Industry

Briefly:

Canada has nudged out the U.S. in terms of being a cost competitive business location, according to KPMG’s Competitive Alternatives 2010 study. The last time the study was conducted, in 2008, the two countries were virtually tied. Canada now holds a 5% cost advantage. The study examined 10 jurisdictions in North America, Europe and Asia […]

By Staff |March 30, 2010

3 min read

Opinion: Active investing works

Rarely a week goes by when we don’t read that passive investing through ETFs and low fee index mutual funds is a much better way to go than investing in actively managed mutual funds. And we can count on the authors reminding us that the average mutual fund has lower returns than the benchmark index. […]

By Don Macfarlane, CFP |March 30, 2010

3 min read

Industry speaks out against federal tax plan

The federal government’s plan to amend the Excise Tax Act, including the definition of “financial services,” is causing a stir within the industry. The proposed changes could see GST charged on broker commissions and the continued inclusion of discretionary management services. Discretionary investment management fees have been subject to GST since 1991, while broker commissions […]

By Steven Lamb |March 29, 2010

2 min read

Briefly:

Now that your clients are focused on filing their taxes, it might be time to consider what they should do with their tax refund. RRSP contributions, credit card balance reduction and effective management of mortgages are but a few ways to maximize tax returns. A report from BMO says that in 2009, Canadians on average […]

By Staff |March 29, 2010

4 min read