An
IPC Special Report
Tumultuous stock markets gyrate –
investors told: Don’t despair |
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 Believe
it or not, the market has experienced worse over the past ten years than what
we are seeing today. We’ve already watched the markets rock and roll and
the subsequent panic. Each time, the media warned us that the markets were “doomed”,
and yet about six months after each episode the investment world returned more
or less to normal. Some of the more interesting events from the last ten years:
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The breakup of the Soviet Union - wild lawlessness will ensue! |
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The Mexican peso crisis - The peso is dropping like crazy! |
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Collapse of Barings Bank – They even made a movie! |
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Collapse of long-term capital management - The hedge fund run
by two (not one) Nobel laureates in economics! Almost brought down the US financial
system! |
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The Asian flu - Asian countries fell because of debt and currency
issues. |
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The technology crash of 2000. |
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9/11 |
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The end of Enron. |
Use the Read
More link to view the complete article. |
| Fiscal
Agents: In the news |
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|
Fiscal Agents’ Rob Whipp is interviewed by Canada’s leading financial
industry newspaper The Investment Executive, on the merits of Market-linked GIC
products. The article delves into the complexity of the product, its benefits
and shortcoming.
If you’ve been considering this type of investment; then the question is
- Is this the right time to buy?
Use the Read
More link to view the complete article. |
| Year
End Review - The 2007 Mood Swings |
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|
 The
year 2007 is destined to be a memorable one for investors. Volatility was a recurring
part of the picture, triggered by fears over huge waves of U.S. mortgage defaults,
Chinese market bubbles, increases in oil prices leading to inflation and concerns
around interest rates, and also by the strong Canadian dollar appreciation effect
on global investments. To illustrate this volatility: the Dow Jones Industrial
Average hit a record high 34 times, but is now significantly down from those peaks.
Canada has experienced similar swings.
Use the Read More
link to view the complete article. |
In
Hindsight - If you became sick or injured
(and insurance was to be your safety net) |
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|
 To
help you determine which plan would be most suitable to your then circumstances,
this article explores the basic options and types of coverage, including Critical
Illness Insurance, Income Replacement (Disability) Insurance, Long Term Care and
more.
Use the Read More
link to view the complete article. |
| New
LIF & RIF flexibility : Unlock up to 25% |
|
|
 On
July 27, 2007, the Ontario government released amendments to the Ontario Pension
Benefits Act Regulations. Following is a brief summary of the changes that affect
all existing Ontario LIRA/LIF/LRIF contracts.
Use the Read
More link to view the bulletin. |
| Facts
about Your RRSP for this Tax Season |
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|
 Once
again, it is RRSP season - the time when many of us scramble to make RRSP contributions
to earn a tax deduction for the latest tax year. However, making RRSP contributions
is not just about reducing taxation; it is about planning for a dream. That dream
is financial independence.
Use the Read More
link to view the complete article. |
| Still
coping with Christmas debt? |
|
|
 Facing
up to the bills of 2007 can be a paralyzing experience for some. In her book Confessions
of a Shopaholic, Sophie Kinsella’s character Rebecca Bloomwood tries to make
peace with her overspending-self. It does make for humorous reading but the similarities
to real life make it sadly tragic. After 25 years in financial services, I’m
afraid I have run into more than my fair share of real life shopaholics.
I have learned a long time ago that people do exactly what works for them. On
the surface, it may not look like it works: however, some part of a person’s
psyche is achieving exactly what they need to survive. It is in the understanding
of these hidden needs that the real change can begin. The start of 2008, is the
perfect time to get one’s financial house in order.
Use the Read
More link to view the complete article. |
| The
Minister of Finance wants your opinion |
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|
 Jim
Flaherty the Minister of Finance asks Canadians to participate in an online pre-budget
consultation.
What he's hoping to understand is:
| • |
What steps should the Government take in Budget 2008 (and beyond)
to ensure that Canada is prepared to deal with the implications of an aging population? |
| • |
Should the Government be implementing broad-based policies
that will help all sectors of the economy to succeed or should it focus on developing
policies to assist specific industries facing special challenges? |
| • |
In what areas should the Government focus its resources in
Budget 2008 (and beyond)? If resources need to be redirected from other areas,
what areas should these be? |
| • |
What steps should the Government take in Budget 2008 (and
beyond) to ensure that the Canadian economy remains internationally competitive,
continues to attract investment and creates high value-added jobs? |
| • |
What tax and other measures should the Government take to ensure
that Canada keeps its best and brightest, attracts highly skilled immigrants,
encourages as many people as possible to enter the workforce, and rewards Canadians
for their hard work, while respecting the Government’s fiscal goals? |
| • |
What other issues would you like to address? |
Use this link to respond to this invitation.
Other links:
* Invitation
by the Honourable James M. Flaherty, P.C., M.P., Minister of Finance, to Pre-Budget
Web Consultations
* Minister
Flaherty Launches Online Budget Consultations |
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Today's
Market Rates |
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Taken from the FiscalAgents.com
Money Centre, as of 1/23/08
| Term
Deposits |
4.40%
|
Annually,
180-269
Days, $25,000 |
| GICs |
4.60%
|
| Annually,
5 Year, $5,000 |
| Maximum
Rate |
4.66%
|
| Annually,
5 Year, $10,000 |
| RRIFs |
4.66%
|
| Annually,
5 Years, $50,000 |
| RRSPs |
4.60%
|
| Annually,
5 Year, $5000 |
| Savings
a/c |
4.10%
|
| Daily |
|
Click the link below to view our best-offered rate table.
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Mutual
Fund Statistics:
December 2007 |
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| Assets
under management: |
| $697.3
billion |
| Net
sales (excl.reinv.distr.): |
| $2.9
billion |
| Fund-on-Funds
Assets under management: |
| $111
billion |
| Fund-on-Funds
Net Sales (excl.reinv.distr.): |
| $739
million |
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