One of the biggest mistakes do-it-yourself investors make is to sell investments at precisely the wrong time. Mostly, this is because smaller investors who “play the market” tend to be “reactive” rather than “proactive.” And mostly, they react to the two primal...
How to spot the signs and signals that make the perfect match Q. Hi, I’m in search of a new financial advisor to help me with some short-term and longer term planning. I make good money and also have stock options with my company. I want to know how to reduce the...
You may have more than you think “I don’t have any money!” Sound familiar? That’s the reason most often cited for not contributing to a Registered Retirement Savings Plan. And it does seem like a problem, especially if you’re living paycheque to paycheque (and...
Maybe it should be more than just cash Do you know what you have in your RRSP? I don’t mean how much money; I mean what kinds of investments. If you answered “guaranteed investment certificates” or “cash savings account,” welcome to the very large club! If so,...
Don’t put your portfolio at risk! As a financial advisor and professional planner, I’ve seen most every investment mistake novice investors are likely to make. And around this time of year, when I undertake client portfolio reviews, clients often seem overcome with...
Pop music queen Lady Gaga is number 2 on the Forbes list of the highest paid women in music in 2013, with an annual paycheque of about $80 million. No doubt she added to her millions with this week’s appearance on NBC’s highly rated music competition The Voice,...
’Tis the season…for tips. Year-end is a great time for tax and investment tipsters. Trouble is, in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, most of us either ignore or soon forget what we’ve heard. But there are, in fact, a few year-end investment and tax tips...
You’ll see them at your local bank branch, those amateurishly handwritten whiteboard signs advertising a $700 or $800 monthly income on a $100,000 investment. That’s equivalent to around a 9% annual yield. With your average bank savings account paying some fraction...
Do you invest on the sly? Well, it’s no secret! A friend recently told me, with some pride, that her small “private” investment account has recently performed better than the much larger portfolio she keeps with a reputable financial advisory firm. She wondered...
Many of my women clients “of a certain age” have rather substantial pension nest-eggs, either through their employer’s pension plans or through their own business or professional practice. But they do share one problem. Their pension funds are tied up in Locked-In...
I recently began volunteering with an organization called Girls Inc., one of whose valuable programs teaches teen girls the basics of investing and money management. By the end of the program, the girls will be competently managing a full-blown investment...
Ever since screen goddess Marilyn Monroe breathily sang the famous lyric in the 1959 hit movie Some Like It Hot, diamonds have come to be known as “a girl’s best friend.” You can understand why. They’re flashy and sparkly and pricey. And some girls actually drip...