Ian Russell
Industry Perspectives

Ian Russell

Ian Russell is past president and CEO of the Investment Industry Association of Canada, the national association representing the position of Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada–regulated dealer member firms on securities regulation, public policy and industry issues.

A new approach is needed to replace failed government programs

  • November 21, 2022 November 21, 2022
  • 15:00

Regulators require internal compliance expertise

  • September 26, 2022 September 26, 2022
  • 15:00

Advisors and firms are well positioned to instil investor confidence

  • August 3, 2022 August 3, 2022
  • 15:00

Taxpayer incentives, pension fund mandates are options worth exploring

  • June 8, 2022 June 8, 2022
  • 15:00

Action is critical given the importance of small business to the economy

  • April 5, 2022 April 5, 2022
  • 15:00

Positioning, sound policy will help firms weather the inflationary storm

  • February 18, 2022 February 18, 2022
  • 12:43

Advisors can offer a personalized experience through deeper client engagement

  • September 15, 2021 September 13, 2021
  • 15:00

The CSA is expected to propose new cost reporting for investors

  • July 21, 2021 July 22, 2021
  • 16:14

Extensive oversight is needed for integrated EMD and IC/PM business models

  • May 26, 2021 May 26, 2021
  • 17:22

Without a detailed fiscal plan, program spending and budget deficits may exceed the current projections

  • May 3, 2021 May 3, 2021
  • 15:45

More columnists

Technology

David Reeve

The bridge to a hybrid advisor

This emerging model requires investment in integrated tech

  • November 28, 2022 November 28, 2022
  • 15:00

Investment in digital solutions is an insurance policy

Tech can help protect firms and advisors against two key risks

  • October 3, 2022 October 3, 2022
  • 15:00

Crossing the digital divide in wealth management

Tech adoption isn’t optional given client expectations and trends

  • August 8, 2022 August 8, 2022
  • 15:00

The role of tech in post-pandemic wealth

Leverage digital momentum to capitalize on trends

  • June 13, 2022 June 13, 2022
  • 15:00
Tax Matters

Jamie Golombek

Foreign exchange can throw off your tax-loss selling plans

A client example illustrates the importance of currency calculations

  • November 25, 2022 November 25, 2022
  • 15:00

Help your business owner client choose between salary and dividends

Use these tips to start the conversation

  • October 7, 2022 October 7, 2022
  • 15:00

Saving for a home using the FHSA

Proactively share these details with clients

  • September 19, 2022 September 16, 2022
  • 15:00

Tax debts and the prescribed rate

Owing CRA money will soon be more expensive

  • August 10, 2022 August 10, 2022
  • 16:17
Investment Funds

Paul Bourque

Financial advice and the resilient investor

Advisors play an important role in enhancing resiliency

  • November 23, 2022 November 23, 2022
  • 15:00

Investment funds and the move to T+1

The best solution to the complex transition may be flexibility

  • September 12, 2022 September 12, 2022
  • 15:00

Successful rule implementation requires industry collaboration

The delivery of policy shouldn’t be a last step

  • July 18, 2022 July 18, 2022
  • 15:00

The importance of harmonizing title regulation

Consistency would provide clarity to investors

  • May 20, 2022 May 20, 2022
  • 11:00
Industry Perspectives

Ian Russell

Creating policy to improve business spending, productivity

A new approach is needed to replace failed government programs

  • November 21, 2022 November 21, 2022
  • 15:00

For fair and balanced regulation, displace expert committees

Regulators require internal compliance expertise

  • September 26, 2022 September 26, 2022
  • 15:00

Keeping clients close in turbulent times

Advisors and firms are well positioned to instil investor confidence

  • August 3, 2022 August 3, 2022
  • 15:00

Finding the right policy to expand small business investment

Taxpayer incentives, pension fund mandates are options worth exploring

  • June 8, 2022 June 8, 2022
  • 15:00
Responsible Investing

Dustyn Lanz

Here comes the “S” in ESG

As a constellation of social risks emerge, research points to opportunities for investors

  • November 16, 2022 November 30, 2022
  • 16:15

Quebec climate strategy shows the risks of net-zero tunnel vision

The province is granting mining claims to battery mineral exploration in conservation zones

  • October 19, 2022 October 18, 2022
  • 15:00

Four reasons why ESG is here to stay

Supportive market forces outweigh growing pains

  • June 30, 2022 June 30, 2022
  • 12:00

Does nuclear power belong in ESG funds?

