Tag Archives: index-linked GICs

New Equity-linked GICs offer equity twist on humble GIC

Posted By |

By Rachel Megitt, Vice President,

Term Investments & Savings, RBC

(Sponsor Content)

If you’re looking to grow your money, the future looks a lot different than it did even a few months ago, given the current volatility in the markets and intensifying inflation.

We often hear the adage “big risk equals big reward,” but what if you want the reward but aren’t comfortable taking the risk? This is where a new twist on a traditional investment is proving to be a powerful option: equity-linked GICs (Guaranteed Investment Certificates).

In the summer of 2021, we shook up our product line-up and added two new equity-linked GICs that also represented RBC firsts and proudly shared the news, including in a Findependence blog.

New GICs with an equity twist

Within the first six months, we saw client enthusiasm about these two new “GICs with an equity twist” surge well beyond our expectations. Our clients have been clamouring for these GIC options and we believe this reflects the overall desire of Canadian investors to tap into what equity-linked GICs provide: the appealing combination of a guarantee for their initial investment, plus the higher return potential that comes with an equity investment.

While we knew we had created two truly compelling and competitive GICs, we never imagined how strongly these new GICs would resonate across the country. The buzz surrounding these equity-linked options is helping reshape investment conversations in Canada. These GICs offer investors who are reluctant to buy individual equities the opportunity to step into the world of equity investing at both a pace and level of risk they are comfortable with. Continue Reading…

GICs with an equity twist: RBC’s latest solution for Canadians looking to grow their savings

Posted By |

 

By Flora Do

Vice-President,

Term Investments & Savings, RBC                  

(Sponsor Content)

Remember piggy banks? I sure do. Piggy banks stuffed with loonies, quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies (remember pennies?) My piggy bank helped me save for so many precious purchases when I was growing up.

During those childhood years, my piggy bank was the equivalent of a low-risk savings vehicle (I’d say ‘no-risk’ but it did shatter if dropped).  I knew exactly where my money was and how much I had. The only thing the savings in my piggy bank could not do was grow on their own.

I wasn’t yet an investor; I was a saver. Today I lead a team which helps Canadians to be both, through a solution we’ve just reinvented: the humble GIC (Guaranteed Investment Certificate).

For decades, GICs have been the preferred choice for Canadians looking to invest savings, with the guarantee that their initial investment (principal) would be fully protected.

The market stepped things up by giving some GICs an equity twist – tying GIC returns to the equities markets – for Canadians seeking the security of GICs but looking for opportunities to increase their return potential. As with traditional GICs, an investor’s initial investment is 100% guaranteed. Unlike traditional GICs, equity-linked GICs are connected to stock market performance, linked either to various indexes or a basket of stocks, offering investors potential gains from market returns.

New GIC linked to ESG

Specifically at RBC, this summer we introduced our first GIC based on ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) factors – the RBC ESG Market-Linked GIC – and our first GIC to track the performance of a customized basket of 20 North American companies – the RBC North American MarketSmart GIC.

Our ESG GIC is a direct response to the growing interest we’ve been seeing among Canadians in looking beyond a company’s balance sheet when making investment choices. If you’re an investor who wants to help make a difference in the world by including ESG considerations in your investment decisions, our ESG GIC is purpose-built for you. It’s linked to a global index of environmentally and socially responsible organizations, all of which must first pass a set of rigorous ESG standards. To be included in the index, each company must demonstrate positive ESG metrics, low carbon impact and strong financial health. Continue Reading…

Is fear keeping you out of the stock market?

Posted By |

The biggest concern for many investors is the fear of losing their money. The stock markets have shown some volatility the last few weeks, and the recent screaming headlines in the financial media do nothing but encourage panic.

Some people think the latest bull market has overvalued stocks and a major market meltdown is imminent. They are sitting on their cash and waiting for the right entry point.

According to a BlackRock survey, 70% of adults aged 25 to 36 are also clinging to cash assets. Apparently, these Millennials don’t have much trust in the stock market and are afraid of another large market crash. This puts them at risk of not having enough saved to enjoy a comfortable retirement.

It’s true. Investing in equities does carry risks. Market corrections (drop of about 10%) are common. Bear markets (drop of 20% or more) will likely occur during an investor’s lifetime.

Even a reasonably diversified portfolio of stocks lost about half of its value during the 2008-2009 market crash. However, avoiding equities completely isn’t the best strategy. The stock market can be good to investors who have the discipline.

What can you do to get over your stock market fears?

1.) Educate yourself

Combat your fears with knowledge. Learn the basics: how the markets work so you can prepare yourself for future market conditions. The more you know, the less afraid you become, but avoid information overload.

Stop reading the gloom and doom reports in the financial media. Your financial education should not come from the news media. They need something to report and tend to sensationalize short-term market events to grab our attention. Just because something appears in print doesn’t guarantee that the information is correct. Look for reliable sources.

Investing magazines and books can provide useful information.

Knowledge is freely available on the Internet. Basic investing information is available at sites like Get Smarter About Money and Canadian Securities Administrators. Some social media sites, forums and financial blogs are worthwhile if written by knowledgeable authors.

