The “Big Five” Canadian banks offer investment funds and include Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto Dominion Bank (TD Canada Trust), Bank of Nova Scotia, Bank of Montreal and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC). Let’s explore the best place for you to invest.
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Fixed or variable mortgage rate: Which should you choose in 2024? May 28th
If you have a mortgage on your home or have been trying to break into the housing market, you’ve probably watched interest rates go up, up, up over the past two years. Both fixed and variable mortgage rates have been higher than any other time in recent memory, leading many new home buyers and exi.... More »
Making sense of the markets this week: August 4, 2024 Aug 2nd
Michael McCullough is a contributing editor to MoneySense and a financial writer and editor in Duncan, B.C.
Mixed results for Magnificent 7
The narrative around the Magnificent 7 mega-cap technology stocks has become mixed, even in the face of mostly positive earnings news.
Microsoft .... More »
Tech and mining companies top this year’s TSX Venture 50 list + MORE Feb 20th
Technology and mining companies topped this year’s TSX Venture 50 list amid the ongoing push for a piece of the energy transition, the latest edition of the ranking shows.
“The broader diversity of the venture market continues,” said Tim Babcock, president of the TSX Venture Exchange, in .... More »
HISAs vs. bonds and GICs: Where should Canadians hold their cash? + MORE Dec 18th
“Bonds are back,” you may have read on a financial news site or heard a financial advisor say recently. True enough, money is flowing into these fixed-income investments at the highest rate in years, and for good reasons.
In fact, Canadian savers have an abundance of good choices right now f.... More »
Best all-in-one ETFs for Canadian investors 2026 + MORE Apr 29th
No category generated more discussion and debate from our selection panel this year than that for one-decision or all-in-one ETFs meant to provide a diversified portfolio in a single investment product. (The financial industry likes to call them asset-allocation ETFs.)
Some argued that it.... More »
RBC eyes bigger cut of U.S. banking market
– theglobeandmail.com
Royal Bank of Canada currently collects 3.5 per cent of fees paid to investment banks for U.S. activities, and is looking to expand
Why the volatility index’s rock-bottom levels signal real peril for investors
– theglobeandmail.com
If indeed there’s not much to worry about in today’s elevated stock prices, as the VIX suggests, consider what that means for future returns
How to invest a $50,000 inheritance
– moneysense.ca
Creative Commons/Quinn Dombrowski
Q: A friend of mine has inherited $50,000 and wants to invest it. This person will need $10,000 by next year, $20,000 in 5 years, but the remaining $20,000 has no near future need, so she plans to hold it for greater than 15 years. How would you invest this money? What kind of asset allocation would you use? Can you please together a simple and fundamental financial plan on how to allocate this $50,000?
—Bertram
A: At first glance, this looks like a simple question, but it’s actually quite complex. To start, the $10,000 that will be needed over the next year should go into an investment that’s very safe, such as a GIC or other deposit that has a certainty of maturity value.
The safe, unloved, amazing GIC »
But the answer to the two $20,000 amounts depends entirely on the tradeoff you are willing to make regarding risk and return. This information, in my experience, can only be gained through discussion in person with someone who can help you look at the entire picture as well as help you evaluate all your options…
Valeant Pharmaceuticals stock jumped Tuesday after the Quebec-based drugmaker reported its first net profit in six quarters, raised its 2017 adjusted earnings forecast and said it made further progress in paying down debt.
How to get the most out of the capital gains exemption
– moneysense.ca
Q: I would be interested in understanding the $500,000 lifetime capital gains exemption and what it can be used for.
Can I chip away at it by applying annual small investment capital gains?
—Greg
A: Canada has had different capital gains exemptions over the years. Until 1972, capital gains were completely exempt from tax.
There was a broad $500,000 lifetime capital gains exemption that was introduced in 1985 that applied to any asset. It was subsequently reduced to $100,000 in 1988, Greg. It was wiped out in 1994, but taxpayers were allowed to bump up the cost of capital assets at that time without selling if they filed the appropriate election.
An enhanced lifetime capital gains exemption limit was introduced in 1994 for $500,000, but it only applied to qualified small business corporation (QSBC) shares and qualified farm properties. In 2006, qualified fishing properties became eligible for the exemption. In 2008, it was increased to $750,000 and in 2014, it was set at $800,000 – to be indexed every year thereafter with CPI inflation…