Although highly divisive among investors, nuclear represents an important transition fuel

  • April 26, 2022 April 26, 2022
  • 16:02
Advisor at Risk

Ellen Bessner

Set your client-advisor relationships up for success

Teach clients to meet you halfway — here’s how

  • November 14, 2022 November 14, 2022
  • 15:00

Questions to assess the best kept secret about KYC

Advisors must show that clients understood an investment and its risks

  • October 18, 2022 October 18, 2022
  • 15:00

Best kept secret about KYC

Advisors ignore this important know-your-client item to their detriment

  • July 25, 2022 July 20, 2022
  • 15:00

Big fat questions to get clients talking

Fulfil your KYC obligations without infringing on client privacy

  • June 6, 2022 June 6, 2022
  • 15:00
Compliance CX

Susan Silma

Leverage compliance for a rewarding client-advisor experience

Regulation can help firms and advisors deliver better client outcomes

  • November 9, 2022 November 9, 2022
  • 15:15

Transforming the fee conversation with total cost reporting

TCR is coming for investment and seg funds

  • September 14, 2022 September 14, 2022
  • 15:57

5 ways to better serve aging clients

Support a maturing demographic by adapting to changing needs

  • July 20, 2022 July 20, 2022
  • 15:00

Younger Canadians want to work with advisors, but on their own terms

Use these tips to meet their expectations

  • May 25, 2022 May 25, 2022
  • 15:00
Focus on Financial Planning

Tashia Batstone

Financial planning and digital transformation: It’s time to act

Realizing technology’s full potential for the profession requires a thoughtful, proactive approach

  • October 31, 2022 October 31, 2022
  • 15:04

Building a financial planning workforce for the future

It’s time to talk about attracting new talent to the profession

  • September 2, 2022 September 2, 2022
  • 15:00

Imagining financial wellness for all Canadians

Diversity, equity and inclusion are essential to enhancing access to financial planning

  • July 11, 2022 July 11, 2022
  • 15:00

A new era of clarity in Ontario

With minimum standards in place for use of “financial planner” in Ontario, it’s time for other provinces to act

  • May 16, 2022 May 16, 2022
  • 15:00

5 things to know about leveraged and inverse-leveraged ETFs

Get the inside scoop, from fund features to volatility and risk

  • September 13, 2022 August 31, 2022
  • 13:00

How ETFs can help you navigate volatility

Volatility is stressful but not novel, and ETFs can work in a jarring investing climate

  • July 12, 2022 June 28, 2022
  • 13:00

Better and more integrated ESG investing standards are progressing

An enhanced Canadian ESG identification framework is advancing on a foundation of international and domestic norms

  • April 14, 2022 April 13, 2022
  • 13:00

Validate your processes and think “win-win” when it comes to applying CFRs

The CFRs are really about formalizing and documenting processes to prove they’re followed

  • November 9, 2021 November 3, 2021
  • 13:00

How to answer young investors’ questions about ETFs

If we want to serve our clients’ children, we must be comfortable teaching the basics of investing

  • September 13, 2022 September 1, 2022
  • 13:00

Thematic investing can work for patient investors

Long-term conviction is often required if these strategies are to pay off over time

  • June 7, 2022 June 6, 2022
  • 14:00

ETFs can help RESPs to grow

The funds are versatile enough to bolster both education accounts and post-graduation accounts

  • March 8, 2022 March 8, 2022
  • 13:00

ETFs can help you slow down and simplify

Simple investment options can help clients overcome resistance to working on their finances

  • December 7, 2021 December 3, 2021
  • 14:00
ESG and DEI

Shilpa Tiwari

Sustainability or ESG?

Identify companies that understand the difference

  • June 29, 2022 June 28, 2022
  • 13:00

Social purpose: A business imperative

Help clients identify companies with meaningful purpose

  • October 26, 2021 October 26, 2021
  • 15:00

ESG reporting: A means to progress…or a means to an end?

The increase in ESG reporting hasn’t been accompanied by improvements to society and the environment

  • July 27, 2021 July 27, 2021
  • 16:00

Does the climate change movement have a diversity, equity and inclusion problem?

The communities most affected by changing climatic conditions are the least likely to be invited to participate in discussions

  • April 27, 2021 April 27, 2021
  • 14:09

Fund administrator: Understanding this essential support role

Services include addressing investor requirements and mitigating compliance risk

  • December 3, 2021 December 3, 2021
  • 15:00

Hedging against climate risks using weather derivatives

Alain Brisebois of CWP Energy discusses these often-misunderstood products

  • September 10, 2021 September 10, 2021
  • 16:27

The future of ETFs

Erika Toth of BMO Global Asset Management shares her thoughts on the ETF landscape

  • June 4, 2021 June 8, 2021
  • 15:30

Integrating ESG factors into portfolio management

Vincent Beaulieu of Fiera Capital discusses his firm’s approach to ESG analysis

  • March 5, 2021 March 5, 2021
  • 13:52
Focus on Financial Planning

Cary List

The future has never looked brighter

In his final column, Cary List shares his thoughts on the future of financial planning

  • March 26, 2021 March 26, 2021
  • 15:00

Financial literacy: taking the long view

The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada’s renewed national strategy for financial literacy can help Canadians focus on the future

  • January 29, 2021 January 29, 2021
  • 15:00

Toward a grand renewal

Financial planners can play a key role in rebuilding Canadians’ confidence

  • November 27, 2020 November 26, 2020
  • 15:00

On the cusp of momentous change in Ontario

A new regulatory framework, years in the making, is an opportunity for Ontario to be a model for other provinces

