Columnists

Inflation lessons from history

It’s time to stress-test client portfolios

December 17, 2021

3 min read

How sustainable is the CPP?

A panoramic view of the next 75 years

May 14, 2021

9 min read

How asset allocation impacts portfolio recovery

Don’t underestimate the behavioural element

July 16, 2020

5 min read

Be compliant when hiring

Make sure you only take on approved staff

December 11, 2015

3 min read

How to be compliant when crowdfunding

How to be compliant

October 30, 2015

3 min read

How to do product due diligence

Here’s how you can supplement your firm’s process.

July 13, 2015

3 min read

Help a wealthy client who’s lost her job

One of your wealthy clients tells you her company downsized and she lost her job. She wasn’t given much advance notice, so she’s in shock. She wonders how she’ll pay bills, and is worried about her future. How can you help?

March 7, 2014

2 min read

How to talk to Gen Y clients

One of your wealthy clients referred her daughter to you. She’s 27, works in media relations, and just bought her first condo. She’s ambitious and plans to climb the corporate ladder—she’s had two promotions in two years, and should crack six figures within the year. Her busy career and social life keep her smartphone glued to her hand. She wants to discuss her goals and investment options. How do you communicate with her?

February 7, 2014

2 min read

How to talk to wealthy prospects

You’re at a charity event supporting breast cancer research at the Ritz-Carlton. It’s black tie, complete with a chamber orchestra, silent auction and champagne. You’re surrounded by wealthy prospects and see one standing alone—a fashionable, middle-aged woman. How can you talk to her without sounding like a fool?

January 17, 2014

3 min read

Leverage social media statistics

Analyze statistics when creating or updating marketing plans.

November 13, 2013

2 min read

11 ways to use LinkedIn effectively

You’ve learned how to optimize your profile, so here are some tips on how to use LinkedIn more effectively.

June 18, 2013

4 min read

Find and meet online prospects

Most advisors can’t move their online prospect relationships offline. That means they see no return on investment for their efforts, so they often give up on their social media marketing strategies. But that’s a mistake. In this article, I’ll show you how to transition your client relationships on LinkedIn since it’s the most effective network for advisors.

June 14, 2013

3 min read

Fill out PDFs on iPads

If you're using PDFs on your iPad, there's one app that's best for that.

May 8, 2013

2 min read

Time-stamp important documents

Sometimes it’s important to time-stamp a document. Here’s how to do it electronically.

April 24, 2013

2 min read

Using PDF stamps in Adobe Reader

Sometimes, you may need to put an official stamp on a document for a client.

April 10, 2013

2 min read

Non-resident executors and posting bond

Clients may need to revise their wills if they’ve named out-of-jurisdiction executors

May 11, 2021

3 min read

Effective beneficiary designations when converting RRSPs to RRIFs

Help your client avoid these estate planning pitfalls

October 2, 2020

5 min read

When does an enduring power of attorney become active?

Knowing the answer will help you and your client prepare for incapacity

May 8, 2020

3 min read

8 myths about financial planning

You understand how important financial planning its, but not all clients grasp its value. Here’s how to bust eight common myths.

February 23, 2015

4 min read

Is Gen Y worth the effort?

There’s a lot of discussion around the unique needs and preferences of Gen Y. Is it worth the effort to get them in into your book?

October 31, 2014

3 min read

7 ways to prospect doctors

Research the highest-earning professions in major cities and you’ll see doctors near the top of the list. They’re a great target market, but how can you get close to them?

October 3, 2014

3 min read

3 ways to stay focused in the summer

It’s easy to get distracted during the summer months.

August 7, 2014

2 min read

Add services in the summer

A look at the benefits of adding services in the summer.

July 31, 2014

2 min read

3 ways to beat the summer lull

Business doesn't have to be dead in the summer.

July 24, 2014

2 min read

Looking at a PowerPoint alternative

Part of providing value to clients is presenting information clearly, visually and concisely. Many advisors rely on PowerPoint for such presentations, but there’s another option out there. Microsoft has launched a cloud-only presentation app called Sway. It allows you to create a web-ready presentation quickly, either from scratch or using an imported Word document, OneNote […]

November 14, 2017

3 min read

Push your hardware’s lifespan, for free

It used to be we needed to upgrade our office computers every three to five years. It was a major undertaking every time. Now, you can upgrade your hardware in 20 minutes at no cost. How? Take your old hardware and load one of these options on it. 1. Ubuntu, Mint or a similar Linux […]

November 4, 2016

3 min read

Let clients book their own meetings

Think about how much time you and your staff have spent booking client meetings. And think about how helpful would it be if you could clump all the phone calls you receive from clients into specific time slots of the day, and know in advance what they’re calling about. Well, there are services that will […]

May 6, 2016

3 min read

How to use Twitter to stay informed

Get the info you need without being overwhelmed.

April 19, 2016

2 min read

Make better connections on social media

Have you ever experienced a bad cold call?

October 1, 2015

3 min read

5 simple but important online security habits

As our use of online systems for storing personal data has grown, so has the problem of fraudulent access to that information.

July 16, 2015

3 min read

Investment fees — what’s deductible?

This article examines when clients can get a tax break on investment fees.

April 5, 2016

5 min read

TFSAs reduce retirement income risk

Retirement is idealized in advertisements as a time of comfort and leisure.

August 26, 2013

6 min read

RRSP essentials and strategies

After 55 years, you would think that the basic idea behind RRSPs would be ingrained in Canadians' minds. Judging by the fact that only a quarter of eligible tax filers made a contribution, they might not even know enough.

February 5, 2013

6 min read

What buyers look for when acquiring a business

Key considerations when advising business-owner clients

September 18, 2019

3 min read

Preparing a family business for sale

Years of organization can precede a sale process—and it’s worth the effort

June 11, 2019

4 min read

Managing multiple goals when selling a family business

A case study of a complex process

April 5, 2019

3 min read