Articles

Accountability is important in an advanced society. We are about to see two examples of accountability in the near future. One here and one south of the border. Our value system is based on the concept of fairness. Good things should happen, but when they don’t there needs to be an acknowledgement of wrongdoing and … Standing up for accountability

There are positive signs the investment industry will evolve to better protect investors who purchase financial products and advice. In May 2017, the Investment Fund Institute of Canada (IFIC) recommended investment industry regulators provide rules governing embedded advisory fees charged by mutual funds. The issue is that some mutual funds sold by online discount brokers … Protections proposed for self-directed investors

Ontario is conducting a social experiment. Our province wants to pay people not to work. It was announced in the recent provincial budget that Ontario will spend $150 million on a three-year experiment to give people a basic income. This will include some who have low paying employment that does not provide enough money to … Ontario government introduces basic income pilot project

The sad reality of this crazy booming real estate market we have seen in Oakville recently, could end up hurting people. That financial pain could be felt for decades. One of the characteristics of owning a house is that mortgages are often much larger than the down payment. Financial leverage is a wonderful thing when … The dream of home ownership could turn nightmarish

A hot topic of conversation these days is real estate. Specifically, the exorbitantly high prices of houses in Oakville and other communities in the GTA. According to the April 4 numbers released by the Oakville, Milton and District Real Estate Board, Oakville’s median residential sale price for the month of March increased by 44.77 per … The financial and human sides to soaring house prices

Warren Buffett thinks investment industry fees are too high. This was one of his messages in the 2017 annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders. Excessively high fees are not a new topic for Warren Buffett, or this column. “When trillions of dollars are managed by Wall Streeters charging high fees, it is usually the managers … High investment industry fees do not result in superior returns