MacDonald Advisory Team

Cheap and boring: Why the least exciting stocks look pretty good right now

July 31, 2023 |Alan MacDonald

Mark Twain has been credited with saying that “history doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” In my experience, this sage observation is particularly fitting when it comes to stock markets and the behaviour of investors. In the 1960s and 1970s,...

When is the right time to exercise stock options or sell stock in your company?

June 12, 2023 |Alan MacDonald

One of the most frequent questions I get from clients who own their own companies, or who have a significant portion of their money tied up in a single stock, is when is the right time to sell some (or most) of those stocks to diversify their holdings...

How to crash-proof your retirement income

April 12, 2023 |Alan MacDonald

As I write this article, the latest crisis du jour is the collapse and insolvency of the Silicon Valley Bank. We here in Canada tend to think of our banks as being virtually invulnerable. But as the 2008 banking crisis taught us, even the biggest blue-chip...

When to take OAS and CPP -another perspective

March 17, 2023 |Alan MacDonald

We’re all getting older and one of the hot topics for us aging boomers is when to take our OAS and CPP. The rewards for deferring these pensions can be substantial. For CPP, the monthly benefit increases by 7.2 per cent per year for each year you defer...

An Investor checklist for 2023

February 27, 2023 |Alan MacDonald

An investor checklist for 2023 The first month of the New Year is officially behind us. Traditionally, this is the time when all our well-meaning resolutions are forgotten until next January rolls around, and our old habits start to rear their ugly heads...

There’s a recession coming in 2023. So why am I still in stocks?

January 16, 2023 |Alan MacDonald

The debate is over. We have an inverted yield curve in fixed-income securities, where short–term rates are higher than long–term rates. Consumers are stretched thin, battered by the twin spectres of rising interest rates and higher-than-average inflation...

How to get a perpetual 6.5 per cent return on your investment capital

November 15, 2022 |Alan MacDonald

Many investors these days are wondering how they can capitalize on the incredible run-up we’ve been seeing in interest rates lately. According to the RBC Strategy Committee, the current high rates will probably be with us for a while. But with ongoing...

Why Negativity Sounds Smart

October 24, 2022 |Alan MacDonald

You can’t open the financial news today without being bombarded by a steady stream of negative headlines. Among the most cherished topics are runaway inflation, sovereign debt default, over stretched consumers, impending recession, war, and, of course...

Too many investors fear longevity too little – and market volatility too much

September 16, 2022 |Alan MacDonald

In 1993, the cost to mail a letter in Canada was 43 cents. Today (assuming anyone were to actually want to mail a letter) it would cost $1.07. That’s an increase of just over two and a half times, and it’s pretty close to the average inflation in the...

Why not wait until things look better?

June 20, 2022 |Alan MacDonald

“Let’s hold off on putting any money into the markets for a bit and wait until things settle down.” I’m hearing these words from a lot of investors these days. Especially from people who have recently sold a business or property, had a bond or GIC come...

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