Freedom of Speech: Who Makes the Rules?
The Trump era will redefine freedom of speech. He crossed the line and new rules, and regulations will follow. Freedom of speech was on a roller coaster ride over the last few weeks. The final days of the Trump presidency was so bizarre had they not been happening with the whole world to watching, it […]
Three Important Documents Needed as you Age
The older you are the more critical it is to have a Will, Powers of Attorney for both Health and Property, and a Trusted Contact Person, writes Peter Watson. Today’s column is about the natural aging process and it comes with homework. Watch a movie. The Father, starring Anthony Hopkins, is a story about a […]
Innovation – Your Friend for the Future
COVID-19 has permanently changed life for millions of Canadians. Individuals are encouraged to embrace innovation as their new path forward. This column is about hope for the future. But first a comment on the year that just ended. COVID-19 is the worst thing to hit our country since World War II, which ended in the […]
Oh my, what a year
COVID-19 has caused a great deal of pain for millions of Canadians. Life will change in the years ahead. Twelve months ago, life was progressing fairly nicely. Everything was the way it should be. Times were good. Most people had jobs. Business was prospering. Stock market values continued to increase. Looking back, these were the […]
Christmas Is A Special Time of Year
The Christmas season brings out tradition, memories, values and perhaps acts of kindness, writes Peter Watson. There is fifty-two weeks a year. But Christmas is so special. Daily routines change. Many exchange gifts, and family and friends socialize, celebrate, and re-connect. It is a special time. For some it is emotional as we think of […]
Three Steps for Successful Investing
Successful investing starts with understanding your needs and understanding the characteristics of the investment being considered. That informs your decision whether a particular investment is suitable for you. A critical component of any good investment strategy is not making mistakes. A simple three step process can be your formula to successful investing. The goal is […]
Problem-Solving: Your Path to Financial Success
Using simple arithmetic can help us manage our personal finances, writes Peter Watson. Life is all about problem solving. This way of thinking can easily be applied towards organizing your personal finances in a manner that serves your financial objectives. Do things financially that allow you the option of living the life you want. For […]
Top Performing Large Stocks Tend to Change to Underperforming
Fama/French Total US Market Research Index 1927-2019 shows short-term stock appreciation growth has not been sustainable. Firms that join the coveted Top 10 largest companies by market capitalization in the United States often do so because of tremendous growth. Since 1927, for the three years prior to joining the Top 10 largest market capitalization companies, […]
Please Do Not Destroy the Planet
United Nations paper on sustainable development encourages environmental stewardship, and the recent proposal of our federal government will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, writes Peter Watson. Is there a way of investing that reflects our personal values? Yes. The best way to describe this type of investment is with the letters ESG, which stands for […]
Investment Returns are Based on Expected and Unexpected Factors
The fundamentals of investing are logical. In many cases investing can seem anything but logical. Investing in FAANG stocks produced extraordinarily high returns during the last decade. A return was expected, the extraordinary high return was unexpected. Over the last decade FAANG stocks did exceptionally well. FAANG represents Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google’s parent […]