Articles

Investors purchasing mutual funds use an investment advisor almost two thirds of the time. When purchasing ETFs, only one third use an investment advisor, writes Peter Watson. This information is from the Investment Funds Institute of Canada’s annual investor survey that was recently released. Why are so few investors using the services of a financial … Fewer Investors Use a Financial Advisor

Beware of the “shiny object” syndrome, writes Peter Watson. One of the most difficult challenges of investors is to ignore the “noise” that often surrounds investing. Much of that noise is based on short-term results. Investing is done for long periods of time. Short term approaches to investing in my opinion are just speculation. Guessing … Avoid Investing in Stocks Based on Short Term Success

The most significant challenge for some over the next few years is making their mortgage payments, writes Peter Watson. Many have already experienced the effect of higher interest rates. The lucky ones have locked in a specific mortgage rate that has not come due, but that day is coming. There are several realities to homeownership. … Mortgage Payments Are Becoming Challenging

It’s time to pay off your mortgage, writes Peter Watson. For many years historic low interest rates encouraged people to borrow. Those days have passed. Depending on your mortgage details, your interest rate has already increased or likely will soon. Paying off your mortgage is a good idea, especially before you retire. During retirement your … Why paying off your mortgage is a smart move

There is a potential solution for Canada’s current lack of residential rental units, writes Peter Watson. It is an idea that was used in the 1970s when there was also a shortage of rental supply. Offer individual investors tax incentives. Decades ago, the top tax bracket was slightly over 50%, the same as it is … Past Tax Strategy is a Possible Solution to Provide More Residential Rental Units

Focusing entirely on the dangers of mounting household debt is a disservice to our country, writes Peter Watson. Over a few short years, housing mortgage rates have doubled, or more. This has caused a significant hardship for many homeowners. Many people might not be able to keep up with mortgage payments and are at risk … Time is running out to improve Canada’s debt issues