Lessons Learned from Golf That Apply to Investing
Golf and investing can show that sometimes you just get lucky, writes Peter Watson. Golf has a lot to do with luck. Luck happens in golf, and it also happens with investing. Several years ago, I played in a business golf event. We had a long time to hit as many practice balls. I attempted […]
Millennials Prefer Financial Advisors More Than Robos
A study found that the number of Millennials that had an advisor was 40 per cent while those using automated financial services only accounted for seven per cent. The study was done by Natixis Investment Managers. I suspect the results that heavily favoured a financial advisor was because it surveyed those with at least US$100,000 […]
Better Investment Fees Disclosure is Proposed
Investors can look forward to enhanced disclosure of investment fees and costs on the mutual funds and ETFs they own, writes Peter Watson. This is a good thing, and it is a follow-up to cost disclosure requirements that were implemented in 2016. The new standard of disclosure is at the proposal stage and the objective […]
Managing Expectations and Important Aspect of Investing
Most investment categories had disappointing returns during the first quarter of this year. First a few details. We looked at seven different sectors. Four different stock markets, a global real estate index and two bond indexes. Six of the categories had declining values in the range of five to eight per cent for the quarter […]
Over managing your investments could cost you money
There are two ways to manage your portfolio. You can take a consistent approach with little change in the allocation to stocks and maintaining that balance over time. Alternatively, you can make periodic shifts in the weighting of stocks and bonds. These shifts can be based on a specific criterion, or just your gut feeling […]
Financial worries can cause mental health problems
In my opinion, one of the main causes of mental health issues is financial. For many, financial strength, or weakness, impacts most of our life. When your financial stability declines or you perceive that it will, this can have a ricochet effect on other aspects of your life. Will you be able to pay for […]
Successful Investing starts with asset allocation
Asset allocation is the most important decision for investors, writes Peter Watson. Stocks have a higher expected rate of return than bonds. They also have a higher amount of uncertainty and volatility. Bonds have a lower expected rate of return. They are less volatile and the risk of losing money is far less than owning […]
Is COVID-19 tax coming?
The almighty dollar could be used as an encouragement for those unvaccinated against COVID-19 to get their shots. At the beginning of the pandemic, it would have been unimaginable to think finance could be used as a strategy to control the spread of the pandemic. Last week, the Québec Premier announced the unvaccinated would face […]
Why you need to be optimistic when investing
Personal investing is influenced by how you think, writes Peter Watson. Are you pessimistic or optimistic? If you are pessimistic about the future, you likely would not want to invest in the stock market. As we all know the stock market has no guarantee of future results. Some years you lose. The recent pandemic provides […]
New Year’s Resolution: Is it Time for a Career Change?
Rethink your current career to see if you should make a change, writes Peter Watson. Financial success starts with your ability to earn an income. Your employment is not just a job, it is your current livelihood and your future financial security. It makes perfect sense to periodically evaluate your working life. Consider making this […]