Cutting Through the Noise
March 2, 2007
I couldn’t resist. Here’s another response to my Globe column the other week ( RRSP Nightmare: Too Many Funds in Your Basket ) on the couple that owned 29 mutual funds. Tony Evans wrote: Sitting here in Tokyo on a ...
Read MoreFebruary 28, 2007
Biggest one day loss since 2001. Historic sell-off. Downright brutal. I’m referring of course to the actions of the Florida Panthers yesterday. The Panthers traded Todd Bertuzzi to the Red Wings for two conditional draft picks and a forward I’ve ...
Read MoreFebruary 27, 2007
I like to read Doug Steiner’s columns in the ROB Magazine. You never know what he’s going to write about. You do know, however, that he will have a strong view on whatever it is. In this month’s issue, Doug ...
Read MoreFebruary 26, 2007
The Globe and Mail, Report on Business Published February 23, 2007 I’ve always encouraged investing enthusiasts to read more than just the newspaper for ideas and education ( User’s Guide to the Business Media ). If you discover a professional ...
Read MoreFebruary 23, 2007
What happened to the ‘winner take all’ attitude? Where’s the competitive spirit? Doesn’t an intense rivalry mean anything anymore? Is the corporate world turning into milk toast? What has sparked all these questions is the proposed merger between Sirius Satellite ...
Read MoreFebruary 21, 2007
It’s that time in the market cycle when we’re all vulnerable to hearing how great someone else has done with their investments. Invariably, this kind of chatter leads back to comparisons with the mutual funds owned by the speaker or ...
Read MoreFebruary 20, 2007
JetBlue, the New York-based low-cost airline known for its leather seats, seatback TVs and superior customer service, suffered a public relations nightmare last week when an east coast ice storm grounded many of its scheduled flights. Hazardous weather is beyond ...
Read MoreFebruary 18, 2007
One of my intentions for this blog is to expose some of the inner workings of Steadyhand, including the functions we outsource and the vendors we work with. A natural place to start is with this website and the firm ...
Read MoreFebruary 16, 2007
I’ve had some fun and interesting responses to my Globe column last Friday on the Canmore couple that owned 29 mutual funds ( RRSP Nightmare: Too Many Funds in Your Basket ). Adrian Mastracci of KCM Wealth Management in Vancouver ...
Read MoreFebruary 14, 2007
Yesterday was a big day for the team at Steadyhand. We filed our final prospectus and turned on our website. While our funds won’t be available to investors until April 10th, these are still big milestones for us. Also yesterday ...
Read MoreFebruary 13, 2007
Grizzly Facts, Part I The Grizzly population of North America is estimated to be between 40,000 - 50,000 B.C. is home to 1 of every 4 remaining Grizzly bears in North America Newborn cubs weigh less than a pound A ...
Read MoreFebruary 13, 2007
Here's a shot of our Manager of Research & Communications, Scott Ronalds, recovering from our last MFDA site visit in January. ...
Read MoreFebruary 9, 2007
The Globe and Mail, Report on Business Published February 9, 2007 We were driving to Whistler last weekend and out of the blue my wife Lori said “it's RSP season and you still haven't written that column”. It took me ...
Read MoreFebruary 7, 2007
This past weekend I came across an investment situation that I see quite often. It relates to the portfolios of super seniors (80 plus years). The situation is this: The senior has a regular income from a pension plan or ...
Read MoreFebruary 1, 2007
The January 20th issue of The Economist had a good article on the investment success that American university endowments have had. The article points out that these endowments have done better than other types of investors (pension funds being the ...
Read MoreJanuary 26, 2007
The Globe and Mail, Report on Business Published January 26, 2007 Do I follow my favourite manager to a new fund? There are probably a few investors out there who feel like they have a big "L" on their forehead. ...
Read MoreJanuary 22, 2007
Jonathan Chevreau's column in today's Financial Post provides more data on the Claymore ETFs of which I spoke in a recent posting ( ETFs' I've Seen This Movie Before ). The column reinforced some of the views I put forward: ...
Read MoreJanuary 18, 2007
I've been under the weather over the last week and have had lots of time to sit and read. Thank goodness I've had other things to read besides the newspapers, otherwise I'd be going crazy right now. For a few ...
Read MoreJanuary 18, 2007
Posted by Scott Ronalds For a while, my partner Tom Bradley has been talking about how Canadian investors are less diversified than they should be ( Feeling Comfortable? Maybe it's Time to Shake Up Your Portfolio ). At times, it's ...
Read MoreJanuary 12, 2007
The Globe and Mail, Report on Business Published January 12, 2007 The YWCA that I go to is always busier in the early part of January. This year is no exception. As part of our New Year's resolutions, we all ...
Read MoreJanuary 5, 2007
As of this week, there is a new mutual fund on the market called the Mackenzie Founders Fund. The fund will invest equally in four of Mackenzie's oldest funds. It will be automatically rebalanced to maintain an equal weighting in ...
Read MoreJanuary 5, 2007
The Globe and Mail, Report on Business Published December 29, 2006 I'm not one to make predictions on what the capital markets are going to do in the next year, or three years for that matter. But with my editors ...
Read MoreJanuary 2, 2007
Compared to the Enron / Worldcom blowups, the options pricing scandal we're going through now is very low key. Enron et al were front page news for a long time. The options scandal is strictly a page 8 item in ...
Read MoreDecember 22, 2006
I came across a wonderful quote yesterday. I was reading a piece I'd found on the Tocqueville Asset Management website (www. tocqueville.com) written by their Chairman, Francois Sicart. "I never invest in a situation in which I cannot lose money" ...
Read MoreDecember 18, 2006
The Globe and Mail, Report on Business Published December 15, 2006 I've been in the investment business since 1983 and I find that with each passing year simplicity becomes more and more appealing. And I don't think I'm alone; it's ...
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