Blog: Cutting Through the Noise
Postings
Podcast: Warren Buffett's 2008 Annual Letter
Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on March 10, 2009
In this podcast, we discuss Warren Buffett's recently published annual letter to the shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway. We posted a series of blogs last week on Buffett's recap of Berkshire's operations in 2008, and Tom's Globe and Mail column on the weekend...
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The Risk Today is Not Buying Cheap Equities
Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on February 19, 2009
We posted a blog in late 2007 ( Edicts from Edinburgh ) that highlighted a few excerpts from an interview that Dr. Sandy Nairn, the CEO and founder of Edinburgh Partners Limited (EPL), did with a U.K. publication, Independent Investor ...Read More
Watching the Saxon Merger
Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on February 17, 2009
We noted in a blog last August ( It’s Getting Lonely ) that Saxon Financial was sold to IGM Financial (Investors Group) in what was yet another example of a direct seller that has turned its focus to the advisor ...Read More
Buyer Beware: Leveraged ETFs
Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on February 3, 2009
Gold was up roughly 1.5% in 2008 (as measured by the S&P/TSX Global Gold Index) - a good year relative to most other investments. If you used a slick new breed of leveraged exchange traded funds (ETFs), you could have doubled your exposure...
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Podcast: Tom & Wil Discuss the Small-Cap Fund
Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on January 29, 2009
In this podcast, Tom chats with Wil Wutherich, the manager of the Small-Cap Fund, about the fund's performance in 2008, the current opportunities in the market, and some of the fund's larger holdings...
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A Mountain of Cash in the Waiting
Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on January 22, 2009
We've mentioned in recent blogs and podcasts that there's a lot of money sitting on the sidelines as tired investors have been pulling out of the market. With the year-end numbers now rolling in, here are some figures worth noting: ...Read More
Podcast: Fourth Quarter Review
Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on January 12, 2009
2008 was an ugly year in the capital markets. In particular, heavy losses were experienced in the fourth quarter, as widespread de-leveraging and indiscriminate selling took place. Yet, every major market decline presents opportunities and investors should ensure their portfolios are well positioned for the 'other side of the valley'.
In this podcast we review the fourth quarter and provide our thoughts on the markets going forward.
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Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs)
Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on January 5, 2009
Starting this year, a new savings vehicle will be available to all eligible Canadians who are at least 18 years old. Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs) will enable individuals to invest money in a tax-free structure throughout their lifetimes. Contributions to TFSAs ...Read More
Readers' Choice - Top Steadyhand Blog Postings of 2008
Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on December 30, 2008
As 2008 comes to an end (thank god!), we’d like to thank all of the loyal readers of our blog. We hope you’ve enjoyed our thoughts, opinions, commentaries, criticisms, musings and satires on investing and the industry that we call ...Read More
How do You Like Them Apples
Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on December 22, 2008
There was an interesting article in the New York Times last week on Wall Street bonuses – a topic that is enough to make many investors sick, given the sad state of the financial industry. Putting aside the debate on ...Read More
They Say That Laughter is the Best Medicine
Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on December 13, 2008
A little Saturday humour to perk you up in these troubling times. The market seems to keep dropping and dropping Because those damn Yankees couldn’t stop shopping Through their homes they’ve borrowed a ton of dough Now they’ve got no ...Read More
Corporate Bonds Assuming Worse than the Worst
Excerpt from Scott Ronalds's blog on December 12, 2008
This posting is for the bond geeks in the crowd. The manager of our Income Fund, Connor, Clark & Lunn Investment Management, recently did the following analysis on corporate bonds. If you passively buy a portfolio of 5-yr U.S. investment ...Read More
