose to 54.7 percent from 49.9 percent in January. It's the best reading since April 2000. More...  Friday, March 01, 2002 Is the worst over? The American economy grew much faster than expected in the last three months of last year, according to the latest figures which strengthen the view that the recovery is under way. But the outlook for the world economy as a whole remains uncertain. More...  Friday, February 22, 2002 US leading indicators point to strong recovery Indicators point to recovery. The increase, "... is very positive and suggests gathering economic momentum," said Ken Goldstein, economist at the board. Leading indicators were up 0.6% in January. More...  Thursday, February 21, 2002 Vitamin B: Investment Madness "Warning: Allowing emotion to invade your investment decisions can be hazardous to your wealth." So what should investors do to overcome these behavioral deficiencies? Nofsinger outlines five strategies he believes will help investors in the future. More...  Thursday, February 21, 2002 All Stressed Up and Nowhere to Go? One mutual fund company which prides itself in buying excellent businesses and holding them for the long term (as an investor and business owner would, rather than as a speculator would) is on our televisions daily. Their key marketing piece is an ad saying something to the effect, "Buy high, sell low." They then remind us not to laugh; people do this all the time. This informative article on macroeconomic trends by Bill Sterling of Credit Suisse in New York indicates that most of us would be wise to view crisis as opportunity to reduce risk. To find out why 2001 was different and what to do now, read this wonderful reexamination of history. More...  Monday, February 18, 2002 Business leaders grow more bullish Will economic optimism lead the recovery? More...  Saturday, February 09, 2002 Accounting Issues in the Headlines One fund company, so far, has made a statement regarding their concerns with irregular accounting practices and what they do to screen potential accounting risk from their portfolios. More...  Friday, February 08, 2002 The BioCentury: An Overview and a Canadian Perspective (audio) Although biotechnological investing to date has produced mixed results and volatility (as has been true with many a new, eventually impactful industry ... take the Internet, for example), some biotechnology exposure should be considered. Find out more in this audio presentation by Dr. Stiller, CM, MD, FRCP(C). More...  Friday, January 25, 2002 Greenspan Says Recovery Is Emerging; Survey Predicts Modest Canadian Growth Greenspan says recovery is emerging. There is generally more optimism about economic recovery and analysts offer some specific predictions about economic growth and short- and long-term US, International and Canadian equities markets. What they say may surprise you. More...  Monday, January 14, 2002 Berkshire Hathaway Owners Manual As investors come out of the current market correction, here are the 13 time-honoured principles of value investing that have propelled Berkshire Hathaway to the place it is today. More...  Thursday, January 10, 2002 Balanced funds for your RRSP? When markets tank, many investors overreact by heading straight into cash. But staying committed to your long-term goals is usually the best strategy. That’s where balanced funds come in. More...  Wednesday, January 09, 2002 Go Against the Grain The best investors realize that their behavior, more than anything else, influences their investment outcomes. This interesting article on contrarian investing makes the point loud and clear. Betting with the herd, while emotionally safe, is risky, from the perspective of future profitability. The great investors have generally been good contrarian investors ... learn more from their profitable investment thinking. More...  Wednesday, December 19, 2001 10 lessons the bear market taught me Our soon-to-be-released newsletter (already available on the Web site, but you'll have to wait for a printed copy), will have an important article on profiting from investor behaviour, instead of suffering losses as a result of it. Whether you are a "value" investor or a "growth" investor, mutual funds can provide a tax-efficient environment that lets professional management smooth out a lot of our own emotions, which can lead to more steady and consistent performance. While you await your copy of the latest newsletter, please read this very informative article by Mary Rowland to find out more. More...  Monday, December 17, 2001 Boomers will fall short of retirement cash Whether its through apathy, short-term thinking, lack of knowledge or discipline, or some combination of these, the savings habits of many Canadians are going to cost them dearly when retirement rolls around. Recent surveys by Statistics Canada and by TD Asset Management confirm that up to a million Canadian families are not saving enough for their retirement. More...  Wednesday, December 12, 2001 Investment Café: week of Dec.10 There's ample cash out there, ready for investment. With the Fed's actions on interest rates and other indicators, it looks increasingly likely that the conditions for a major bull market are in the offing. More...  