Practice

Exit planning: Doing your due diligence

Buying a practice or a book of business isn’t as simple as signing on the dotted line. If you want to make sure you’re getting the right deal, it’s mandatory that you conduct due diligence. But what exactly is due diligence and why does it need to be performed?

By Cindy Jenner Cowan |September 18, 2007

5 min read

Planning and Advice

The case for global dividends

The current catch phrase in the investment community has been to ‘go global’ but what is the best strategy to take your clients’ portfolios abroad? Stephen Way, portfolio manager of AGF Global Dividend Fund, makes the case for dividend-paying companies as well as what to look for in the global marketplace. To read the full […]

By Staff |September 13, 2007

1 min read

Planning and Advice

The Puf Principle

(September 2007) Psychologists say the single greatest need of a human being is to feel appreciated. Similarly, I suggest that your clients’ biggest need is to know that you care. The topsy-turvy markets of the past month have provided each of you with an immense opportunity to demonstrate this care. Many of our clients have […]

By Shawn O'Brien |August 28, 2007

3 min read

Planning and Advice

Legally speaking: Bank insurance, consumer rights

(September 2007) The Wild West of bank-promoted insurance has been roped by the Supreme Court of Canada. A recent decision, Canadian Western Bank et al. v. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Alberta, is a significant improvement for consumer rights and will likely have a significant impact on the manner in which Canadian banks […]

By Harold Geller |August 28, 2007

3 min read

HR 101: Money doesn’t always equal happiness

(August 2007)Alexandra McLean and Shannon Waller from The Strategic Coach examine your experiences and answer your questions about human resources and people management. In this article: Talent management advice and non-monetary ways to keep people happy. You asked: What are some of the easiest ways to keep people happy in their jobs? Assuming that we […]

4 min read

Signatures slowing down insurance industry

(August 2007) It’s been said over and over again: The life insurance industry relies too much on paper, and not enough on technology. So what’s the holdup? How about handwritten signatures? Every life insurance policy requires a handful of signatures, which traditionally means grabbing a pen and putting your John Hancock on paper. But Tim […]

3 min read

The real estate talk

It’s hard not to be impressed by the performance of the residential real estate market over the past several years, particularly in Western Canada, where prices seem to be going nowhere but up. In the past 12 months, for example, the price of a detached bungalow has risen 47.4% in Edmonton, 23.9% in Calgary and […]

5 min read

The right fit

(August 2007) The high-net-worth marketplace in Canada is booming. With a projected growth rate of nearly 88% over the next seven years, it’s a hotbed of opportunity for advisors across all wealth-management channels, says Earl Bederman, who spoke at a marketing wealth management conference in May. At the end of 2006, the wealth market in […]

7 min read

Capital punishment

(August 2007) If you conduct your advisory practice through an employee-employer relationship, as opposed to being self-employed, no doubt you’re aware that your ability to deduct expenses is much more restrictive than if you owned your own business. Each year, several tax cases make their way to Tax Court in which employees attempt to write […]

August 27, 2007

4 min read

Exit planning: Successfully reaching qualified buyers

Building a practice is no easy task, but when the time comes time to sell you want to make sure you’re getting the best possible deal. Unfortunately, many advisors don’t know the first thing about putting their business up for grabs.

4 min read