Products

Clean tech, an investment in the future

Alternative energy, clean tech, and new energy tend to conjure up different definitions — for good reason. The industries and technologies that comprise clean tech are extremely diverse, ranging from jatropha plantations for bio-diesel to advanced battery technologies. In essence, clean tech is composed of industries using newer or cleaner technologies to generate or use energy better — a noble pursuit, given the evidence that our world’s reliance on dirtier fossil fuels is leading to a gradual warming of our planet.

By Craig Basinger |February 1, 2011

6 min read

Industry

GMP launches junior oil and gas index

GMP Securities has launched a new index tracking small- and mid-cap companies in the energy sector. The GMP Junior Oil and Gas Index is designed to provide investors with an investable index of 48 companies that are publicly listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. “This is the first time GMP Securities has been involved in […]

By Staff |February 1, 2011

2 min read

Products

The benefits of ETF fee transparency

ETFs present a special challenge to the advisor when it comes to generating revenue: they act like a mutual fund, but don’t pay a trailer. They’re exchange-traded and commission-based, but have lower turnover than individual stocks. That said, the more actively traded the ETFs, the more a commission-based model can work.

By Guy Lalonde |February 1, 2011

6 min read

Industry

Norbourg proved one hot potato

If there was a Guinness record for the longest game of hot potato, the Norbourg scandal would probably be included among the finalists—and this without counting all the other unenviable records linked to it, like most confused court proceedings, greatest ever financial scandal in La Belle Province, greatest number of lost faxes, worst collaborative effort […]

By Yves Bonneau |January 25, 2011

5 min read

Fund cost poll suggests Canadians need advice

A large number of Canadian investors appear oblivious to the costs associated with their mutual funds, according to a survey commissioned by ING DIRECT. The poll found that 45% of Canadians were unsure about the annual management expense they are pay on mutual funds. It should be noted, of course, that ING is a purveyor […]

By Steven Lamb |January 24, 2011

2 min read

Norbourg saga draws to a close

An agreement in principle has been reached in the Norbourg class action lawsuit. Under the $55 million settlement there is no admission of liability. The amount will be covered by Beaulieu Deschambault S.E.N.C.R.L. (including Deschambault St-Jean S.E.N.C.R.L.) and Rémi Deschambault, the AMF, The Northern Trust Company, Canada, Concentra Trust and KPMG LLP. The $55 million […]

By Staff |January 19, 2011

1 min read

ETFs under fire

Even as the exchange-traded funds (ETFs) industry expands, headlines are calling the funds into question: The Globe and Mail advised “How to protect yourself from ETF pain” just days after the May “flash crash,” and more recently, the Financial Post linked the two, with the headline “ETFs called a ‘Frankenstein’ that creates risk of ‘flash crashes.’” Even when the tone is somewhat conciliatory, such as the Wall Street Journal’s, “Are ETFs a menace — or just misunderstood,” it’s far from upbeat.

4 min read

Impact investing: Profit from a better world

There has long existed a gap between philanthropy and any singular devotion to capital gains. But this uncharted space is fast being filled by the growing phenomenon of impact investing. At its heart, impact investing is a simple concept: mobilizing private capital for public good. It operates on the basic premise of solving social and […]

By Vikram Barhat |January 14, 2011

5 min read

‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ mindset hurts ETFs

Twenty-one years ago the Toronto Stock Exchange launched the world’s first exchange-traded fund, the Toronto 35 Index Participation Units (TIPS). The advantages that ETFs offer have since been well chronicled. Support for low-cost, passive investing is broad and includes big names such as Warren Buffett, Peter Lynch, and Charles Schwab.

January 1, 2011

3 min read