Sunday, December 09, 2001 Talvest Global Health Care Fund Selected as Canada’s Best Specialty Fund We are getting older as a nation, and so are the Americans. This is a small part of the reason why Talvest Global Health Care fund won the "Best Specialty Fund of the Year" award, honoring manager Ed Owens' approach to health care investing. Ed is senior vice president of Wellington Capital Management in Boston, and well known for his sharp eye for value. While this fund should never make up the majority of your investment portfolio, having added it to your list in the last while may have been a great comfort. The fund has not had a negative quarter during its tenure and is touted as a value fund in a growth industry. More...  Saturday, December 08, 2001 The Inevitable Demise of the Loonie Have we been anaesthetized into thinking that the long-term fall of the loonie is a good thing for trade and, therefore, for Canadians? Not necessarily so ... read Dr. Cooper's most informative comments on where the loonie is inevitably heading. The long-term downward slide in the loonie may bring us to a loonie worth 50 cents American in just eight years, and we may not even notice it. More...  Tuesday, December 04, 2001 Pension funds review investing strategy For eleven years, several pension investors have looked to index funds as the key to low risk investing. They now conclude they were wrong, in the wake of the Nortel Networks plummet. Passive investing is seldom a good alternative to doing one's own homework and choosing firms and money managers who diligently do their homework. A sound financial plan, accompanied by industry selection, in-depth research into demographic trends, and strategic diversification, may be a better way to go. More...  Monday, December 03, 2001 Make Your RRSP Contributions Today Making an RRSP contribution before December 31, 2001 might be a perfect strategy for a number of reasons. It looks like 2002 might shape up to be a pretty good year for the markets. Economic news is improving, interest rates continue to drop, corporate earnings look more promising, and investor sentiment is improving. More...  Sunday, December 02, 2001 The Boom, Bust, and Echo Economy InvestorCanada.com speaks with David Foot, famed Canadian demographer and author of Boom, Bust & Echo. Get an update on his post-September 11th view of population trends and their influence on the economies of the world. To understand them is a key first step to investing appropriately for growth. More...  Wednesday, November 21, 2001 Socially Responsible Investment Funds The subject of socially-responsible investing is being heard more and more. The attached newsletter from Acuity Funds has information on sustainable investing and their Clean Environment and Social Values Mutual Funds. Download...  Tuesday, November 20, 2001 Be Very Careful Here's a good little article to remind us that caution should remain the watchword for investors. AIC themselves, with their blatantly simplistic TV ads, say, "Ignore the market." We all should heed this advice. More...  Wednesday, November 14, 2001 War, Peace & Interest Rates In our book Boomernomics, we ventured the opinion that interest rates would reach shockingly low levels in this decade. Recently, one of the most frequently asked questions has been, "How have the events of September 11 changed some of the long-term themes you discussed in Boomernomics?" More...  Friday, November 09, 2001 Fed Still Has 2 Rate Cuts Up Its Sleeve The US Federal Reserve was at it again yesterday, cutting the benchmark US interest rate by an aggressive half percentage point. It was the 10th time this year the Fed has cut the overnight rate, taking it to its lowest level in 40 years. Last time it cut this deep, the economy roared back. More...  Wednesday, October 24, 2001 Waite's Vitamin B: As the Future Catches You Steven Waite, manager of the CI Global Biotechnology Fund, has some outstanding insights here. Various media sources have recently commented that medical researchers have been working without understanding the parts: analogous to a mechanic knowing what the parts of the car are but not what they do! Now, on a microbiological level, we are understanding the coding signals performed within the organs in our bodies, and how to turn off disease genes to our advantage. A TV program on NOVA last night showed the work of a scientific researcher who has been able to double the life span of a nematode, from 2 to 4 weeks. By adding just one gene, the worms remained young and robust long after unaltered worms had lived a normal lifespan and died. This creates problems: imagine how large our RRSP and other retirement accounts would need to be, should we increase our average human lifespan to 140 years! Science fiction? Perhaps not. More...  Tuesday, October 23, 2001 In uncertain times, it's wise to consult the professionals If ever there was a time for listening to the financial advice of an old pro, it's now. So it is that we consider some thoughts about what to do in these uncertain times from Jim Rogers, head of The Rogers Group Financial Advisors in Vancouver and one of the more respected members of the financial planning community. More...  