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Insurance, Investments and Group Benefits

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Milestones and the importance of discipline

Investment Views, Investments

In November of this year, the Empire Life Elite Equity Fund will celebrate its 50th anniversary.1 This milestone is a celebration not only of longevity but also of long-term performance results. 

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The push and pull (back) of guaranteed lifetime income

Investments, Personal Finance

Why do aging Canadians want more guaranteed lifetime income? I’ve written and spoken a fair bit about this. Here are some push factors in favour of guaranteed lifetime income:

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Emblem Portfolios in action - Asset Allocation Update, July 22, 2019

Investments, Tactical Updates

Key takeaways:

Emblem Portfolios - Canadian: Tactically reduced cash, increased bonds


Tactical Update - July 22, 2019

Events have moved very quickly in bond markets. In the span of about seven months, the U.S. Federal Reserve (the “Fed”) has gone from increasing interest rates, to holding interest rates steady, and now market expectations are for multiple rate reductions over the remainder of the year.

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What keeps you up at night?

Investments, Personal Finance

What keeps you up at night? The Late Show, the party next door, crying babies, waiting for the kids to get home, that spicy meal and/or the weather? All of us have had trouble getting to sleep and many of us can relate to the list of things I just covered. Most of these things pass with time. Some other things stick with us. Consider the following concerns echoed by a survey of adults ages 35+.

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Finding value in the Canadian market

Investments, Off the Cuff

Jennifer Law discusses where and why she is finding value in the Canadian market in this Off the Cuff video.

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Guaranteed lifetime income: the 90% factors

Investments, Personal Finance

I’ve written earlier about guaranteed lifetime income, its value and what Canadians want in terms of a plan or product that provides this in addition to what they may be receiving from government benefits. This is especially appropriate for those aging individuals that do not have a defined benefit pension plan through work, a plan that tells them how much they are “guaranteed to receive” for the rest of their lives.

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Emblem Portfolios in action - Asset allocation update

Investments, Tactical Updates

Key takeaways:

Emblem Portfolios - Canadian: Increased U.S. equities, decreased international equities.
Emblem GIF Portfolios - Global: Increased U.S. equities, proceeds from bonds and/or accumulated cash 

Equity markets across the globe have experienced very strong moves since their December 2018 lows. At yesterday’s close, the S&P/TSX Composite has gained 20%, 21% for the S&P 500, and 13% for the MSCI EAFE index. With such strong moves in a compressed period of time, any improvement in fundamentals has not been able to keep pace.

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Corporate fixed income update

Investments, Off the Cuff

Albert Ngo provides an update on corporate fixed income markets and what to expect going forward.

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Value of guaranteed lifetime income

Investments, Personal Finance

The interest in guaranteed lifetime income and its importance to aging Canadians is growing rapidly. This value held by Canadians for guaranteed lifetime income is in addition to government sponsored plans.

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Age, gender and retirement perspectives

Investments, Personal Finance

Do you think that retirement for you and future generations will be significantly different than it is for current retirees? If you say, “yes”, you’re not alone. Most consumers anticipate meaningful differences. Thoughts, expectations, confidence and planning do differ when considering age and gender. Here are some recent findings shared with permission from the LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute. If the Shoe Fits: Generational Names and Retirement Attitudes, 2017.

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