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Insurance, Investments and Group Benefits

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Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) and successor holder

Investments, Personal Finance

Updated January 2024

My last article shared the story of a divorced gentleman, Gaeten, who named his common law partner Mirielle, joint beneficiary of his Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) along with his daughter, Marie. I covered off the problem Mirielle would have trying to maintain the tax sheltered status of her share of Gaeten’s account which would pass to her on Gaeten’s death. What if Gaeten named her as a successor holder (subrogated policyholder in Quebec)?

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Five basics about managing money

Investments, Personal Finance

Updated January 2024

A disturbing number of aging Canadians today aren’t saving or aren’t saving enough for retirement.1 They are seeking financial freedom. That’s not freedom from money. It’s the kind of freedom they feel when they can do what they want to do and when they want to do it. Yet we all know that how we manage, invest and spend our money can have a huge impact on our life and our lifestyle.

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The benefits of dividend investing

Investments, Off the Cuff

Doug Cooper, CFA, Senior Portfolio Manager, shares what can make a dividend growth investing strategy an attractive choice for investors, including: 

  • The team’s investment philosophy and approach to selecting dividend investing companies.
  • What are the primary attributes of a high-quality dividend paying company.
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Market Bulletin: Market Implications of the Conflict in the Middle East

Investment Views, Investments

Market Implications of the Conflict in the Middle East

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated following the attack on Israel on October 7th by Hamas militants from the neighbouring Gaza Strip. The incursion sparked international backlash, and Israel announced a complete siege of Gaza on October 9th. This conflict has led to a considerable death toll on both sides, a hostage crisis involving over 200 Israeli and international citizens and a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. 

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Growth and Value Investing

Investment Views, Investments

Understanding the differences and similarities 

Markets move in different directions at different times, generally called cycles. Different market cycles tend to favour one investment style over another. Understanding how growth and value investment styles differ and where they can work together will help demonstrate how they can both play an integral role in your equity portfolio construction.

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2023 Mid-year review and a look ahead

Investment Views, Investments

Recently, we sat down with SVP and CIO, Paul Holba to get his thoughts on the events that have impacted markets year to date, and where the investment team sees opportunity going forward. In this video, Paul shares:

  • How almost 73% S&P500’s returns were attributed to the performance of a handful of companies known as the “Magnificent Seven Stocks”.
  • The impacts of the aggressive interest rate hikes by Central banks, what investors can expect and how it could affect their portfolios.
  • How staying true to an active management strategy may be instrumental in preserving wealth during a global economic slowdown.
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The risk of buying into hype

Investment Views, Investments

In early June, the S&P 500 rose by more than 20% from its October low, reaching its highest level since April of last year. Often observed as a barometer for the overall health of the U.S. economy, the index’s strong performance generated some optimism with respect to the trajectory of the U.S. economy. However, when considering the market breadth, which refers to the number of stocks that are moving the index, a less optimistic picture emerges.

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Mental health, disability absences, and the impact of employee motivation on return to work

Group Benefits

Insurance companies in Canada paid out 75 per cent more in mental health claims in 2021 compared to 2019 (CLHIA), but disability claims with a mental health component have been on the rise for many years. In this blog, Michelle Cortes, our product manager for long-term disability, interviews Ian Bridgman, Executive Director of The Claim Lab, and Steve Higgins, who oversees the management of disability claims at Empire Life, to discuss how The Claim Lab is helping us manage mental health claims through enhanced predictive analytics. Empire Life was the first insurance company in Canada to work with The Claim Lab. 

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Critical minerals, mining and the energy transition

Investments, Off the Cuff

In this Off the Cuff video, Ashley Misquitta, CFA, Senior Portfolio Manager and Investment Strategist, shares what it will take for the economy to transition from fossil fuel to more renewable energy-based resources, and where the team see potential investment opportunities.

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Insurance Industry Boosts Investment in Fraud Prevention

Group Benefits, Assurance collective

In a recent advisor webinar with guest speakers Stephen Frank, CLHIA President and CEO, and senior members of the Empire Life claims investigative team, Richelle Feddema and Raman Sharma, our hosts Marc-André Blondeau, regional vice-president of group distribution in Quebec and Eastern Canada, and Michelle Wegner, director of sales enablement at Empire Life, discussed industry efforts to tackle group benefits fraud. In this post, we share some of Marc-André and Michelle's post-webinar conversation with Stephen. Next week, we'll share their conversation with Richelle and Raman. 

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