All posts by Financial Independence Hub

Bonds: Ain’t no cure for the summertime blues

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U.S. 10-Year vs. 10-Year German Bund
By Kevin Flanagan , WisdomTree Investments
 
Special to the Financial Independence Hub

Since Election Day, the focus in the U.S. Treasury (UST) market has been essentially domestic-driven. In other words, market participants have been setting their sights on potential fiscal policy developments and, of course, the latest actions from the Federal Reserve (Fed).

However, as the calendar turned to summer, investors were greeted with a new twist for Treasuries: more-hawkish-than-expected rhetoric coming from other developed markets’ central banks, elevating global bond yields in the process. The question that lies ahead on the rate front is whether words become deeds; if so, the fixed income arena could be in for a case of summertime blues.

Two of the more noteworthy developments from the global central bank perspective involved the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of Canada (BOC), each occurring in just the last few weeks. The genesis was at an ECB forum in Sintra, Portugal, where President Draghi made remarks that the bond market viewed as being on the hawkish side.

Although the ECB tried to walk back the comments, stating they were misinterpreted, the damage was done, and yields nevertheless finished higher. Interestingly, the FOMC minutes released early in July were a nonevent, but the ECB minutes were a different story, as the headlines stated that policy makers “discussed removing the easing biases in their policy communication,” specifically on their Quantitative Easing (QE) program. These news events were accompanied by earlier comments from BOC president Poloz that intimated that Canadian policy makers may be considering a rate hike at one of their upcoming meetings.

Unexpected shift in tone

Needless to say, the shift in tone was not expected in the global bond markets. Continue Reading…

Mid-year review of Aman Raina’s Robo Advisor portfolio

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By Aman Raina, SageInvestors

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

Aman Raina

As we cross the mid-pole mark in 2017, it seems like a good time to check in on my Robo Portfolio that I created two and half years ago.  For those jumping on for the first time, I wanted to try to find out if this new type of investment service which was taking the industry by storm a few years ago does any better job of creating wealth for investors compared to the traditional methods of investing (i.e. Do-It-Yourself or having a professional manage your money on your behalf).

I chose one Robo Advisor company here in Canada and invested $5,000 of my own money. When I set up the account I answered a series of questions about my financial literacy and risk tolerance. ROBO took my responses and crafted a portfolio that it felt reflected my profile.

As I am pretty experienced with investing and have a long-term investment horizon, ROBO determined that a portfolio mix of 85 per cent stocks and 15 per cent bonds would work for me. From there ROBO carved out allocations to a variety of equity and bond assets using ETFs to provide the appropriate exposure.

The objective of this exercise is to observe and blog about the whole experience and share with you any unique insights about the service. Most importantly I wanted to see what kind of returns this type of portfolio can generate. My experiment is by no means scientific but I think there is a lot that we can learn about this service if we go beyond the slick websites and marketing to truly look underneath the hood to see how these portfolios are managed.

Performance still reasonable

When we last checked in with my ROBO portfolio in late January, it was chugging along rather nicely, generating somewhat decent returns. It appears to be continuing the trend. Since the start of the year, the ROBO portfolio is up 5.5 per cent. Since I set up the account, the portfolio is up 14.2 per cent. The portfolio is up $298.71 this year, of which $53.59 was in dividend payments. Again, pretty reasonable for me. When you look at portfolio breakdown most of the returns have come from US stocks, Foreign stocks, and Emerging Market stocks.

ROBO Portfolio - 6 month performance chart

ROBO Portfolio – 6 month performance chart

ROBO portfolio - Asset Allocation breakdown - July 3, 2017

ROBO portfolio – Asset Allocation breakdown – July 3, 2017

Asset Allocation: Breaking News! 

It all seems decent enough; however, shortly after I posted my report in February, the portfolio has gone through some changes. Continue Reading…

Opinion: Morneau rings death knell for entrepreneurial spirit in name of “fairness”

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Finance Minister Bill Morneau

By Trevor Parry

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

Liberals are majestic creatures, always knowing what is better for the masses, and careful never to swallow a dose of their own medicine.  One can conjure up the Hogwartsian image of the Little Prince and “Red” Billy Morneau stumbling hand and hand through the torch-lit catacombs of the Department of Finance, where, to their great joy, hidden behind the cobweb-covered portrait of Alan MacEachen they find a secret passage to Chamber of the Knights of the Just Society.

For it can only be a long forgotten cell of Birkenstock-wearing discredited ideologues, clutching fervently to their well-worn copies of the Carter Commission Report that have vomited forth Tuesday’s discussion paper decrying the apparent abuses perpetrated by the shareholders of private corporations.

Mr. Trudeau likely can’t spell dividend, and Mr. Morneau dare not ask his father how his tuition to the LSE (coincidentally, founded by the Fabian Socialist Society) might have been funded. For these two, along with a good portion of the Liberal caucus, are completely unaware of the sacrifices that are made to create a successful business, or create a professional carreer, and who frankly shake hands with the Holy Spirit of Hypocrisy on a daily basis.

Entrepreneurialism is a plague to Liberals

No, to the Liberal Party of Canada entrepreneurialism is a plague to be eradicated, replaced by a compliant corporate oligopoly working in symbiosis with a burgeoning civil service, and of course legions of ravenous consultants.

