Blog: Cutting Through the Noise
Personal Investing
Tax-Free Savings Accounts - The RRSP for the Facebook Generation?
Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on February 28, 2008
In Tuesday's budget, the Conservatives introduced a new savings vehicle that will allow Canadians to shelter investments from tax. Known as the Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA), investors over the age of 18 will be able to contribute $5,000/year to a tax ...Read More
Retire 40% Slower
Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on February 14, 2008
I stumbled across a large ad in the Vancouver Sun last week that caught my attention. The headline: Retire 12.2% Faster. How could I not read on! The ad was from the Bank of Montreal and it was referring ...Read More
Divergent Returns - Time to Rebalance
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on February 6, 2008
In 2007, the total return of the S&P/TSX Composite Index was +9.8%. The MSCI World Index (in Canadian dollar terms) was -7.5%. This divergence of returns means that if you’ve done nothing in the past year, Canadian equities are a ...Read More
As Winners and Losers Get Sorted Out, There's Opportunity for Gains
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on January 28, 2008
The Globe and Mail, Report on Business Published January 26, 2008 I had a column written for this week on how investors should expect lower returns, lower than what they have achieved in the past 10 to 25 years. I ...Read More
George and Ben - Take a Holiday
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on January 21, 2008
I can’t contain myself any longer. Do people really expect Ben Bernanke, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, and George Bush to come to the rescue of the failing U.S. economy? Are they nuts? Ben’s predecessor, Alan Greenspan, and George ...Read More
Having a 'First Paycheque' Moment? Please Call
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on November 30, 2007
It’s the most important moment in one’s investment career - the day they receive their first paycheque. That is the moment that a young person can start a discipline that will last a lifetime - a discipline that will set ...Read More
Short-term Market Pain is a Chance for Long-term Gain
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on November 26, 2007
The Globe and Mail, Report on Business Published November 24, 2007 Over the last few weeks, I've been spending lots of time speaking with clients and other investors. It's been interesting because while I want to talk about Steadyhand, Steve ...Read More
Stick to the Fundamentals and Good Things can Happen
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on November 12, 2007
The Globe and Mail, Report on Business Published November 10, 2007 As an equity guy, I don't like to admit it, but I recently spent some time with the bond team at Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management. Bondies aren't ...Read More
I'll be Happy With 10% a Year
Excerpt from Tom Bradley's blog on November 8, 2007
I don’t know what the market is going to do in the coming months. I do know we will have weak markets at some point (and I suspect they could be quite messy given the extremes we are now experiencing ...Read More
ABCP - Another Made-in-Canada Defective Investment Product
Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on October 10, 2007
There has been a lot written about Canada’s asset-backed commercial paper debacle. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to sort it all out, given that everyone has an axe to grind on the issue. Diane Urquhart is an independent analyst who I ...Read More
Poolside with David Swensen
Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on October 3, 2007
I got an email from Neil on Saturday afternoon: From: njensen@steadyhand.com Subject: Words of wisdom from Swensen Body: Read while watching Claire at swimming today (p.60): "Sensible investors pursue diversification as a policy to reduce risk, not as a tactic ...Read More
We Know They're Mistakes, So Why Keep Making Them?
Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on October 1, 2007
The Globe and Mail, Report on Business Published September 29, 2007 "Wisdom comes from sitting on your ass." According to Warren Buffett's sidekick, Charlie Munger, it's the best road to effective thinking. For the last six weeks I've been laid ...Read More
