Ever wonder why your broker or mutual fund company doesn’t show performance on your account statement? The reason is pretty simple – they don’t have to. There’s a group of financial advisors who are trying to change that. The Investor Awareness Project is an informal association of fee-for-service advisors across the country whose aim is ‘to bring small investor issues to the attention of the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) and to the broader investment community.’

The association has a website (www.showmethereturn.com) where investors can sign a petition that requests that a series of recommendations designed at improving transparency on client statements be implemented by the OSC.

Specifically, they are recommending that statements must provide personalized performance information, and where possible, the appropriate benchmark against which performance can be measured.

If the Investor Awareness Project’s cause resonates with you, check out their website and petition. It’s worth noting that a handful of firms (including Steadyhand) already show performance on client statements. In the interest of greater industry-wide transparency, let’s hope there’s more to follow.