The  Department of Finance Paper seeks to target corporate tax planning strategies that have been in place for over 30  years. Paying dividends to adult children, parents and other family members in lower tax brackets, often as a measure of generosity or as a means to pay for higher education (something Mr. Trudeau aspired to but could not achieve), multiplication of the capital gains exemption to preserve a life’s work, and realizing deferral as a means to create capital are apparently at odds with the omniscient and ubiquitous Liberal goal of “fairness.”

Tax fairness should be holding all to the lowest possible measure of taxation, not subjecting everyone to the highest. For in Trudeau’s lexicon fairness is synonymous with mediocrity.    For it is an unassailable lesson of history that the fundamental precondition for the creation of economic dynamism is the creation of surplus savings and capital by the entrepreneurial class. The tax strategies that Mr. Morneau and his Office of the Five Year Plan (formerly known as the Department of Finance) targeted on Tuesday had in some tiny measure allowed for that.

In Liberal Canada economic results must be ordained, not by a higher power, or by the ability or drive of the individual but by a collection of over-entitled, mentally ossified Liberal politburo. By every measure possible; some of which arguably violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, in that they directly and unabashedly discriminate against familial relationships, anyone who dare exceed the rigid definition of “middle class” (which for most of the country is “lower” middle class at best) will be assaulted by the great level of an over-50% tax rate. The product of this fairness will be the corpulent rewarding of Liberal sacred cows without even the pretence of accountability.

Continue Reading…

Canadian ETF growth continues in 2017 but still early innings

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Source: Strategic Insight data as of December 31 of each year. As of April 30th for 2017.


By Atul Tiwari 

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

With summer in full swing, along with warmer weather and blooming gardens, it got me thinking about cycles in investing. In particular ETFs, which have been taking root in Canada over the past few years.

When Vanguard entered the Canadian market in December 2011, we were one of only eight ETF providers. Our own evolution illustrates how much has changed in just over five years: We started with six index-based ETFs and currently offer a lineup of 33 ETFs, including four actively managed equity factor-based ETFs launched in June 2016.

Industry-wide more than 500 ETFs now vie for the attention of investors and advisors. And it’s not just products that have proliferated; new ETF providers enter the industry every month. More than $130 billion in Canada-domiciled ETF assets is now divided among 24 ETF providers. And there’s room to grow. ETFs make up only 8% of Canadian investable assets while capturing 25% of industry flows for the first quarter.1

Investors have clearly grown more comfortable adding ETFs to their portfolios. While I’m not one to make predictions about whether the pace of expansion will continue, I do see three trends that tend to favour it.

1.)  Greater fee transparency

Thanks to the second phase of Canada’s Client Relationship Model reforms (CRM2), investors are starting to see — in dollar terms on their account statements — what they’re paying their advisory firms. Canadian regulators are also considering a potential ban on embedded trailing commissions. This will surely generate discussion and shine an even brighter light on investment fees.

No less an expert than billionaire investor Warren Buffett extolled the long-term benefits of low-cost investing in his 2016 letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders. Cost plays a critical role in total investment return. The less investors pay in fees, the more of the potential returns they can keep. This is true whether you are investing in an ETF, mutual fund or any other investment vehicle.

2.)  Fee-based advisors are on the rise

Driven partly by regulatory changes and heightened awareness of investment fees, many financial advisors are moving to fee-based business practices. We favour this transition as we believe it better aligns advisors with the needs of investors and creates full transparency. Continue Reading…

Is Life Insurance the ultimate in financial #adulting?

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By Mark Hardy, TD Insurance

Millennials have plenty on their plate when it comes to financial #adulting. From paying off student debt and managing day-to-day expenses to buying a house and starting a family, the new financial responsibilities can seem daunting.

A recent survey by TD revealed another gap in millennials’ financial picture: life insurance. The survey found more than half (55%) of millennials don’t have any life insurance, but more than a third have thought about it, especially when it comes to protecting their loved ones.

When prioritizing their financial “to-do” lists, things like paying down debt (25%) or saving for a home (21%) were most important, while life insurance came in dead last. For people starting a family – or those who already have young families or dependents – who don’t yet have life insurance, it’s important to bump it up the priority list because this is the time when financial obligations really start to increase.

The survey also found most millennials assume life insurance is best to cover one-time costs, like funeral expenses (68%), but many don’t realize it can assist with so much more. For instance, day-to-day living expenses like mortgage payments or student loans are areas where life insurance can help protect loved ones from financial pressures in the event of the unexpected. Bottom line, it’s an important part of a comprehensive financial plan.

Cost is a cup of coffee a day

Another survey finding cited cost (55%) as a top barrier to purchasing life insurance. In fact, the younger one is when buying life insurance, the less coverage will cost. And many may find it surprising that on average, the cost of life insurance breaks down to less than a cup of coffee a day over a 10-year period.

Finally, it’s important that first-time purchasers have a strong understanding of their options. To do that they’ll need to start with a complete list of financial obligations – like mortgages, debt, and whether theirs is a single or multiple-income household. With that information in pocket, they can check out online assessment resources, like the Right Fit Coverage Assessment tool, which will help calculate the type of coverage best fitted to their unique needs. And, they can also speak to an insurance advisor if they have more questions or need additional advice.

Remember, life insurance is a vital piece of the overall financial picture and will offer some peace of mind to loved ones.

Mark Hardy, Senior Manager of Direct Life & Health, TD Insurance is an insurance professional with more than 15 years of experience in the industry in a wide range of roles including Technology, Data, Strategy and Product Management. As Senior Manager of Direct Life & Health at TD Insurance, he is responsible for bringing life & health insurance solutions directly to Canadians. Mark has an MBA from the Rotman School of Business.