Thursday, October 18, 2001 Value investing: lessons learned Having a long-term, diversified financial plan never seemed to make more sense than now, considering recent events. Here are some excellent principals to live by, and why value investing has a significant place in everyone's investment philosophy. More...  Friday, October 12, 2001 Signs Are Still There for Sharp Rebound in Growth Next Year It is hard to imagine a buoyant economy in this environment. Indeed, paralysis is just what the government is getting. People are afraid to do much of anything, although most pay lip service to returning to normality. While none of us know what the next steps will be, the fact is that even with the big decline in consumer confidence, it remains well above the lows posted in the recessions of the early 1990s or 1980s. That may not last, but for now it is still good news. More importantly, both monetary and fiscal policy are providing a record degree of stimulus for the economy. More...  Friday, October 12, 2001 Canadian issues fall on new supply, surge in stocks Resurgent North American equity markets and supply pressures led Canadian bonds to their third consecutive session of declines yesterday, as some investors shunned lower-yielding government issues in favour of new corporate paper, while others bought stocks. More...  Thursday, October 11, 2001 Deductibility Makes Leverage Attractive As you may already know, interest on money borrowed for investment purposes is tax deductible. The concept is known as "leverage" and it is one of the great creators of real wealth in this world. It works in two ways. More...  Thursday, October 04, 2001 Investors Must Approach Markets with Rational Thinking - Not Succumb to Anxiety This article emphasizes that individuals should use rational thinking and choose industries that offer attractive prices and long-term growth trends. With market sentiment decidedly negative at the moment, this is a good "contrarian indicator," meaning an attractive but seldom identified opportunity exists for entering markets (or increasing one's holdings while markets offer attractive pricing). You may well benefit from carefully reviewing this article and considering strategies to capitalize on this information. More...  Monday, October 01, 2001 Five Star Funds Tend To Charge Lower Annual Management Fees There are now over 4,000 funds Canadian investors can choose from. At Fraser Financial, one of the criteria we consider is the annual management fee the fund company charges. The attached article from Morningstar discusses this point. More...  Monday, September 24, 2001 Financial Aftermath of Crisis The tragedy that took place in the United States on September 11 put most of us into a state of shock and disbelief. Our condolences go out to all who have lost friends and loved ones. One significant dimension to this event is the financial impact. In a very real sense, this was an attack not only on the American people but also on the heart of the American financial market and indirectly on the American economy. More...  Sunday, September 23, 2001 Investing in Times of Crisis Times of crisis often spread panic and, at most times, irrational fear through financial markets. While most individuals panic, a brave and informed few use this as an excellent buying opportunity. To see what has happened in each of several past crises, open this chart. More...  Friday, September 21, 2001 Global Health Care Demand is on the Rise The developed world is aging. We see evidence of this in all parts of our media bombardment these days, ads for skin care products and anti-wrinkly cream, new pharmaceutical programs to stem or retard everything from impotency to hair loss, etc. These trends present a powerful, long-term investment opportunity that has staying power, with the dramatic increase in the average age of the population. Click here to listen to Anne Mahoney of Wellington Capital Management in Boston (you must have PDF viewing capability in your browser). More...  Friday, September 21, 2001 Greenspan Sounds Optimistic Note on Economy After Attacks In these difficult times, people look to their leadership for guidance and confidence. President Bush gave a strong speech on September 20th covering the political spectrum. Alan Greenspan, perhaps the most trusted and powerful leader in the economic arena, also weighed in with an optimistic message. More...  Thursday, September 20, 2001 SuperModels: Is this a once-in-a-decade opportunity? Most conservative investors, and their money managers these days, are not sure in which short-term direction markets may go from here. Linked here is an excellent piece describing the view of the bears and the bulls, to help you decide for yourself. As always, keep a long-term view (remember, even if you are nearing retirement, you are living and spending for perhaps another 20 or 30 years) — think about and put into action a diversified, WRITTEN financial plan and stick to your guns. More...  Monday, September 17, 2001 Must human tragedy mean economic tailspin? The events of Sept. 11, 2001, launched America into shock and mourning. But many economists believe they're unlikely to bring about recession. Here are a few scenarios. (Note: you may need to cursor down on the linked page in order to view the article.) More...  