“Cessation of work is not accompanied by cessation of expenses.” We don’t know what stock markets will do when we plan to retire. In his article, The 4 Year Rule for Retirement Spending, Ben Carlson explains an interesting strategy for investors approaching retirement: The Retirement Buffer Strategy: Setting aside funds to pay the bills for a...Read More

Nothing goes up forever.  Likewise, the stock market rhythm of boom and bust creates a tendency for long-term breaks after many years of gains. When we step back and examine a stock market chart, we may observe multi-year periods of both strong gains and stagnation:  ​​As you know, we have recently experienced many years of...Read More

We could soon experience the longest bull market in history. The current uptrend in the S&P500 is close to surpassing the previous record for length of time without a prolonged downturn.  These two bull markets periods do not include the technology crash of 2000-2002, or the financial crisis of 2007-2008:  Avoiding those two crashes would...Read More

“The simpler it is, the more I like it.” ~ Peter Lynch How do you feel when you see a delivery truck? It probably depends on your perspective.  If you are not expecting a delivery, you may not even notice it. If you are expecting a delivery, you will likely feel excited. But if you own...Read More

“The best investors do not target return; they focus first on risk…” ~Seth Klarman How do the best investors decide when and where to invest today based upon headlines that swing so quickly between despair and euphoria?  Well, they actually don’t decide. The best investors hire fund managers so they can enjoy their lives! They have learned...Read More

“For the times, they are a-changin'” ~ Bob Dylan Do you ever wonder what are my money managers doing for me? Revisiting the New Playbook, by Robert Taylor at Canoe Financial, provides insight into how a fund manager thinks and acts in financial markets. This great article illustrates the benefits of active management while addressing the...Read More

“The most important lessons learned in investing are learned in the tough times.     ~Howard Marks Bear markets are inevitable.  If you are eighty-five, you have seen 14 and if you are forty, you have seen 5.  This chart tells how many bear markets occurred in your lifetime:  This next chart highlights some historical declines...Read More

“Recovery time” is a very important feature of our portfolio analysis. After all, quality financial advice is not just a matter of saying, “difficult times have historically been followed by better outcomes.” Specifically, we compare the length of time it takes for your portfolio to recover its former value after corrections versus the stock market...Read More

“It is important to realize that sensational predictions rarely come true.” ~Ben Carlson Failed forecasts are prevalent in the financial industry. But is anyone keeping score?   This article, Some Things That Didn’t Happen, by Ben Carlson, previews his upcoming book which catalogues many dire warnings of impending doom.     Just take a look at some of these...Read More

“Don’t simply retire from something; have something to retire to.”~ C.S. Lewis The Fidelity Retirement Report found that attitudes towards retirement have changed over the last twenty years as the number of Canadians over the age of 65 has increased 86% compared with the 27% increase in the general population.   In fact, Fidelity reports that...Read More