When it comes to investing, there is a general rule of thumb: the greater the risk, the greater the potential returns

Manulife Investments WealthStyles Articles

Since risk can sometimes produce deep valleys in between the peaks, the questioin is: How much volatility can you stomach while you're waiting to capitalize on those returns?

Studies show that many women are more reluctant than men to take on the level of risk required to produce investment returns sufficient to meet their needs.

Full text: Women investors: Learning to take risk

The first step? Take a deep breath

Investment Executive's Money Planner, by Wendy Cuthbert
Fall 2007

Scott Hayman remembers standing at the counter of his local bank several years ago while a frazzled customer fumbled with her purse at the teller window beside him. She finally managed to pull out her cheque. Hayman couldn't help but notice that it was a provincial lottery cheque — for $12.2 million.

Full text: How to survive a windfall

If you ever want to see Personal Finance columnists from the various media outlets froth at the mouth, bring up the topic of mutual fund fees

Paterson & Associates Special Report, by Dave Paterson, CFA
June 2007

They will climb on top of their pulpits and shout about the evils of the MER to any and all that would listen. While I poke fun at them, they do have an extremely valid point. Fund fees in Canada are high. In fact, according to a recent study released by Peter Tufano, Ajay Khorana, and Henri Servaes, Canada’s mutual fund fees are the highest in the world.

IFIC and various industry groups have pointed out a number of perceived inaccuracies in the study, namely the various reporting standards across jurisdictions may result in the fees in other countries actually being higher than reported. Nevertheless, we do pay the highest mutual fund fees in the world and that doesn’t appear to be changing any time soon.

Full text: Mutual fund fees - Are we paying too much?

Remember the days when "no-money-down" was used only to entice people to buy a new couch? Brace yourself: these deals are now entering the real estate arena

Advisor.ca, by Mark Brown
October 2006

With the slew of innovations coming to the mortgage market, Canadians are now able to take on more debt then ever before. And while the risks of missing payment on a sofa pale in comparison to missed instalments on a semidetached home, these new mortgage-financing products serve a purpose — for the right person.

The most notable innovations to come to the mortgage market in the past year are the zero-down and interest-only mortgage options. But others are on their way: most notably, a hybrid of a zero-down, interest-only option. And that's not all. Earlier this year, the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation said it will start insuring mortgages with a 40-year amortization period.

While these sorts of products seem designed to entice people who couldn't otherwise afford to own a home, they're not only that. Andrew Moor, president of mortgage brokerage firm Invis, says these new product innovations have a clear place in the market.

They are for the doctor fresh out of medical school who has no capital saved up, or a young couple where one is working and the other is finishing up school, he says. "These are good responsible people who look after their debts but haven't yet saved [for a downpayment]."

Full text: Canada's evolving mortgage market