Active Insights

You know the expression, ‘Never put all your eggs in one basket.’ Nowhere is this truer than in the world of investing.

When we feel threatened, experience tells us to get away as fast as possible. That’s a useful reaction when dealing with lions, avalanches and hurricanes, but not so helpful when it comes to investing.

Choosing a financial advisor can be one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make. So it’s worth taking the time to find the person who’s right for you. Here are some useful tips on what to look for.

How much you save is important, but when you start can also have a big effect. The sooner you invest, the more time your money has to reap the benefits of compounding.

No one enjoys a bear market – usually defined as a market decline of 20% or more over two months. But looking back through the history of both the Canadian and U.S. stock markets, it’s clear that on average, bull markets – an increase of 50% or more in the value of the stock market – last longer and more than make up for losses during bear markets.

All investments involve a certain degree of risk. The key is understanding how much risk is appropriate for your personal financial situation.

A mutual fund is a way of pooling your investment money with a large group of other investors. As a group, you get advantages and cost savings that might not be available to you as an individual investor.

The TFSA is a registered account developed to help Canadians invest for retirement. TFSAs are also useful for short- and long-term spending goals such as family vacations, purchasing a new car or home renovations.

Mutual funds are professionally managed, diversified investments that can provide ready access to opportunities that may not be available to individual investors. As with many goods and services, mutual funds have ongoing costs.

Professional investment managers have different styles and approaches. Incorporating this variety into your portfolio can benefit its performance.

The Management Expense Ratio, or MER, is a fee charged on mutual funds for the costs associated with running the fund.