From the Desk of the CIO: Ian Hardacre shares his thoughts on the team's summer activities and the Empire Life Elite Equity Fund - one of Canada’s longest running segregated funds.
From the Desk of the CIO: Ian Hardacre shares his thoughts on the team's summer activities and the Empire Life Elite Equity Fund - one of Canada’s longest running segregated funds.
I’ve written earlier about guaranteed lifetime income, its value and what Canadians want in terms of a plan or product that provides this in addition to what they may be receiving from government benefits. This is especially appropriate for those aging individuals that do not have a defined benefit pension plan through work, a plan that tells them how much they are “guaranteed to receive” for the rest of their lives.
Key takeaways:
Emblem Portfolios - Canadian: Increased U.S. equities, decreased international equities.
Emblem GIF Portfolios - Global: Increased U.S. equities, proceeds from bonds and/or accumulated cash
Equity markets across the globe have experienced very strong moves since their December 2018 lows. At yesterday’s close, the S&P/TSX Composite has gained 20%, 21% for the S&P 500, and 13% for the MSCI EAFE index. With such strong moves in a compressed period of time, any improvement in fundamentals has not been able to keep pace.
Albert Ngo provides an update on corporate fixed income markets and what to expect going forward.
The interest in guaranteed lifetime income and its importance to aging Canadians is growing rapidly. This value held by Canadians for guaranteed lifetime income is in addition to government sponsored plans.
Do you think that retirement for you and future generations will be significantly different than it is for current retirees? If you say, “yes”, you’re not alone. Most consumers anticipate meaningful differences. Thoughts, expectations, confidence and planning do differ when considering age and gender. Here are some recent findings shared with permission from the LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute. If the Shoe Fits: Generational Names and Retirement Attitudes, 2017.
Key takeaways: Tactically increased U.S. and international equities, reduced cash. Remain overweight in equities and underweight in fixed income.
The month of October historically has been one of the most volatile months for the stock market, and this year has turned out to be no different.
Ashley Misquitta, Senior Portfolio Manager, U.S. Equities recently appeared on BNN Bloomberg's "Market Call Tonight"* to share his views on the U.S. market. Watch the interview to find out what Ashley had to say.
Key takeaways: Tactically increased international equities and decreased Canadian equities. Remain overweight in equities and underweight in fixed income.
After starting the year with strength in the first few weeks of 2018, international equities were caught up in a period of global equity market volatility over the following weeks. Unlike the U.S. and Canadian markets, international markets have yet to fully recover from that volatility.
