Insurance, Investments and Group Benefits

For the average consumer, getting the unbiased facts about life insurance in Canada can be challenging. When Money Sense magazine decided to put together a series of articles answering some of the key questions Canadians should consider when looking for life insurance, one of the first people they turned to was Empire Life’s own Peter Wouters, Director of Tax, Retirement and Estate Planning.

From the Desk of Ashley Misquitta and David Mann: In this recent article, the portfolio managers discuss the evolution of sustainable investing and its growing popularity among investors. Ashley and David  also share how they incorporate ESG factors into their investment process.

Since the beginning of November 2020, we’ve seen the outperformance of small cap companies in relation to larger corporations by nearly eight percentage points. Spurred initially by the announcement of the COVID-19 vaccination and distribution plans across the country, momentum continued through the end of the year.

Geoff Johnston shares the message behind the recent rise in bond yields in this Off the Cuff video.

Key takeaways:

Tactical Update - January 25, 2021

European markets have materially lagged US equities over the past year due to multiple reasons including index composition and Brexit uncertainties. This has resulted in Europe trading at a near record discount to the US. Given its cyclical nature, the Japanese market has performed well but continues to provide exposure to a rebounding global economy.

In our last post in December, we talked about the idea of using insurance to protect the things you care about and value the most. Your good health just might be the most important thing you possess, and as we’ve seen during the pandemic, a public health emergency can turn the world on its head in an instant. The same holds true for families and individuals when a health crisis hits. This month we want to focus on the need to protect against the financial impacts of a serious health issue, and that’s where critical illness insurance comes in.

When looking at insuring the things that are most important to you and your family: your home, your health and your life are a few of the most obvious examples. Most people have at least one of those insured. While it may not be as obvious, your ability to meet your loan and other credit obligations is probably one of the most valuable things you possess. Do you have that insured?

Bill and Rosalind are friends of Sam and Christine, whom you met in this article. They live in Halifax. Bill died of a stroke just before his 70th birthday. He had named his common law partner, Rosalind, as beneficiary of his Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF) via his will, which he had set up earlier in the year. 

Sam and Christine live in Moncton, New Brunswick. Sam is celebrating his 71st birthday this year. He has held on to his Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP), optimizing the tax sheltered benefits of doing so. He named his wife Christine as beneficiary of that plan. Sam wants to convert his RRSP to a Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF).