If you haven’t heard of the F.I.R.E. movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early), its advocates focus on aggressive early saving to achieve financial freedom long before traditional retirement. But prior to F.I.R.E. going viral, David Chilton laid out the same blueprint in The Wealthy Barber. Published in 1989, Chilton’s classic has sold over 2 million copies […]
By: Jeff Pollock It’s difficult to dispute the seasonal weakness that September historically accompanies. Many call it the “September Effect”. Going back almost a century, it’s the only month of the year when the S&P 500 statistically posts a loss more often than a gain. Since 1930, September has delivered a median return of -0.4%. […]
Dream Industrial REIT owns and operates a portfolio of several hundred industrial properties totaling over 75 million square feet across urban markets in Canada (62%), Europe (25%), and the U.S. (13%). Last quarter, the REIT raised its monthly distribution for the first time in 13 years. Investors currently enjoy a 5% annual yield, returning $500 […]
Buying stock on margin occurs when you borrow money to purchase securities. It’s called leverage because it magnifies your results in both directions. Warren Buffett has said “if you’re smart, you don’t need it; if you’re dumb, you shouldn’t use it.” For example, imagine you have $100,000 of your own money to invest but you […]
Drivers in the Greater Toronto Area got a rude awakening at the pumps yesterday. Thanks to escalating geopolitical tensions in Iran, gas prices spiked by 8 cents per litre overnight, pushing the average price for regular fuel up to roughly $1.73 per litre, leaving many motorists feeling gouged at the pumps. Since the conflict in […]
Many have said “bull markets don’t die of old age; central bankers kill them.” The conventional wisdom is that once rates start to head higher, stocks are less attractive because the cost of borrowing becomes more expensive and investors are offered an income-producing alternative by the bond market. However, history says they are wrong. The […]
Yes, Canadian banks are trading at valuation multiples unseen in years. However, comparing these multiples to their historical valuations may not make all that much sense. The banking industry has changed drastically over the years. Decades ago, banks were mostly just mortgage lenders. They would take in deposits from savers, keep a very small fraction […]
Economists define a “technical recession” as two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth. After shrinking by 1.0% in the final quarter of 2025, the economy dipped an additional 0.1% in the first quarter of 2026. This latest contraction is minor, and it is a preliminary figure that will likely be revised upward or downward in […]
On October 19, 2026, Alberta will have a referendum about whether it should have a referendum to separate from Canada. The exact wording on the ballot for one of the ten questions will read: Should Alberta remain a province of Canada, or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian […]
With the market hitting record highs daily, finding compelling new opportunities at attractive entry points has become increasingly challenging. Brookfield Infrastructure (“BIPC”), which hit almost $70 as recently as March, has pulled back just about 25% the last several weeks to $53.34 today. (Disclosure: Clients, Jeff Pollock, and Sunni Schneider have a financial interest in […]
You’ve likely heard the old Wall Street adage that suggests you should “sell in May and go away”. The strategy sounds simple enough because it asks an investor to exit the stock market in early May and not return until the end of October to avoid a perceived summer slump. At Schneider & Pollock Wealth […]
The Greater Toronto Area real estate market has officially dipped below the $1 million mark for the first time in five years, with the average selling price for all home types landing at $973,000 last month. This contraction represents a 27% price decline from the market’s all-time peak in February 2022. I’ve heard many people […]
The RSP contribution deadline for the 2025 tax year is Monday, March 2, 2026. Contributions made by this date can be deducted from your 2025 taxable income. The maximum contribution limit is 18% of earned income, up to $32,490. Depending on your personal situation, it doesn’t always make sense to contribute. Contributing to an RSP […]
In the world of behavioral finance, there is a well-documented phenomenon known as loss aversion. Nobel Prize-winning psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky found that the pain of a loss is psychologically twice as powerful as the joy of an equivalent gain. Statistically, most investors require at least a 2-to-1 gain to offset the emotional […]
Our investment in Canadian Utilities (“CU”), which delivers gas and electricity, in November 2023 was based on a straightforward premise: its attractive 5.7% dividend yield positioned it as a prime beneficiary of anticipated interest rate cuts. We believed falling rates would naturally enhance the appeal of high-yielding dividend stocks like CU for income investors seeking […]