Monday, September 17, 2001 Fed cuts rates by half a point The Federal Reserve, in a bold bid to keep markets functioning, cut interest rates by half a percentage point Monday in an effort to support a weakening U.S. economy in the wake of terrorist attacks in New York and Washington last week. The move was followed by a similar interest rate reduction by the European Central Bank. More...  Friday, September 14, 2001 What happens when the markets reopen? As leaders work to prevent a political and psychological crisis from turning into a financial one, history offers the only real guide on what to expect when the smoke clears. More...  Friday, September 14, 2001 Vitamin B: The growth of computing technology is likely to profoundly alter the course of science and mankind in the 21st century. Perhaps scientist and researcher Celeste Matarazzo put it best when she stated recently: “I am excited and overwhelmed and scared at the same time.” Is now the time to question how expectations for the future are reflected in your current investment portfolio? More...  Wednesday, July 18, 2001 Traits of Successful Money Managers A wise article describing the attributes of successful money managers. We can all learn something from this. More...  Friday, July 13, 2001 Come In Off That Ledge and Invest Being a contrarian investor is difficult but potentially rewarding. Contrarians bury their primieval emotional response (in anthropological terms, a flight or fight response) by employing an overriding logic. Still, when we have had the bad news of the media bombarding us for so long, as we have the last sixteen months, most of the risk is likely now gone. Dollars invested now may be poised for the upsurge, which is sure to follow sooner or later. Why retreat from investing once the scary ride down the investment mountain is most likely behind us? There is a better way. More...  Tuesday, July 10, 2001 Canadian Equities are Bargains For most Canadians who will be relying on the Canadian content in their RRSPs and pension accounts for a significant portion of their retirement income, the attached article should be of interest. More...  Sunday, July 08, 2001 Biotech investing: not for the faint of heart This is a fascinating article highlighting the potential of a new age of medical technology—propelled by an ever-increasing understanding of the building blocks of life, new treatments, and drugs in development now—and how we can use the knowledge of these developments to enhance our portfolio returns. Biotechnology investing, at least at this early stage, is not for the week of heart, nor should one put all one's eggs in the biotechnology research basket, but a few carefully placed dollars could become a lucrative investment. More...  Friday, July 06, 2001 What is a Mutual Fund? This article is an absolute starting point for learning about mutual funds ... a good place to start for beginners who want to be able to tackle the tougher mutual fund subjects and become a smarter investor. More...  Friday, July 06, 2001 We are all waiting, are we not? While the latest interest rate cuts undertaken by American Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan have helped to stem the tide, they have not as yet caused the reversal of a very down market. But do not despair! Patient investors have been rewarded abundantly over the years. Lower interest rates do work, but those results are seldom instantaneous, as time is required for the positive effects of lower borrowing costs to work their magic and restimulate the economy. This brief article includes a few snippets of investing wisdom from Stephen Waite, co-manager of CI Funds' Global Boomernomics Fund and Global Biotechnology Fund, and manager of their Telecommunication Fund. More...  Tuesday, June 26, 2001 Fed set to cut interest rates again How to recharge an undercharged economy, and get it and the stock market moving with an upward momentum—this is the trillion dollar question on Alan Greenspan's mind these days. While interest rate cuts already this year will surely work their way through the economy for a recharge later this year or early in 2002, more seems to be needed now. In the meantime, being the conservative, cautious Canadians we always are, we will surely be kicking ourselves for waiting til prices rise to invest more. More...  Monday, June 25, 2001 Maximize returns by topping up RRSP's foreign content Historically, global markets have consistently outperformed the Canadian market average, by one to two percent. This adds up, as the difference in your RRSP account compounds on a tax-deferred basis. This can mean more travel and golf options, holding the distant grandkids on your knee, and pursuing other interests and goals you may have in just a few years. If you are not sure if you have taken advantage of this opportunity, and adjusted the foreign content in your RRSP, while foreign markets offer bargain entry prices, call your Fraser Financial advisor today. More...  Thursday, May 17, 2001 Keeping a social conscience Social responsibility and investing: where do they come together? Download...  Monday, May 14, 2001 The “Best” Time to Invest Templeton's analysis proves that it really is time (not timing) that matters. Download...  