The Changing Business Cycle

Business, investing and life in general follow predictable ebbs and flows. The Business Cycle is no exception. This is the cycle whereby the economy goes through strong growth periods, weaker growth periods and everything in between.

Governments and the Central Banks try to manage this cycle and prevent any enduring excesses from building up, while guiding the economy along a sustainable path of growth.

When an economy starts growing too quickly, the Central Bank will move to "take away the punch bowl” (official economics lingo) and cool the...

Dollar Cost Averaging

Let us imagine that you have a plan to be a wise investor and use your funds to make strategic deposits into your various investment funds. You’ve heard about the investment strategy of buying any time the market is low with the plan of selling when the market turns upward.

This might seem like it’s a simple and straightforward approach for maximizing investment returns–the problem is, no one knows exactly when these downturns and upturns are going to take place until they’ve already happened. So is there a strategy that an investor can use to personally take advantage of the regular ups and downs in investment prices to improve their overall portfolio returns?

Actually, there is. With the proven...

Preparing for Wealth Transfer

By 2026, an estimated $1 trillion in personal wealth will be transferred from one generation to the next in Canada¹, the largest transfer of wealth in our country’s history. This transition involves financial complexities for both benefactors and their heirs. Without planning and clarity, wealth transfer can lead to confusion and misunderstandings.

If you are preparing to bequeath wealth to your heirs or anticipate receiving an inheritance, some of the information outlined below might be helpful.

Begin with a plan

A recent survey found that almost 73 percent of Canadians over the age of 45 have not...