Lack of confidence and second guessing yourself can paralyze your decision making. If you’re afraid of picking the wrong investments, turn to a professional for help. You could also try one of the many well-publicized model portfolios that have yielded good returns.

2.) Take a long-term investing approach

The biggest fear of investing is losing a lot of money in a short period of time.

Investing is a long-term process and is most likely your only way to reach your long-term financial goals.

Consider the benefit of investing sooner rather than later. Time is on your side.

Don’t keep monitoring your portfolio. This is psychologically hard, but don’t let short-term losses bother you too much. No one likes losing money, but it will be temporary. You’re not going to need this money to survive tomorrow, or next month, will you?

Acknowledge short-term market risks, but trust in long-term historical gains and commit to long-term investments. Continue Reading…

Why you should be wary of index-linked GICs

Posted By |


patmckeough
Patrick McKeough

By Patrick McKeough, TSINetwork.ca

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

Index-linked GICs (Guaranteed Investment Certificates) provide the buyer with a return that is “linked” to the direction of the stock market in a given period. A quick look at the rules on these deals may give you the impression that the investor can profit substantially with little risk. However, the link depends on a formula or set of rules that is buried in the fine print.

These investments are marketed as offering all of the advantages of stock-market investing with none of the risk. But banks and insurance companies aren’t in the business of giving customers something for nothing. The capital gain that holders get depends on an ingenious formula which is cleverly designed to sound generous while minimizing the potential payout.

Index-linked GICs fail to offer the big tax advantages of stock investing

Another drawback is that returns on index-linked GICs are taxed as interest. That’s because you’re not actually investing in the stock indexes themselves; you’re just getting paid interest based on the change in the indexes. That’s a drawback because interest is the highest taxed of all investment returns.

Usually, stock-market investing produces capital gains and dividend income, both of which are taxed at a much lower rate than interest. (Of course, if you hold the GICs in an RRSP, all income is tax deferred.)

These GICs do protect your principal. But few investors if any make a good return on index-linked GICs. Most make less (at times substantially less) in index-linked GICs than they would have made in old-fashioned GICs.

If safety is your primary concern, you’d be better off with “plain vanilla” stocks and bonds. If you already own index-linked GICs, our advice is to cash them in at the earliest opportunity. If you don’t own them, we recommend that you stay out.

No matter what kind of stocks you invest in, you should take care to spread your money out across the five main economic sectors: Finance, Utilities, Consumer, Resources & Commodities, and Manufacturing & Industry.

By diversifying across most if not all of the five sectors, you avoid overloading yourself with stocks that are about to slump simply because of industry conditions or investor fashion.

You also increase your chances of stumbling upon a market superstar—a stock that does two to three or more times better than the market average.

Our three-part Successful Investor strategy:

  1. Invest mainly in well-established companies
  2. Spread your money out across most if not all of the five main economic sectors (Finance, Utilities, Consumer, Resources & Commodities, and Manufacturing & Industry.)
  3. Downplay or avoid stocks in the broker/media limelight.

Note: This article was originally published in 2012 and has been updated. Here is the most recent version that ran at TSINetwork.ca. Permalink: http://www.tsinetwork.ca/?p=53526

Pat McKeough has been one of Canada’s most respected investment advisors for over three decades. He is the founder and senior editor of TSI Network and the founder of Successful Investor Wealth Management. He is also the author of several acclaimed investment books.

Are guaranteed investments worth the premium?

Posted By |

Editor’s note: the piece below was written a few weeks before the market chaos of last Friday and this Monday, which only makes it  that much more relevant now. Even more prescient was a B&E guest post on August 13th entitled What you can do about the upcoming stock market crash.

MarieEngen
Marie Engen, Boomer & Echo

By Marie Engen, Boomer & Echo

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

The stock markets have shown some volatility this summer and this has concerned some investors who have been riding the latest “full steam ahead” bull market and think a market correction is imminent.

These concerns have increased interest in investment products that have a principal guarantee. But are they worth it? These guarantees come with a steep cost.

Market-linked GICs

Market-linked GICs, also called equity-linked GICs, are hybrid products that proclaim to capitalize on the growth potential of the stock market without risking your original investment. The return is derived from gains in the equity markets over the term of the GIC – usually 3 or 5 years.

The portion of the return derived from the equity markets depends on various components:

  • The benchmark used to calculate the return e.g. S&P/TSX Bank Index or Capped Utility Index, Nikkei 225 Index
  • Pre-set maximum return e.g. 6% for a 3-year term
  • Dividends are not included in the calculations

Interest income is paid on maturity. If the equity portion produces no return, you receive no interest at all. Pay particular attention to how the equity portion of the return is calculated.

Like conventional GICs they are guaranteed by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation to the maximum allowable limits and are available for purchase in registered and non-registered vehicles.

Segregated Funds

 A segregated fund is essentially an insurance product based on an underlying mutual fund that is offered by insurance companies. Under the insurance contract – usually for 10 years – part, or all, of the original principal amount may be guaranteed. In some cases there is the ability to reset the guarantee at a higher amount in future years. Continue Reading…