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So, you've got your eye on a stock. Maybe it's a company you use every day, one you've seen in the news, or a tip you picked up from a friend. Before you hit that “buy” button, take a breath. Investing isn’t gambling—it’s a thoughtful process. But that doesn’t mean it needs to be complicated.

When considering your next stock purchase, think about The ABCs of Investing: a simple, practical framework for making smarter investment decisions.

Q: I understand it is impossible to predict, but do you feel itís wiser holding cash at these all-time highs? Should I wait for a drop and pounce? Or buy at these numbers as all-time highs indicate excellent businesses, assuming a long-term hold.

I am about 25% cash. Is that too much in this market?

While Canadians are notoriously polite and inclined to defer to experts, that deference can come at a cost to your financial future. In this article, I will provide you with some key questions you should ask your financial advisor, and a basic overview of the sorts of answers you should be looking for. Nothing should be taken as gospel, and answers don't need to be verbatim. However, they should demonstrate a comprehension of the situation, a purposeful rationale, and, if possible, be supported by empirical evidence.

I ran into an old high school buddy the other day over a cup of coffee. His name is Alex. We hadn’t seen each other in years, and catching up was like opening a time capsule. Alex’s story is pretty interesting—he’s a successful business owner, passionate about what he does, and he’s been through a lot of life changes. Now, he’s on his second marriage, which means he has a blended family with kids from his first marriage and his new spouse.

As the seasons change and routines reset, September offers an ideal time to revisit the fundamentals, particularly when it comes to your finances. Whether you are just starting your financial journey, approaching retirement, or somewhere in between, one of the most important decisions you will face is how to manage your money effectively. Should you hire a financial advisor, engage a financial planner, or take the do-it-yourself (DIY) route? Each option serves different needs and comes with distinct advantages and challenges. This article unpacks the roles of financial advisors and planners, explores the DIY approach, and provides practical guidance to help you choose the path best suited to your unique financial situation.

I read an interesting article in the New York Times recently about the possibility of a “market melt-up”. The article quotes Edward Yardeni, the independent Wall Street economist and strategist: “At the moment, he said, the market is “sort of, kind of, in a melt-up.” Referring to the sharp stock downturn earlier this year, he added, “Just look at the way this correction has been reversed, it’s been a melt-up.” Stock valuations are “pretty rich,” he said, and people in the markets are “back to believing” that artificial intelligence is “a miracle technology.”

I’ve owned a very successful engineering firm for over 35 years now and I plan to finally retire this summer at age 72. I have two trusted investment advisors (at different firms) and they both run balanced portfolios for me. Starting this fall I would like to draw income from my portfolio, but I am unsure as to which accounts I should draw from. I have corporate accounts, registered accounts and personal accounts. How do you think I should set myself up? Should I have a meeting with both of my advisors to discuss this?

Q: How serious do you feel the aggregate global debt situation is? I have read that the total is now well over $300 trillion USD. Government and consumer spending seems somewhat out of control in much of the world. Let's put it this way - if the Earth was part of an interplanetary federation, would the aliens' financial authorities think we are heading towards bankruptcy?

Each spring, global value investors make the pilgrimage to Toronto to attend The Ben Graham Centre’s Value Investing Conference. This year, those hoping to gain deep insight into the shambolic state of the markets got the headline message: “Don’t over-emphasize the macro.” Here are some highlights from this year’s event: