Parkinson's Law, in its original form, states that "work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion." This was a humorous attempt at mathematically describing the rate at which bureaucracies expand over time -- the consequence of which is something that Washington is now dealing with.

It wasn't that long ago that Canada saw one of its more publicly visible chartered bank CEOs leave the nest to take the reins of a major UK financial institution. That individual was Matthew Barrett, then the CEO of BMO, who went to lead Barclays PLC.

Many years later,...

This week's US elections resulted in a status quo outcome -- something that should not have been a major surprise, regardless of how the spin doctors played this campaign. Obama kept his keys to the White House, the Republicans maintained control over the House and Democrats remained the majority in...

Canada represents a fraction of the world's economy and even a smaller share when we consider the relative size of its equity and foreign exchange markets against the world basket. For that reason, domestic events garner very little attention abroad or as one global fund manager once remarked to me...

We had some not so friendly news hit the wires this week regarding China. The world's largest consumer of things from the ground and largest sibling in the Asian region recorded slower-than-expected GDP growth for the second quarter: 7.6 per cent. This is the sixth straight quarter in...

Unless they are living in Canada, there isn't going to be much for Germans to celebrate this coming weekend on a few accounts. For one, the country lost against Italy in the Euro 2012 semi-finals in what must have felt like a bitter defeat after Germany had knocked out those...

In the wake of May's bond market rally from heaven, administered rates have seen additional downward pressure into June. GIC rates have extended their decline, while Canadian mortgage rates are downright juicy.

In the background we have the Bank of Canada going through a bit of a flip-flop on...

A comprehensive financial plan will incorporate cash flow analysis, investment management, estate analysis, but also risk management.

From a purely holistic perspective, a life plan would look at all aspects of risk management, including health, fitness and mental wellbeing; however in the financial arena, risk management is insurance. Just...

It is said that the average American spends hundreds of hours per year on Facebook. Now the company has gone public, it is quite possible that investors in the stock might spend the same amount of time figuring out whether they did the right thing.

With much fanfare the...

As I commented in last week's Capital Strategy, investor unease has built up in recent weeks over the prospect that we might be in for a repeat performance of what happened to equities after April in both 2010 and 2011 -- namely, correction and heightened volatility.

While there are...

There is no shortage of things in this crazy world that perplexes investors, and the list seems to grow daily for some. One of the simplest, yet most potentially hazardous, puzzlements out there is how interest rates in the US can remain so low (near historic lows in fact) despite...

In the past couple of weeks, the Bank of Canada has warned Canadians that it will play the bad parent if their debt-hungry ways didn't change -- threatening to use its monetary policy toolbox if necessary.

Considering that policy is supposed to target inflation, this stance was both surprising...

At the beginning of April, the S&P500 was trading above 1400 or more than double the valley it dug itself into three years ago. Measured from the low to the high seen this month, the S&P rose more than 110 per cent -- its best performance since 1999. Not a...

This was a busy week on the Canadian fiscal scene as not only did Ontario and New Brunswick deliver their latest budgets, but the federal government came forth with its as well. In terms of Canada's overall budgetary picture, investors have more or less become unfocused over the years, even...

Whether you are an ardent bull or fervent bear, it's hard to dismiss the latest round of economic numbers out of the U.S. as anything but constructive. The columns may be filled with continued talk of how much drag America's unemployment is, but the trend has been positive now for...

Canadian bond yields have been hovering near historic lows for weeks now, even with equity markets showing a braver face. While investors scratch their heads wondering which market has it right, borrowers are laughing all the way to the bank. Incredibly, the major chartered banks have four-year mortgage rates below...

Depending on one's perspective, 2011 will be viewed as disappointing, bordering on terrible; or, it will be looked back on as a year where we should be thankful. True enough. Stock markets experienced their wildest ride since the beginning of 2009 and shockwaves were felt from three global epicentres --...

While last week ended on a positive note in terms of Europe's handling of its fiscal crisis, Canadians will remain concerned about how everything that has happened and could happen will effect things on this side of the pond. In my discussions with clients and business owners, this concern generally...

As Americans head into their Thanksgiving long weekend, they will have plenty of things to be thankful for. Unfortunately, an effective government will not be one of them.

While we have not been startled by the lack of political leadership in Europe in dealing with the region's debt crisis...

Canadian banks will be closing the books on the fiscal year come Halloween and no matter how this last quarter shakes out in terms of earnings, there will be at least a sigh of relief among executives that some of the intense concerns from back at the end of the...