Friday, May 04, 2001 Portfolio fitness begins with a balanced diet After ensuring that we understand your goals and your risk tolerance, we then must go about the task of selecting the right balance of investment funds with you. You are our trusted partner in this process. We listen to your concerns and put our recommendations in writing. A portfolio of complimentary investments reduces your risks and enhances your returns, while allowing both of us to sleep soundly at night. More...  Wednesday, May 02, 2001 Investment opportunities in the global health sciences sector Steve Kangas presents a compelling case for the investment prospects for Global Health Science companies going forward. More...  Friday, April 20, 2001 Bear Markets and Their Aftermath Bear markets are common occurrences. Strong and early market rebounds after a bear market are just as common. Examine the historical evidence since World War II and see what conclusions you draw. Download...  Monday, April 16, 2001 Dollar Cost Averaging–Part One If you are a conservative investor who prefers to only take moderate risks, consider placing your lump sum investments inside your RRSP’s conservative choices, while using market volatility to your advantage with monthly contributions. Not only may you sleep more easily, but you can also benefit from market fluctuations and profit. More...  Sunday, April 08, 2001 Are the markets ominous or opportunistic? The perfect time to invest may be now. More...  Thursday, March 22, 2001 Boomernomics Update CI Global Boomernomics, managed by Stephen Waite and Bill Sterling, is a globally diversified fund which looks for opportunities to emerge from a global (developed world, anyway) trend toward an aging population. With age comes changing needs, such as an increased focus on health care. The fund has kept a conservative profile during the recent turbulence, and is ready to select opportunities as they develop out of the increasingly attractive prices emerging lately. More...  Wednesday, March 14, 2001 Wrestling with the Bear How should you handle the tough times? Buy or sell? This article addresses some of the common questions. More...  Wednesday, March 07, 2001 Powers of Attorney: How Far Can You Go With Estate Planning? This new article on Manulife's website discusses the purpose of the Powers of Attorney, what the powers and duties of the Attorney are, and what limitations can be imposed. More...  Tuesday, March 06, 2001 Powers of Attorney & Representation Agreements The deadline is fast approaching when BC residents will no longer be able to do enduring powers of attorney. After September 1, 2001, a new format referred to as Representation Agreements must be used. Please see the attached bulletin for more details. More...  Monday, March 05, 2001 Are stocks always riskier than bonds? Good question. Read on ... the answer may surprise you! More...  Monday, February 26, 2001 Quantum Wealth Prospects Stephen Waite, co-manager of the CI Global Boomernomics and Biotechnology Funds, as well as manager of the CI Global Telecommunications Fund, offers us a truly long-term perspective of the wealth accumulation effect of quantum leaps ahead in knowledge. We owe it to ourselves not to be caught up in the negativity of the moment, but instead to view it as an opportunity to fix our acquisition price at a truly remarkable level. More...  Sunday, February 25, 2001 New millionaire phobia Are you afraid of retirement? According to this article, many people are. This is a new perspective on retirement fears which may rub a nerve or two. More...  Monday, February 19, 2001 Foreign Content Opportunities Lost Canadians are missing out on stock market gains because they are not maximizing foreign content limits in their RRSPs, according to a new study. The study showed that 50% of investors were unaware that the foreign content limit was raised to 25% last year, and three-quarters of respondents did not know that the limit was increased again, to 30%, at the start of this year. More...  Tuesday, February 13, 2001 Goodwill investing Until recently, socially responsible investing had been confined to niche products appealing to certain individuals. But the growing trend of broadened social awareness on the part of more and more North Americans has moved into the mainstream. Download...  Tuesday, February 13, 2001 Twenty lifetime investments Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett advises people to treat investing as though they have a punchcard with 20 holes in it. Twenty picks, one lifetime. Better make them count. More...  Wednesday, February 07, 2001 Small Caps for the Long Term Identifying a few long-term trends can bode well for the investor whose emotional make-up otherwise causes him or her to jump to the latest hot investment area. People on the planet wish to communicate with each other more, and baby boomers are more worried than ever about their retirement needs (boding well for the financial industry). Financial services and telecommunication stock investors prosper from these long-term trends, buying on market dips and holding for the long term. More...  Share This Site With a Friend Your name: Your email address: Friends email address: Your comments:  Win a Luxury Vacation! Recommend a friend, and be entered to win a luxury weekend vacation! Find Out More... Friends Name: