The Financial Pipeline

How do you value alternative investments?

Management, market fit and scale are key to evaluating the potential of any start-up or alternative investment. Alternative investments lack many of the quantitative measures used in traditional company valuations – but there are several ways to try to assess the potential worth of any start-up.

added 3 weeks ago

3 minutes

What’s wrong with negative interest rates?

Negative rates can help the economy get out of a jam, but they’re a risky play. Negative or zero interest rates can help boost capital spending when the economy takes a downward turn, but going that low is a risky move, because it leaves central banks little room to manoeuvre if things get worse

added 3 weeks ago

1 minute

What’s the Cannabis Standard?

Cutting through the haze: Why standards matter in the cannabis space. Reformulary’s cannabis standard is trying to make sense of the medical cannabis field – and give patients the information they need to make the right choices.

added 1 month ago

2 minutes

Networking advice: Tips from the top

Trying to figure out the best way to network? Here are some tips from some of the industry’s best. Crossing paths with the right people can make all the difference as you move through your career. Here are some tips to make sure you’re approaching networking the right way.

added 2 months ago

3 minutes

Does Canada need its own ESG definition?

Canada is looking to join the effort to define ESG offerings – and to avoid being left out. Funds looking to incorporate ESG into their investments are looking for clear signals that those issues really are green – and Canada has its own opinions.

added 2 months ago

3 minutes

Investing in oil: What you need to know

Pipeline access, oil prices, spending and trade wars among factors you need to understand before investing in oil. There’s no shortage of challenges facing the oil sector, but for those willing to understand how these impact the stocks, there could also be opportunities for investing in oil.

added 3 months ago

3 minutes

Featured Videos

The Fed in the age of the influencer

added 2 months ago

1 minute

How Floating Rate Notes work

added 4 months ago

1 minute

Monetary policy and the central bank

added 5 months ago

1 minute

Recent Articles

3 weeks ago • 3 minutes

Alternative investments can be trickier to evaluate than traditional companies because so many of the traditional signposts aren’t there, but if you’re able to help a valuable start-up develop its potential, the payoff can be...

3 weeks ago • 1 minute

What are negative interest rates? Negative rates happen when central banks aggressively ease monetary policy, setting their benchmark rate below zero, so that other banks have to pay to store their money instead...

1 month ago • 2 minutes

While much of the news around the legalization of cannabis focused on the recreational market and the highs (and lows) of pot stocks, a medical company has been crunching the numbers and shifting through data to bring some mu...

2 months ago • 3 minutes

It can be difficult for busy capital markets professionals to find the time or energy to network, and making those connections can be especially difficult for women who don’t always have the same access to senior leadership a...

2 months ago • 3 minutes

Fund managers are increasingly looking to incorporate ESG and environmental impact considerations into their portfolios, but they need clear definitions to understand what they are investing in – and to ensure those bonds, st...

3 months ago • 1 minute

If you’re looking for versatile retirement income, your best bet may be to get to know the TFSA (Tax Free Savings Account). Consider it a savings account that can provide long-term compounded growth without the intrusion o...

3 months ago • 3 minutes

Geopolitical events can have a big impact on oil prices, but anyone looking to invest in the oil sector would be wise to look beyond these headline-grabbing (but temporary) impacts and consider what’s likely to affect the com...

4 months ago • 3 minutes

While a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Chartered Financial Analyst designation (CFA) are both highly sought-after professional degrees, experts say the type of advanced credentials you opt for should really be ...

5 months ago • 1 minute

What’s the harm in urging the U.S. Federal Reserve to pursue expansionary monetary policy to achieve one’s Oval Office aspirations? In short, mistimed interest rate cuts can fuel runaway inflation and throw economic decisi...

5 months ago • 2 minutes

The U.S. Federal Reserve was created to pursue its objectives free from political interference, but there have been times when politicians just couldn’t help themselves from offering advice or applying pressure on the central...

5 months ago • 3 minutes

At 92, Al Pearlstein has a bit of a longer view of investing than most people. But for the legendary Bay Street wealth manager and pension advisor, who’s seen clients through 11 market cycles since 1950, youth is no excuse...

5 months ago • 2 minutes

The U.S. Federal Reserve was initially established as a chaperone of sorts – one who could help the banking system get out of trouble after a series of financial panics that led to bank runs and defaults. After a...

6 months ago • 2 minutes

Move over, breakfast. In the middle of the CFA exam, the most important meal of the day may just be lunch. But what do you eat when you have less than an hour to fuel your body for the next three-hour round and probably fe...

6 months ago • 3 minutes

When Derek Dedman wrote his Level III CFA exam in Ottawa, he was in an overflow room along with hundreds of people – a much different experience from when he wrote his two previous exams in his hometown of Regina. “I felt ...

6 months ago • 3 minutes

If you’re a nervous CFA candidate wondering what to expect on exam day, you may find some comfort in astronaut Chris Hadfield’s approach to space missions. Hadfield is often asked how he overcomes his fear, given how many ...

6 months ago • 2 minutes

After logging in 300 hours of studying and ploughing through thousands of pages of material, the last thing you want is to get to the CFA exam and realize you forgot to bring your financial calculator. That’s kind of like ...

6 months ago • 3 minutes

The anxiety CFA candidates suffer in the lead up to the exam is legendary, but for anyone preparing to write, it’s crucial to find ways to de-stress before the big day. Yoga and meditation can be great tools to bring you b...

6 months ago • 3 minutes

It's after midnight and you wake up in a cold sweat. In less than 12 hours you’ll be writing the grueling, six-hour CFA exam and you are filled with self-doubt, even though you've logged around 300 hours of study. How can yo...

8 months ago • 2 minutes

There are times when you want a lot of choice, but if you’re having trouble telling your options apart, choice can be overwhelming. That holds true whether you’re in line at Starbucks, choosing between Baskin Robbins’ 31 f...

8 months ago • 2 minutes

A well balanced diet helps keep you healthy. A similar notion holds true for getting the right asset mix in your investment portfolio. Asset mix is a fundamental principle of portfolio construction. But like leading a heal...

9 months ago • 2 minutes

ETFs have become increasingly popular since arriving on the scene in the 1980s, through a combination of investors looking for lower fees, a push for index investing and the advent of the Internet. “Canada was probably the...

9 months ago • 2 minutes

The management fees you pay on your investments depend on what type of investment you have. If you are buying stocks and bonds directly and are building your own portfolio, you will typically only pay transaction fees for ...

How do you value alternative investments?