Think Smart with TMFG

Episode 158: Fee Rates: Bad Marks for Canadian Fund Fees

Morningstar has given Canadian fee rates an official thumbs down. Find out why we are getting such poor marks. What goes into making up a fee rate? Why is unbundling your fees advantageous and how do we stack up? Listen today as Senior Financial Advisors Rob McClelland and Mike Connon break down the mystery behind fee rates.

"Key Points"
Fee Rates
ETFs
Mutual Fund Rates
Canadian Fees vs. U.S. Fees
Graduated Fee Schedule
Active Management
Fee Deals
Management Fees
Investor Behaviour 

Episode 157: REITs, a Great Way to Add Real Estate to Your Portfolio

Why does this incredibly successful investment product never make the big headlines? What are REITs and how do they work? Listen today as Senior Financial Advisors Rob McClelland and Mike Connon fill you in on why they might be a great investment option to add to your portfolio.

Episode 156: Jumping on The Investment Bandwagon

The FAANG (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google) stocks have been on everyone's investment radar for years. How could you ignore their performance when the hype was everywhere. What are these major tech stocks looking like today? How easy is it to value or overvalue stocks? Why choose value stocks versus growth? Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is ever apparent in the investment world, but here's why you should give it a miss. 

Episode 155: Things You Can Do To Reduce Your Tax Bill

Different types of investments create different types of income. Today on ThinkSmart Senior Financial Advisors Rob McClelland and Mike Connon take an in-depth look at tax optimization; ways to avoid paying unnecessary taxes and triggering capital gains. They also discuss the advantages of the funds we use. 

Episode 154: Owning, Loaning, and, Gambling

There are really only three ways to invest; just like in math you can only add or subtract and everything else is just a more complicated version of these simple operations. NFTs, MEMEs, Cryptocurrency, and many highly engineered products are often incredibly complicated for investors to understand. Join us today on ThinkSmart as we discuss some of these newer products that have been developed and the difference between owning, loaning, and gambling with your investments.

Episode 153: Why We Should Share Things That Are Great

We make restaurant recommendations, mention a great hotel stay or great city to visit. Yet when it comes to financial security and peace of mind, it is much harder not to feel like we might be meddling in someone else's personal affairs. Today on, ThinkSmart Advisors Rob McClelland and Mike Connon discuss why sharing your success with those around you is, in fact, one of the best things you could do.

 

Episode 152: Big Cities Are in Big Trouble and Need to Change

Once the hub of excitement, arts, and entertainment COVID-19 has quite literally sucked the very life out of our cities. Restaurants are boarded up, homelessness is on the rise, hotel occupancy rates are down all while prices continue to soar. Join us today as Financial Advisors Rob McClelland and Mike Connon discuss their recent travels abroad and what we need to do in order to save our cities.

Episode 151: Scary Times For Investors

There is no doubt that COVID 19, the war in Ukraine, rising interest rates, and supply chain disruptions are leaving people with the sense that chaos is all around.  Sometimes, it's extremely difficult to even consider investing when you are in the thick of all this social turmoil. But these occurrences are not new; in the 90s, we had the Gulf War, the housing crash and we feared the approach of Y2K. So as an investor, what should you do? Listen today as we give you some insight into the markets and what you might want to do with your money.

Episode 150: Why is Investing So Difficult?

Why is investing so difficult? The war in Ukraine, restrictions on the Russian stock market, COVID-19, and so many other unknowns are creating a sense of uncertainty and fear. Is it natural for people to be good investors? It seems to be our natural instinct to run and hide from things that we find frightening or threatening. Join us today as we explore the psychology of investing and how to prosper with clear thinking.

Episode 149: Examining 50 Years of Asset Allocation Strategies

Senior Financial Advisors Rob McClelland and Mike Connon discuss an article written by Dr. Craig Israelsen entitled "50 Years of Asset Allocations". The article traces asset allocation behaviour from 1972 and 2021. Rob and Mike examine these using 7 different strategies; cash, bonds, balanced portfolios, and diversified strategies beginning with the same base investment amount and see how it fares over 50 years. Join us to hear how it all turns out.