Canadian Personal Finance News | March 2016

"There are many risks out there that you can’t boil down to a math problem"

Automatic payments are a no-brainer, when it comes to paying yourself. Less so, if you’re paying your credit card bill.

"The logic here is astounding. The argument is literally that some people need to be taken advantage of in order for them to be worthwhile clients"

"Many writers will advise you that the only “real” option is to jump in feet first, regardless of your level of financial security, so that you “have to make it work.” I strongly disagree with this."

Q: “I use non-hedged ETFs for US and international equities, which worked out well as the Canadian dollar tanked. But the loonie is now so low that I wonder if it makes sense to move to the hedged versions. My thinking that there is limited risk from the loonie falling much further, and a bigger risk from its recovery.” – B.G.

Dollar cost averaging is a popular strategy, but the reality is that DCA investing is more likely to reduce returns on average, while also reducing risk.

Investing decisions should always be made in the context of your overall financial plan. And although we know short-term forecasts are futile, a retirement plan needs to include some assumptions about returns and risk over the long term. To help with this important task, my colleague Raymond Kerzérho, PWL Capital’s director of research, has just updated our white paper, Great Expectations: How to estimate future stock and bond returns when creating a financial plan.

"We measure our worth by the standards of the workplace"

"Warren Buffett said it best: 'Wall Street makes its money on activity. You make your money on inactivity.' Corporate growth strategies and compensation schedules are all about activity – new products, sales campaigns and strategy shifts. In the meantime, investors’ most effective option, most of the time, is ‘do nothing.’'

"not owning stocks in retirement is significantly riskier" than owning them.

A great articulation of what robo-advisors are and who should use them.

"While much of the budget had been floated and/or proposed during the election and confirmed in part on December 7th (the middle-class tax cut and 4% increase in tax rates for high income earners) by Mr. Morneau, there were some still some surprises"

February's list of the best Canadian personal finance news, articles, and blog posts from around the internet, expertly curated for interest and re...