What impact does the recent downgrade of U.S. national debt have on the American economy and individual portfolios? That question is on the minds of many people these days.
Despite many investors ending most of their accumulation years in the green, their actual calendar-year returns seldom fall in the ideal 5-7% range. So, it becomes crucial to have strategies in place both leading up to and during your retirement, to avoid return-based loss.
Mortgage rates have increased significantly over the past 18 months. The BoC estimates that borrowers who renew their loans over the next few years will see a 20% - 40% increase in monthly payments, which has investors concerned with Canadian banks’ mortgage businesses.
With the "risk-free" rate on short-term government treasury bills and GICs, shouldn’t investors move significant capital out of equities and into short-term cash equivalents?
Some analysts are calling this year’s strong start a new bull market, believing that a soft landing – not a recession – is in the cards this year or next. While we think a severe recession is unlikely, we know there’s more uncertainty than usual and would like to reiterate the importance of diversification.