Planning and Advice

Boutique, bank battle rages on

The turn of the 21st century was a time of opportunity for boutique advisory firms. Independent firms targeting mass affluent clients and their advisors, boutiques had a proposition they thought the banks couldn’t beat: a less bureaucratic culture and a focus on client service over transaction volume. What made this more attractive was the banks […]

By Scot Blythe |February 1, 2011

10 min read

Planning and Advice

An advisory group instead of a team

A career in financial services is probably the unlikeliest of gifts a boyfriend can get, but perhaps one of the greatest, as Angus Watt, managing director, individual investor services, Angus Watt Advisory Group, National Bank Financial, discovered.

By Vikram Barhat |February 1, 2011

3 min read

Planning and Advice

Preventing mistakes with behavioural finance

Mr. Silverman was upset during the 1999 client review meeting. He couldn’t fathom why you, his advisor, had not increased his equity allocation to take full advantage of the bull market in which his peers were participating. You were reminded of that meeting during the 2009 review when Mr. Silverman declared that he “had enough” and “couldn’t take it anymore.” He felt he was over-exposed to equities in the first place.

By Stephen Horan |February 1, 2011

6 min read

Planning and Advice

Preventing mistakes with behavioural finance

By Stephen Horan |February 1, 2011

6 min read

Beware the new e-rules

Recent federal government regulations will allow banks and other financial institutions to do more business with customers online and electronically transmit documents currently mailed at hefty postage, printing, disposal and environmental costs.

3 min read

Experts discuss risk – Part One

Clients witnessed risk in action in 2008, but have these lessons lingered? Risk is a layered concept. Although individual investors—even high net worth clients—acknowledge their balance sheets, do they truly recognize the forces behind them or even their own risk thresholds?

By Terri Goveia |January 26, 2011

8 min read

YOU need a social media strategy, not your business

In the late 1990s, legendary management consultant Tom Peters had a prescient idea. No longer would business be dominated by established mega-brands. The future would be dominated, trumpeted Peters, by The Brand Called You.

By Jay Palter |January 26, 2011

2 min read

Fee vs. commission not clear cut

Establishing the compensation model for services rendered amounts to one of the most difficult decisions for members of any profession and normally flows from client preferences, the professional’s needs and his or her perceptions of the market. The professional needs adequate compensation while the client may or may not grasp the value of services rendered. […]

By Al Emid |January 25, 2011

3 min read

Planning and Advice

Boutique, bank battle rages on

An advisory group instead of a team

Preventing mistakes with behavioural finance

Preventing mistakes with behavioural finance

Beware the new e-rules

Experts discuss risk – Part two

Experts discuss risk – Part One

YOU need a social media strategy, not your business

Advisors make the CFP grade

Fee vs. commission not clear cut