HighView Blog

Expect more distribution cuts from monthly income funds

By Dan Hallett on July 9th, 2014

I have been writing about Monthly Income funds for more than a dozen years.  In my 20-year career, none of my articles or comments have generated as much feedback (or as much anger) as my critiques of Monthly Income funds.  Capital market activity...

Regulatory initiatives may not solve this fee transparency problem

By Dan Hallett on June 18th, 2014

Securities regulators have a lot on the go.  Among the many proposed regulations is the requirement for financial advisors to show clients how much they pay in fees and the amount of commissions they collect from the client’s investments.  I...

Fund risk rating change highlights need for reform

By Dan Hallett on April 4th, 2014

I have written many times over the past several years about the shortcomings of the prevailing method of assessing and communicating risk to mutual fund investors.  It’s a non issue for HighView’s business so I’m careful not to...

PIMCO Global Income Opportunities: enthusiasm vs reality

By Dan Hallett on March 27th, 2014

Tom Bradley just posted a smart analysis of a new closed-end fund.  PIMCO’s newly-launched Global Opportunities Income fund attracted $600 million – the top end of its target.  That’s a very warm reception to say the least.  I...

Making sense of experts’ picks for your RRSP

By Dan Hallett on February 28th, 2014

There are seemingly more ‘experts’ picks’ columns for the first 60 days of this year (i.e. RRSP season) than in previous years.  In the Globe & Mail alone over the past month, there have been 5 articles giving readers ideas...

Smart Beta needs to come out of the closet

By Dan Hallett on February 9th, 2014

With the 2000s’ ballooning list of indexing products I was compelled to give indexing hopefuls a dose of straight talk nearly five years ago.  My message then:  To fully capture indexing’s long-term benefits investors should simply focus on...

Beyond the money: Is your family as well prepared as your estate?

By Guest Contributors on February 6th, 2014

Most financial advisors focus solely on investment management and estate planning—growing and preparing the assets for the (eventual) transfer to the next generation.  At Edmonds Business Family Advisory Services, we go one step further.  We...

Long-Term Thinking: 1800-2013

By Guest Contributors on January 23rd, 2014

Long-Term Thinking died on Tuesday. He was 213 years old. Long-Term Thinking lived an illustrious life since the start of the Industrial Revolution, when for the first time, people could think about more than their next meal. But poor incentives and...

Should you follow your fund’s ‘star manager’?

By Dan Hallett on January 16th, 2014

Mutual fund companies have a love-hate relationship with so-called “star fund managers”.  The love stems from such managers’ typically strong performance and their ability to tell good stories about how they invest clients’ money. Both...

Check up on financial advisors before hiring them – it’s easier than you think

By Dan Hallett on January 10th, 2014

Financial advisor titles are generally unregulated in Canada (Québec being the exception).  Designations – denoted by the letters after advisors’ names on their business cards – can be downright confusing.  Some are earned only after a few...

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