  • October 2, 2020 October 2, 2020
  • 17:57
Focus on Financial Planning

Keith Costello

Millennials see retirement and financial planning differently than other generations

Financial planners and financial advisors need to understand millennials’ preferences to gain their trust and business

  • November 15, 2019 November 16, 2019
  • 15:31

Listening is key to conversation

Financial advisors can build deeper connections with clients by using active listening skills

  • September 20, 2019 November 16, 2019
  • 10:50

Vulnerable clients need special care and due diligence

Financial advisors should be aware of how to identify and engage effectively with vulnerable clients

  • August 7, 2019 November 16, 2019
  • 17:02

Deciphering Ontario’s Financial Professionals Title Protection Act

Financial planners and advisors should be aware that the act may go beyond title protection

  • May 31, 2019 November 16, 2019
  • 15:54

Technology will drive harmonization, regulators say

The insurance industry is taking a page from the mutual fund industry, leveraging technology to address mounting disclosure regulations

  • January 2, 2018 November 14, 2019
  • 10:30

AI is not just another fad

AI is slowly making its way into the wealth-management industry and will ultimately transform financial advisors’ role

  • October 29, 2017 November 14, 2019
  • 13:00

Is financial services the next music industry?

Blockchain technology may transform financial services just as peer-to-peer file-sharing technology changed the music industry almost 20 years ago

  • September 4, 2017 November 14, 2019
  • 17:00

Clients want humans, not robots

Far from replacing interaction with real people, technology strengthens the financial advisor’s client service

  • July 10, 2017 November 14, 2019
  • 05:00
Cybersecurity

Yan Huard

Managing the risks related to social media

Read and follow your firm’s guidelines on social media use and take the necessary steps to protect yourself

  • September 20, 2017 November 17, 2019
  • 16:20

Why security professionals fell short on ransomware attacks

Although it’s costly to upgrade key IT systems, the costs of not doing so could be much greater

  • July 27, 2017 November 17, 2019
  • 05:00

Cyberthreats extend beyond money

Hacktivism, ideological insiders and intelligence gathering are key sources of cyberattacks threating financial services firms

  • May 25, 2017 November 17, 2019
  • 09:30

Cloud computing: Bringing light to security issues

Now is the time to adopt a concerted cloud migration strategy because the security challenges associated with this technology will be on our radar screens…

  • March 23, 2017 November 17, 2019
  • 06:00
Responsible Investing

Deb Abbey

The need for sustainable business supply chains is growing

Advisors and their clients stand to benefit when corporate leaders focus on building socially and environmentally responsible enterprises

  • February 21, 2017 November 17, 2019
  • 06:00

Opportunity knocks for investors who want to make an impact

A growing base of investors are looking for investments that contribute measurably to environmental and social sustainability

  • October 20, 2016 November 17, 2019
  • 05:00

Diversity makes dollars and sense

Corporate boards and executive teams that lack gender and cultural diversity risk missing out on opportunities to generate long-term value

  • August 18, 2016 November 17, 2019
  • 05:00

Good corporate governance matters

You can play an active role in ensuring company executives and directors are working in the best interests of their shareholders

  • June 16, 2016 November 17, 2019
  • 05:00
Protecting Investors

Neil Gross

Be bold, regulators

Those still timorous and uncertain about introducing a best interest duty have a duty, themselves, to become decisive

  • October 31, 2016 November 10, 2019
  • 05:00

Non-GAAP metrics: investors’ little helpers or harmful nonsense?

Every company can calculate non-GAAP metrics however they want, so there’s real risk of investors and markets being misled

  • October 3, 2016 November 10, 2019
  • 05:00

Class dismissed

Overcautious courts are erecting barriers to securities class actions, even though these lawsuits are essential for maintaining the integrity and fairness of our capital markets

  • September 6, 2016 November 10, 2019
  • 09:00

Why is deficient issuer disclosure allowed to persist?

Data show that investors routinely receive, or are at risk of receiving, seriously bad disclosure from reporting issuers more than a quarter of the time

  • August 8, 2016 November 10, 2019
  • 06:30
Protecting Investors

Ermanno Pascutto

The CSA must act on critical reforms

Two key issues — the best-interests standard and reform of mutual fund fees — require timely and effective action

  • March 2, 2014 November 10, 2019
  • 16:31

Treat shareholders fairly when venture issuers raise capital

FAIR Canada supports exemptions that have the key features of rights offerings or private placements in compliance with the TSXV’s private placement rules

  • February 3, 2014 November 10, 2019
  • 06:15

Reform of accredited investor exemption is needed

Current regulations assume that an investor’s wealth is a proxy for sophistication. This has to change

  • January 6, 2014 November 10, 2019
  • 06:30

Canadians deserve real price competition in mutual funds

Paying fees for financial advice separately from those of financial products would result in price competition and better advice

  • November 25, 2013 November 10, 2019
  • 06:00