Insurance, Investments and Group Benefits

I remember being a little taken back when Dr. Tim Foggin, Teladoc’s Medical Director for Canada, first mentioned that only about one in 10 doctor consultations require physical touch to be effective:

“Many patients and family physicians have been surprised to learn in recent months what we have known for several years: that many—and some would say most—consultations benefit from physician skills and involve patient needs that do not need immediate physical touch. Family doctors in Canada are telling me that around 10% of consults, sometimes less, need to be in person. The landscape has changed dramatically due to this new understanding.”

As a lawyer who formerly specialized in advising clients about estate planning, I’ve seen firsthand how important it is for Canadians to make a Will. Whether it’s to maximize the estate you leave behind for the next generation, or to make sure your wishes are carried out the way you planned, making a Will is vital. Despite this, over half of Canadians do not have a Will![i] That’s why I take the opportunity in November to mark Ontario’s “Make a Will Month” and to promote this crucial aspect of estate planning to advisors, friends and colleagues.

Key takeaways:

Emblem Portfolios - Canadian: September 22, 2021
Emblem GIF Portfolios - Global: September 27, 2021

• Incrementally less aggressive outlook/positioning towards risk assets
• Deploying cash to realign select asset class exposures back to targets
  
  

David Mann discusses the recent changes that have occurred in China, its impact on the technology sector and how the team manages risk in the portfolios.

Ian Fung discusses the potential impact on the market as a result of the U.S. Federal Reserve announcement.

Highlights:

• Strong sustainable investing interest in the current environment
• Record fund flows into Canadian sustainable investment funds
• Wide interest/usage gap and demographic factors allude to potential for greater fund flows
• Discussion and education will be important drivers going forward

From an evidence point of view, the proliferation of sustainable investment strategies and strong fund flows into these products are easily researched through publicly available resources. Underlying these trends, however, is a more durable structural shift.

Myth #3: Sustainable investing is a fad

Myth #2: All sustainable investing approaches are essentially the same

It is vital in understanding the different approaches related to sustainable investing. While standards and definitions continually evolve, there are generally six approaches to sustainable investing. Depending on an investor’s motivation in considering sustainable investing, some approaches may be more relevant than others. 

Sustainable investing has experienced increased interest over the past few years, with a sharp acceleration in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other high profile social issues, such as the Black Lives Matter movement. There are, however, some common myths and misconceptions among investors that may be new to modern sustainable investing approaches. This educational resource attempts to provide insight and clarification into what we believe are the most misunderstood issues.

Myth #1: Sustainable investing is the same as ethical investing