Q. I understand that to have a properly balanced account around half of our investments should be in fixed income products. However, most bonds have a ridiculously low return. GICs are an option, as are high interest savings accounts. Are there better solutions? I know it’s difficult to hold on to low paying fixed income…

Canadians have been abuzz with the news of shady bank practices and the “what’s in a name?” controversy over advisors vs advisers instigated by the CBC. But the real problem is how the entire financial industry is regulated. Provincial regulators need to overhaul the requirements for the financial industry to better protect investors. Sure, they’ve…

I regret to say I didn’t participate in my employer’s pension plan. However, I did join the employee savings plan – now called employee stock purchase plans. The resulting investment eventually became the backbone of my retirement plan. Many employers have stock plans that allow their employees to purchase shares in the company at a…