Banks Push Back on Investor Protection Reform
Banks and regulators at odds on proposed reforms aimed at protecting investors, writes Peter Watson. New reforms designed to provide better protection of individual investors has hit a major speedbump. Starting at the end of 2021, financial advisors are required to have a better understanding of the investment products they sell. This includes understanding alternative […]
COVID-19 Chaos Disconnected from Stock Market Performance
This year has been the most confusing time that many investors have experienced during their lifetime, writes Peter Watson. S&P 500 Index performance in 2020 seems disconnected to the damaging impact COVID-19 has had on the economy. Early in the year COVID-19 spread around the globe, accelerating change in many areas of the world economy. […]
Covid-19 Could Change Your Life for the Better
Bad news sometimes turns out to be good news, writes Peter Watson. For many, the Covid-19 pandemic will change your life in ways you could not have imagined. Sometimes change can have a negative impact, but it can also lead to positive results. This article will focus on the positive. Some will be able to […]
Stock Market COVID-19 Volatility
Stock market volatility as measured by the S&P 500 demonstrates the fears and uncertainty of these troubled times, writes Peter Watson. Welcome to the roller coaster world of investing. The stock market volatility has been extreme and set new records. The emotional stress on some investors can be significant. Many will have bailed on their […]
Sears Canada’s financial woes – it can happen to anyone
There was a time when Sears Canada was on top of the world. Sears was an iconic brand. Times have changed. The retail landscape in Canada has become more competitive with other strong retailers and the evolution of online shopping. Sears Canada of today says it is unable to pay its bills and filed for […]
Standing up for accountability
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 […]
Without trust, where are we?
Trust is the foundation of society. Is trust vanishing? If so, how will this affect our finances? How will it affect society? The big five Canadian banks are involved in that conversation. As I wrote in last week’s column, the CBC broke the news that staff at Canada’s largest banks complained they were allegedly being […]
Big banks facing public relations fiasco on sales tactics
Canada’s five largest banks are knee-deep in a public relations fiasco. The story is big and it is likely to continue growing. It started on Thursday, March 9, with CBC Go Public breaking the news that three employees from a TD Bank in Vancouver had exposed the bank’s high-pressure sales tactics. The next day CBC […]
Will Apple be your future bank?
Apple Pay has made a significant step towards becoming your bank. This is just the beginning. The largest Canadian banks have negotiated an arrangement with Apple that allows Apple Pay to participate in retail purchases of $100 or less. Customers will need a recent iPhone or Apple Watch to participate. They can store their credit […]