The Globe and Mail - Rob Carrick Columns

High yield, low price: Check out these beautiful losers

Sat, 16 May 2009 00:00 EDT

rcarrick@globeandmail.comEven after one of the most dramatic rallies ever, the stock market has its losers.Check 'em now, while they're still cheap. Because several lame performers in the SandP/TSX composite this year are keepers for conservative investors seeking dividend income.

Ombudsman made headway

Thu, 14 May 2009 00:00 EDT

rcarick@globeandmail.comThe man who represents the last chance at justice for wronged investors is leaving at a time when business is booming.Good on him. Bad on the investment industry.

Canadian banks playing catch-up online

Tue, 12 May 2009 06:14 EDT

Canadian consumers lag when banking by Internet

Canadian banks playing catch-up

Tue, 12 May 2009 00:00 EDT

rcarrick@globeandmail.comIt seems that our wonderful Canadian banks aren't better than their U.S. counterparts at everything.U.S. banks helped launch a global recession with their bad mortgage lending decisions, and they've gulped down billions in federal rescue funding. But give them their due: They're better than our more stable Canadian banks at making life convenient for customers by making it easy to research and buy products online.

Slowly ease back into equities, and sleep at night

Sat, 9 May 2009 00:00 EDT

Instead of buying low, you laid low.Now, even after a late-week stumble, the stock market's up about 35 per cent in just two months. Did you miss out by avoiding stocks and holding safe stuff like money market funds and Treasury bills? No worries. There's still time to formulate a plan to prepare your portfolio for a sustained recovery from the bear market.

Be aware: The blame goes two ways

Tue, 5 May 2009 00:00 EDT

rcarrick@globeandmail.comThere's lots of blame to be spread around for the damage done to everyday investors in the bear market.In fact, these very investors may be culpable in varying degrees for their losses. This isn't to excuse negligent or incompetent work by some investment advisers, because it is a problem. That's why this column presented a two-part QandA over the past two weeks with a pair of lawyers who specialize in representing injured investors.

Where losses and gains are fun and games

Sat, 2 May 2009 00:00 EDT

rcarrick@globeandmail.comI am loving those crazy new triple-the-market ETFs they have in the United States.Here in Canada, we have a series of exchange-traded funds that give you twice what the market does on the up or downside in a given day. You know the Americans - if double is good, triple is better. Enter the new Direxion family of 3x bull and bear ETFs.

Say adios to money market funds

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00 EDT

rcarrick@globeandmail.comThe cocooning trend in investing has to stop.Cocooning was the phrase coined about 20 years ago to describe the way in which people were choosing to stay warm and comfy at home instead of venturing out. Investors are doing much the same thing today with money market funds, and it's earning them close to zero in returns.

The hired guns: 'Problem is people finding us'

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:00 EDT

rcarrick@globeandmail.comBetween them, lawyers Harold Geller and John Hollander of the Ottawa firm Doucet McBride LLP have handled a hundred or so cases over the years for investors seeking compensation for bad financial advice. In the second instalment of a two-part conversation, Globe and Mail personal finance columnist Rob Carrick talks to the two at their Ottawa office about advisers, the investment industry and the remedies for bad advice.