If you’ve ever wondered why most investors treat emerging markets as one monolithic region, look back to 2001. That was the year Jim O’Neill, a Goldman Sachs economist, first spoke about the BRIC countries: Brazil, Russia, India and China, he said, were going to experience a growth explosion, which would result in compounding returns for […]
There is fresh evidence that the value of active management is found in market downturns, as the latest Standard & Poor’s Indices Versus Active Funds Scorecard (SPIVA) found that nearly 60% beat the S&P/TSX composite index in the third quarter, but S&P’s Jasmit Bhandal cautions investors against reading too much into the improved numbers. “It’s […]
While many investors are worried that their RRSPs will be affected by the market downturn, a new survey shows that most investors aren’t panicked enough to stop contributing to their registered savings account. A poll commissioned by Edward Jones revealed that 66% of Canadians won’t make any changes to their RRSP this year. “We thought […]
The market continued to be eviscerated on Monday with the S&P/TSX composite index falling 573 points, while the Dow Jones dropped 370 points. At this point, it’s hard to say who the sellers are — is it the frightened North American public or institutional investors who have a lot to lose? Maybe it’s both. Stephen […]
Even though a tweaked version of the US$700 billion rescue plan was passed in the U.S. Senate Wednesday, markets still dropped, with the S&P/TSX composite plunging 814 points—mostly due to a huge decline in commodity stocks—while the Dow lost nearly 350 points. Avery Shenfeld, a senior economist at CIBC World Markets, says there’s still a […]
In a move that’s shocked stock markets and economists across North America, many U.S. House Republicans and a number of Democrats voted against the US$700 billion bailout bill. With the Dow Jones down nearly 780 points and the S&P/TSX composite index dropping 840 points Monday, the future of America economy—and by extension Canada’s—is unclear. “If […]
For years, the general consensus around retirement has been that people haven’t saved enough money, don’t have enough to live on and are scared about their golden years. Well, a new survey by Russell Investments and Harris/Decima says retirees are doing just fine. The survey, which was released Tuesday, says 88% of retirees consider their […]
With American International Group now in tatters, insurers around the world are poised to bid on parts of the troubled company, including Toronto-based Manulife Financial. While Dominic D’Alessandro, the company’s CEO, isn’t talking, it’s reported that he met with financial advisors last week to discuss how to take advantage of AIG’s likely dismantling. If Manulife […]
Hot on the heels of a Watson Wyatt report that said pension funding ratios were at their highest in five years comes a Mercer release revealing that the Mercer Pension Health Index is no better funded than it was a year ago. In fact, funding ratios ended the year with a 2% net loss. “The […]
Canadian pension plans received a clean bill of health this week, as Watson Wyatt Worldwide and Mercer Human Resource Consulting released separate studies revealing a renewed strength of retirement plans. That could be good news for retirees since corporate pension plans are at the heart of a relaxing post-work life. The Mercer Pension Health Index […]