One of the key challenges for impact investors and philanthropists alike is measuring & reporting impact. Investing in things that make us feel good or simply giving our money away to what we think are worthy causes is not enough. Given today’s environmental, social, and economic climate, we need to measure and then report the impact our capital is making to...
Withholding taxes are deducted at source before income is paid to an investor. In the context of Canadian investors with US stocks, withholding taxes refer to the taxes that are deducted by the US government on dividends paid to Canadian residents. But, the US withholding tax rules can be a bit complicated, so this post provides an overview of the key...
In Canada, registered accounts are investment accounts that offer tax advantages and are registered with the Canadian government. These accounts include: Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs): These accounts are designed to help Canadians save for retirement. Contributions made to RRSPs are tax-deductible, which means they can be used to reduce your taxable income. The investments inside an RRSP grow tax-free until...
Bond exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are investment vehicles that provide investors with exposure to a diversified portfolio of fixed-income securities. They offer a cost-effective way to access the bond market and are often used as a tool for income generation or to diversify a portfolio. In this blog post, we will compare three bond ETFs offered by Vanguard based on their...
Norbert's Gambit is a method used by investors to convert currency within a brokerage account at a lower cost than traditional foreign exchange methods. It involves buying and selling shares of a dual-listed stock simultaneously on both a Canadian and a U.S. stock exchange. When it comes to investing, it's not uncommon for Canadian investors to hold investments in both Canadian...
Which is the best ESG ETF in Canada? This post describes how to create a low cost ESG index portfolio that aligns with your values. We will consider which Canadian ETF is the best to use and also highlight alternative ways to construct your own customized ESG portfolio. We will begin by describing what ESG investing means and what an index...
This post provides a step-by-step guide that you can use to implement your own impact measurement process. By the end of this post, you’ll have a template you can use to either implement your own impact measurement framework or use our team to implement one for you. There are three steps we’ll need to take to implement our impact measurement process. We’ll...
With the rise of private equity investments and the associated lack of standardized reporting such investments contain, it becomes more important for wealthy investors to calculate their own rates of return. One way to do this is using an internal rate of return (“IRR”) method. An Internal Rate of Return (“IRR”) is a widely accepted way to calculate an investment’s rate...
A master limited partnership (“MLP”) is a publicly-traded limited partnership. They payout a high level of cash income investors because of their unique tax structure. Because of this, MLPs are considered “high yield” investments; most suitable for income-oriented investors.
Are you an investor who's been just going with the flow, not really sure where your portfolio is headed? Then, it's time to set some investment goals and give your portfolio some direction! Not only will it bring you peace of mind, but it will also help you achieve financial success. Here are the top 5 reasons why having investment...
