DM Monthly Newsletter – April 2017
How Far Could Climbing Interest Rates Go? N. American interest rates have been on a steep ascent since last summer, with the yields on both US and Cdn 10yr govt. bonds having shot up by more than half over the period. This short term surge has been mostly driven by improving economic fundamentals, with the US continuing its growth leadership and Canada recently posting GDP gains well in excess of expectations.
Click here to read more: DM-Monthly-Report-Apr-17
Debt Is a Four-Letter Word
Debt today is so common, you might say it can’t be avoided. Most people are not in a position to purchase a house or car for cash, while those who can buy such things outright may prefer to finance and keep control of their capital.
The truth is, while most of us see debt as a bad thing, any money borrowed to generate income or increase net worth can be considered “good debt.”
If the amount borrowed is invested for an overall gain, the debt is a tool. Borrowing to further your education, for example, is good debt since an education generally increases the likelihood you will earn more in the future. Most often, too, the interest paid on this type of debt is tax deductible. Read more 
The importance of including family caregivers in the cost of cancer
Employers must acknowledge the role of family caregivers to get a true picture of the costs of cancer care, according to a University of Alberta professor.
Janet Fast, a professor of department of human ecology at the University of Alberta, told the audience at Benefits Canada’s 2017 Employers Cancer Care Summit in February that the army of family and friends assisting patients with their everyday needs are an often-overlooked pillar of the medical system. Yet without them, the entire health system would collapse, she noted. Read more
DM – Q1 Portfolio Commentary
Gradual improvements don’t make great headlines – Geopolitically speaking, the year’s opening quarter brought more of the same: North Korea lobbed some missiles into the Sea of Japan, Russia continued to stir up trouble, and, back on our shores, one could be forgiven for mistaking actual White House press briefings for their subsequent Saturday Night Live parodies. Against this disconcerting backdrop, however, stocks behaved as if the outside world had somehow stumbled into a rare state of tranquility.
Click here to read more: DM-Portfolio-Commentary-Q1-17
