Articles

This is my 500th article since the Dollars and Sense column began in 1992. It has been rewarding receiving your comments and informing you about practical advice about reaching your personal financial goals. Sometimes I recommend taking action that is different from what current investment industry practices would suggest. Today we will look back at … Celebrating No. 500

Junior Achievement has been promoting the importance of financial literacy for years. Adults can learn from what is being taught to these children from one of their special grade 7 programs. I had the opportunity to spend a day with a grade 7 class at the Pope John Paul II Elementary Catholic School in Glen … Tips from Junior Achievement’s financial literacy program

Investors often feel detached from their mutual fund investments because they do not see what they own within the fund. Purchasing specific securities (stocks and bonds), however, allow investors to know the names of their investments. They can relate to Apple, Ford and the Royal Bank. The investments’ company names are on client statements. Monitoring … Choose the appropriate investment structure to reach goals

Canada’s embarrassing mess in the Senate can prove to be a good learning experience on how we manage our own personal finances. The single most important word to focus on is “audit.” The Senate needs an audit and in the broader sense many of us need an audit as well. That should be our lesson … Senate scandal highlights importance of auditing personal finances

Parent’s plans for transitioning into retirement may be negatively impacted by both their unestablished boomerang children and a house poised for a potential decline in value. Boomerang children are finding it difficult to establish themselves in this post-recession era. According to a study by TD Canada Trust they are adding financial pressure to their baby … Boomerangers and housing values may affect retirement

Why do people invest in a manner that consistently gives them inferior investment returns? There are two basic but very different approaches to investing. The most common and least successful way is to invest in products that use active managers. The second, lesser used way, is the passive management approach which mimics an index or … Actively managed mutual funds continue to disappoint