Financial Concerns are Growing for Many Canadians
Economic uncertainty is a reality, so this is a good time to reevaluate your personal finances, writes Peter Watson. There are early warning symptoms that more Canadian borrowers are starting to struggle with their finances. It’s a combination of increased difficulty keeping up with mortgage and credit card payments. Plus, we are living in a […]
Do You Need Financial Therapy?
Talking to someone about how you feel about the current stock market volatility can be beneficial, writes Peter Watson. When the stock markets are volatile investors can get depressed, worried and fearful. Then the dreaded question: What should you do? Should you get out of the market by selling your investments even though they might […]
Formula for a Winning Investment Strategy
Following a simple investment strategy can lead to financial success, writes Peter Watson. It is very easy for investors to make mistakes when managing their investment portfolio. Many investors attempt to build their portfolio by choosing individual stocks to purchase or hiring a manager that would do that for them. The hope is to outperform […]
Federal Government Should Complete Your Tax Return
Our government should complete your tax return for most Canadians, writes Peter Watson. The annual ritual of completing your personal income tax return and submitting it before the end of April for many is a waste of time and effort and money. I would like our federal government to automate this process for most Canadians […]
Why investors should proceed with caution
Investors beware, this year will have many challenges, writes Peter Watson. The year is off to a rocky start. We have many challenges, and it is recommended that investors proceed with caution. President Donald is demanding trading partners, including Canada, pay a costly tariff to sell goods in the United States. Also, he has consistently […]
Understanding stock market returns
As investors, it is important to realize the “highs and lows” of the stock market. What’s interesting is that American stocks, as measured by the S&P 500 index, gained 25% in 2024. That was the first time in several decades there have been two back-to-back years with over 20% return. As an investor who owns […]
Many Older People Need Better Financial Advice
Many older Canadians are not getting the proper financial advice, writes Peter Watson. The quality of the financial advice you get from your advisor is both understandable and concerning. Younger investors aged 18 to 34 are not happy with their financial advisor, according to a Vanguard study. Only just over one in three felt they […]
Stock Markets are Shrinking
There are significantly less publicly traded shares available to individual investors, writes Peter Watson. Investors can purchase publicly traded shares of companies they wish to invest. This can be via a direct purchase or by owning a mutual fund that has acquired shares. Most portfolios have a strong allocation to stocks and therefore the declining […]
News can be confusing for investors
News can be very confusing, writes Peter Watson. We live in the modern age of 24 seven news streaming at us from our smart devices. That can cause a problem. The psychology of news or more importantly how people interpret news is based on our desire to hear the bad things of life. News that […]
Investment Diversification Can be Misunderstood
Some investors misunderstand the importance of diversification, writes Peter Watson. The concept of having strong diversification with your investments can be misunderstood. Let’s consider the example of an investor who prides themselves on taking risks. That person is not afraid of risk and sometimes that characteristic can reflect the type of person they are. You […]
