Normal economic cycles can hurt the individual
Economic activity in Canada ebbs and flows, writes Peter Watson. We have prosperity, then things slow down and we can have a recession. Then a recovery. The goal of the Bank of Canada is to manage our economy, provide slow and steady growth and hopefully allow us all to prosper. That’s good for the country, […]
Rising Interest Rates Ahead
The Bank of Canada continues to sound the alarm that higher interest rates are just around the corner. There are two significant reasons why. One. Inflation, as measured by the consumer price index had an annual increase of 4.8 per cent in December. This is the highest level in three decades. The target inflation rate […]
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 […]
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 […]
The Perfect Gift for Your Child in 2022
It’s a new year and why not give your children a gift they really deserve in 2022, writes Peter Watson. The gift: a mutual fund that invests in a broadly diversified portfolio of stocks around the world. Why is this important? It is not money, but rather the educational experience of owning an investment. The […]
Are you afraid of losing all your investments
Fear of losing money is a real challenge for investors, writes Peter Watson. There is a strong element of fear when it comes to investing. If your entire portfolio is invested in one or two stocks, then the risk of losing most or all of your money should be a significant concern. Many investors today […]
Canadians Will Spend More This Holiday Season
Holiday spending will increase this holiday season, writes Peter Watson. Holiday spending is forecasted to rise sharply from last year. After the pandemic lockdown, Canadians want to shop, celebrate, and spoil friends and family. This insight is according to Deloitte Canada’s 2021 Holiday Retail Outlook. Holiday spending during 2021 is expected to increase 31 per […]
Financial Stability on Pins and Needles
The new variant of COVID-19 has increased the financial worries of Canadians, writes Peter Watson. Last week the Bank of Canada warned that interest rate increases were likely to happen in the first part of next year in order to put the brakes on inflation. One particular concern we have seen is the rising prices […]
What Companies Should You Invest?
Owning many stocks in your portfolio may be a good investment strategy, writes Peter Watson. My suggestion is to change your perspective on investing. Don’t focus on which companies to invest. Expand your focus to be much broader. Considering having a globally diversified portfolio that could have many different companies. In effect, you are buying […]
Investing Can Be Simple: Do What Works
Picking the best mutual fund is a difficult task, writes Peter Watson. You would hope for two things: The mutual fund would stay in business, and the fund will outperform its benchmark. In 2001 there were 2,900 US-based equity mutual funds. Twenty years later only 41 per cent of those funds were still in existence. […]