Category Archives: Blog

Since the beginning of December 2014, the Canadian dollar has lost roughly10% of its value against the U.S. dollar. This is due in large part to declining oil prices, less than stellar economic data coming out of Canada, and solid economic data coming out of the U.S. Investors looking for a way to take advantage […]

When it comes to predicting the direction of a stock or commodity, investors follow two research methods: fundamental analysis and technical analysis. Where fundamental analysis looks at a company’s financial statements to predict a trend, technical analysis uses a wide variety of charts to help identify patterns and predict future prices. Technical Analysis of Stocks […]

Canadian Dollar at Six-Year Low vs. U.S. Dollar Times have certainly changed for the Canadian dollar. When the U.S. was in the depths of the Great Recession and domestic growth was near-death, the Canadian dollar was trading at around $1.10 U.S., meaning that one Canadian dollar bought you $1.10 U.S. That was then, this is […]

Low Interest Rates Help Kick-Start Economy Many foreign governments have pointed to the Canadian economy as a well-run machine that avoided the economic turmoil that plunged the U.S., the eurozone, and much of the Western world into a recession in late 2007. Canada still slipped into a recession in 2009, but not for very long. […]

Oil’s Slick Descent  Oil prices have been under serious pressure since last summer. Between June 2014 and the end of October, oil prices fell roughly 23% to $80.00 per barrel on the heels of increased supply and a weakening global economy. Oil prices faced even further pressure in November, when the Organization of the Petroleum […]

In Europe, Switzerland is an Island Switzerland’s central bank surprised the global markets on January 15, when it abandoned the cap on its currency’s value against the euro. Back in 2011, the Swiss central bank pegged its currency at 1.20 Swiss francs per euro. Why? Because Switzerland has long been considered an economic safe haven, […]

When it comes to personal finance and creating wealth, there is no better long-term investing strategy than the stock market. For example, between March 2009, when the markets bottomed, and the end of 2014, the NASDAQ increased 275%, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) 160%, and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) 95%. Not surprisingly, the […]

U.S. Markets Not as Strong as They Seem Despite the fact that the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average are trading near record highs and investors are enjoying a bull run that is now in its sixth year, the fact of the matter is that the stock market is not as strong as it […]

Over the last three years, Russia’s central bank has been buying gold at a breakneck pace. But it has significantly ramped up its buying since the beginning of 2014. With gold currently trading at its lowest levels since April 2010, many are wondering if Russia’s rapid accumulation of gold will impact short- and long-term prices. […]