Blog

Cutting Through the Noise


April 12, 2021

By Tom Bradley

The Davids can beat the money management Goliaths — as long as they stick to their strengths

With wealth management in Canada now dominated by Goliaths, can the Davids survive and thrive? Tom Bradley explores in his latest Financial Post article. (Spoiler alert: Yes. Yes they can!)

Read More

March 29, 2021

By Tom Bradley

The last 12 months have been wonderful to investors, but don't let the end-date sensitivity fool you

When short-term results are fantastic, like they will be on your upcoming statement, make sure you enjoy them. Just don’t change your investment plan, or lifestyle.

Read More

March 18, 2021

By Tom Bradley

Where do young investors go?

An unmistakable feature of the market’s run over the last year has been the surge of new and mostly young do-it-yourself investors, with much of the new money going into highly speculative bets. For those looking for some guidance and a less dicey approach, there are good options out there, including Steadyhand ;)

Read More

March 15, 2021

By Tom Bradley

Three words that can help investors take advantage of stock market mayhem

The stock market is getting wilder by the day. We offer some tips to take advantage of the mayhem.

Read More

March 4, 2021

By Tom Bradley

Bad accounting? Thoughts on Canadians' rising net worth

Canadians’ net worth increased 5% in the first nine months of 2020. But are we looking at the right number? Tom Bradley explains.

Read More

March 1, 2021

By Tom Bradley

When it comes to SPAC investing, the house always wins. The public, not so much

SPACs (special purpose acquisition company) are being billed as a better way for pre-IPO companies to go public. But better for who?

Read More

February 16, 2021

By Tom Bradley

What would Warren Buffett make of this stock market silly season? He's already told us

Mr. Buffett is eminently readable and forever logical, and his words are a wonderful counterpoint to the times we're in.

Read More

February 12, 2021

By Tom Bradley

Fantastic February

One prognosticator recently laid out 10 reasons why February may be a fantastic month for investors. While we're all suckers for market calls, they're largely a waste of time and space — which is why ours is rather succinct: Markets will go up. And down. And sideways.

Read More

February 2, 2021

By Tom Bradley

Thoughts on the GameStop saga

The price surges in GameStop, AMC, Blackberry and other stocks that are being hyped in chat rooms is the talk of the town. How does it end? We weigh in.

Read More

February 1, 2021

By Tom Bradley

Keep your eye on the 'lost returns' in your annual investing report

The wealth management industry is pathetic when it comes to transparency (we strive to be better), so be your own advocate on fees and returns.

Read More

January 21, 2021

By Tom Bradley

New vs. existing clients: A balancing act

Discount brokers are in the news again, as their customer experience in 2020 left a lot to be desired. Brand new and prospective clients were treated well, but existing ones? Not so much. In our view, businesses need to find a better balance between loyal, long-standing clients and fresh, shiny new ones.

Read More

January 18, 2021

By Tom Bradley

2020 was a year of extremes for investors, but it shouldn't change your approach going forward

When Canadians open their year-end account statements over the next few weeks, the range of returns for 2020 will be as wide as ever. To understand why your number might be dramatically different than your neighbour's, here are some of the reasons for the huge disparity.

Read More

January 8, 2021

By Tom Bradley

True Wisdom

A reader provides some wise words on the missing components in social media conversations.

Read More

January 4, 2021

By Tom Bradley

Why keeping a few simple investment resolutions for a few days can change your outlook for a few years

Whether you’re an experienced investor or raw rookie, the buck stops with you, so your 2021 resolutions should revolve around the high-level questions a CEO would ask.

Read More

December 28, 2020

By Tom Bradley

Big lessons from history

A great read from Collaborative Fund's Morgan Housel.

Read More

December 21, 2020

By Tom Bradley

This year investors had their cake and ate it too. Will there be consequences in 2021?

Generally, investing is all about trade-offs. To get something, you need to give up something else. But in 2020, there are numerous examples of investors having their cake and eating it too.

Read More

December 10, 2020

By Tom Bradley

The 2020 Bank Profit Indicator

Canada's big banks make gobs of money. We feel obligated to report just how much.

Read More

December 7, 2020

By Tom Bradley

Be wary of what's baked in the cake

People are rightly enthusiastic about companies with exciting growth prospects like Tesla and Zoom. But as investors, we need to be wary about what's already baked in the cake.

Read More

November 23, 2020

By Tom Bradley

Gold can be whatever you want it to be — which is why you should treat it with caution

Gold is back in vogue, rising from US$1,200 two years ago to US$1,900 today. In his latest Financial Post article, Tom Bradley provides some perspective on the precious metal and the role it can play in your portfolio.

Read More

November 12, 2020

By Tom Bradley

RRSP transfers: The dark side

If you move your RRSP to a new firm, they'll process the paperwork and get you up and running in no time. If you transfer assets out, it can take weeks. This imbalance is appalling and worthy of a rant. Here goes.

Read More

November 9, 2020

By Tom Bradley

The Dip

Being a successful investor is less about being good at reading the economy, timing the market, or picking individual stocks, and a whole lot about dealing with the inevitable dips.

Read More

November 4, 2020

By Tom Bradley

Red, white and who?

We woke up this morning to an undecided U.S. election. Here's why we suggest you sit tight through the drama and leave the investment stress to us.

Read More

October 26, 2020

By Tom Bradley

When it comes to investing, don't believe everything you see on TV

If you find yourself listening to someone pontificate about where the market is going, it's best to change the channel.

Read More

October 13, 2020

By Tom Bradley

Why U.S. election results are trivial compared to these factors that will drive your portfolio returns

The U.S. election is seriously overhyped when it comes to investing — focus on these trends instead.

Read More

September 28, 2020

By Tom Bradley

If stock valuations seem out of whack, blame the slow burn of a declining discount rate

High growth stocks like Shopify, Netflix, Tesla, Slack and Snowflake look extremely expensive when future earnings are discounted at 10%. At 5% it can be a much different story. Tom Bradley explains in his Financial Post column.

Read More